Mary Magdalene

Luke 8 1-3:

“Jesus travelled about from one town to another, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.The twelve were with him and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.Mary called Magdalene from he cast seven demons.Joanna, wife of Cuza ,the manager of Herod’s household Susanna and many others.They provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples”

In Jesus’ day women had an inferior place in Jewish Society. The laws were that a Rabbi or Teacher – Master, could not speak to a woman in public. No man would take notice of a woman’s word.

Women were to keep quiet and worshiped separately in the Temple.

Jesus however showed respect to the women who followed him.

Many people followed Jesus because of the miracles he did, but there were specific people who were his close disciples (12 men) .Beside this there was a group of women who followed him and served him and supported with their own finance

One of these was MARY  MAGDALENE: She was from Migdal derived from Migdal’el or Tower of God. She certainly stood strong after meeting with Christ.  Here is a lady who followed close to Jesus, even to his death, burial and was the first person to see him alive.

She was the first one who was to proclaim the news “He is risen”

 She is mentioned 14 times in scripture

What caused her to be so loyal and faithful?

FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE  

She had been delivered from bondage, the depths of despair.

She had been bound in mental torment .This particular sickness did not come from God but was a work of the devil as a result of man’s fall. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus is a healer and restorer.

Whatever the torment, there was now a marvellous change in her life. She had been set free. She was forever grateful.

FREELY SHE HAD RECEIVED: FREELY SHE GAVE

She gave of her time, her money, her love, her loyalty.

 ……Why? Because she had beentransformed.

1Cor 5:17 says

If anyone be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things become new.

Nothing could stop her from following this Rabbi because without him her life before had been wretched. Other women followed but she is mentioned first, except at the cross when Jesus’ mother is first. She stood out like a tower .Her freedom from bondage meant Christ was everything to her.

When Jesus was falsely accused and crucified she stayed near.  

FAITHFUL TO THE END

She was forever grateful. She followed Jesus to the end.

John 19:25 says

 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother,his mother’s sister.Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene

When the  disciples  except John fled for their lives,the women followers stayed close by.

The women even followed to the tomb where Christ was laid.

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Jewish Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. See Mark 15:43.

Luke 23 55 says

“The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it .Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment”.

Meanwhile The chief priests went to Pilate and asked for the tomb to be sealed and   armed guards placed to prevent any one stealing the body. There was an earthquake and the angel of God rolled back the stone. The keepers fled

Next morning the faithful ladies, led by Mary went to the tomb.

 On arriving they found the tomb open.

Luke 24 1-3: ‘One the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered,they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus’

 Mary stood at the entrance .She could see the strips of cloth folded.

Where was he?

What had happened?

 Suddenly she saw an Angel who told her that Jesus had risen , the women ran and told the disciples, Peter and John, who came running saw the grave cloths and went away, not remembering that Jesus had said he would rise again.

Mary stayed by the sepulchre (tomb) weeping (crying her eyes out) She heard a voice guessing it was the gardener

John 20 15-16

“Woman “ he said ,why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’

Thinking he was the gardener she said “Sir if you have carried away,tell me where you have put him,and I willget him”

Jesus said to her “Mary”

FEAR TURNS TO JOY

When he called her name she suddenly stopped crying.” My sheep know my voice”. She knew this was the Lord, the one who had delivered her, whom she had followed to the death and yet he was risen, just as he said he would.

FIRST TO PROCLAIM THE RISEN CHIRST

John20 17-18 :

Jesus said,”Do not hold on to me for I have not yet returned to my father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father to my God and yourGod

It is ironic, that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene (a woman!).  She had stayed faithful and was there when all others had given up hope.

God chose a woman to declare the Resurrection.

She knew that Christ was the giver of new life and now she knew Him as the one that death could not hold down.

Footnote:

Later he appeared to disciples individually and collectively even to 500 at one time ,before ascending to heaven.

. (1 Corinthians15),  

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas,^b and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles”