Chief Witness of the Resurrection
Mary Magdalene as one of the main women who followed Jesus Christ. She witnessed some of the most important events in all of recorded history: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. She was such an important witness to these historical events that every one of her four gospels mentions her. She was a wealthy woman who had served Jesus Christ during his ministry and supported him financially.
The four gospels were written from four different perspectives over a period of 30 to 40 years. The fact that every gospel mentions her shows that she was well known as the main witness of the resurrection.
The other disciples, except John, had abandoned Jesus Christ and fled from his crucifixion and burial. However, Mary Magdalene remained close to him and was the first person to see Jesus Christ freed from the chains of death.
seven Devils
Why was Mary Magdalene such a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ? Well, one of the reasons is that she was so thankful that Jesus Christ had cast seven demons out of her, as recorded in Luke 8:1-2.
“1And it came to pass afterward, that he went into every city and village, preaching and announcing the good news of the kingdom of God; and the twelve were with him, 2and some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases, Mary called Magdalene, out of which came seven demons” (KJV)
Mary was not the only woman who followed Jesus Christ or whom he had healed from illnesses of mind and body. However, Luke mentions her specifically because Christ had cast seven demons out of her. Jesus Christ had freed her from the bondage of the demonic world.
prostitute accusation
Mary Magdalene has often been misunderstood and has been accused of being a prostitute. However, the Bible nowhere identifies her as a prostitute. Why then do many people think that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute? Luke records an incident in which a woman who was a public sinner washed the feet of Jesus Christ with her tears. Some people think that Mary Magdalene was this woman. This incident is recorded in Luke 7:36-39:
36And one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and reclined at table. 37And behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, knowing that Jesus was sitting. dining at the Pharisee’s house, he brought an alabaster jar of ointment, 38 and stood behind him weeping at his feet, and began to wash his feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of his head, and kissed his feet , and anointed 39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he spoke within himself, saying: This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is that touches him, who is for a sinner. (VR)
However, scholars think that Mary Magdalene is probably not the same woman called a sinner in Como 7:39 because Luke does not provide the woman’s name in Luke 7, but specifically names Mary Magdalene in Luke 8:1-3.
Accusation that she was married to Jesus Christ
Some books like Holy Blood, Holy Grail and the The Da Vinci Code they allege that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene. One of the arguments for Mary Magdalene being married to Jesus Christ is that one of the Gnostic texts states that Jesus Christ kissed Mary. However, greeting one another with a holy kiss was common at the time, even as commanded by the apostle Paul in Romans 16:16 and in three other places in his epistles.
Gnostic writings were never accepted as part of the scriptural canon. Even the Gnostic texts nowhere state that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene or any other woman.
Some people argue that Jesus Christ had to have been married because the disciples sometimes called him “rabbi” (Mark 11:21), and a rabbi was usually married. They called him rabbi or teacher as a title of respect. The word for rabbi or teacher in Mark 11:21 can mean “my great or my honorable lord.” However, Jesus Christ was not technically a Jewish rabbi and nowhere did he say that he was a rabbi. The disciples sometimes called him Rabbi because he was their teacher, but Jesus Christ did not have the official Jewish title of Rabbi.
According Smith’s Bible Dictionary, there were several forms of the title of rabbi with different levels of honor. The lowest level was rab, which meant teacher. The next level was rabbi, which meant my teacher; then came rabban, which meant our teacher; and the highest level was Rabboni, which meant my great teacher.
In Mark 11:28, the Jews asked him by what authority he did certain things because they knew he did not hold any sort of formal position of Jewish authority.
There is simply no hard evidence that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene or any other woman. The vast majority of scholars, whether liberal or conservative, agree that Jesus Christ was not married.
At the Crucifixion and Burial
Mary Magdalene was present at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 27:55-56.
“55And many women were there looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” (VR)
While other disciples had abandoned Jesus Christ at his crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and many women showed great courage by being at the crucifixion. Women value relationships highly. Mary Magdalene valued her relationship as a disciple of Jesus Christ. She was determined to be by her side until the end. She remembered the healing he had given her when he cast the seven demons out of her. He had given her a new life, and she would support him even in her death.
Mary Magdalene was also present at the burial of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 27:59-61.
59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean sheet, 60and put it in his new tomb, which he had dug out of the rock; and he rolled a great stone at the entrance of the tomb, and 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. (VR)
Yes, Mary Magdalene was also present at the burial of Christ. As the First Day of Unleavened Bread approached, Mary Magdalene was there to witness the burial of her master and lord. She would later return to the tomb to anoint his body with spices, but she would not find Jesus Christ there.
Witness of the Resurrection
The Apostle John records how Mary Magdalene witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ in John 20:1-2.
“1On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, early in the morning, while it was still dark, came to the tomb and saw the stone being rolled away from the tomb. 2Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and he said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put him.”(KJV)
Maria was disturbed. If Jesus Christ were not alive, she still wanted to touch his body and anoint him with aromatic spices. She didn’t want to let go of her teacher to whom she was so devoted.
She persuaded Peter and John to go to the tomb. They ran to it and looked inside. So the disciples went home, but Mary Magdalene did not go home. Just as she had stood near Jesus Christ at his crucifixion and burial, she would stand near his empty tomb until she saw two angels within him.
The apostle John goes on to describe the conversation that Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ had after his resurrection in John 20:13-17:
13And they said to her, Woman, why are you crying? She said to them: Because they have taken my LORD, and I do not know where they have put him. 14And having said this, she turned and saw Jesus standing, and she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus says to her: Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for? Where you have put it, I will take it. 16Jesus says to her: Mary. She turned: and said: Rabboni, which means: Master. 17Jesus said to him: Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and to your God.” (RSV)
The Greek work for I touched the reverse 17 is Haptomai. It means “to cling to”. Jesus Christ told Mary Magdalene not to cling to him because her mission would not end until he had ascended to the Father. Jesus Christ gave Mary Magdalene the mission of informing her disciples that she had risen from the dead and would ascend to her Father.
An apostle is one who is sent (Acts 1:21-22). Jesus Christ sent Mary Magdalene to tell her disciples, who would become apostles, that he was alive. This is why some ancient writings refer to Mary Magdalene as the apostle of the apostles. However, she had no authority as an apostle in any official capacity. She was not one of the 12. However, she was honored for her example and devotion.
The fact that Jesus Christ first appeared to a woman and made her a witness to his resurrection is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the truth or historicity of the resurrection account. Jewish law did not recognize the testimony of a woman. According to Mark 16:10-11, when Mary Magdalene told her disciples that she had seen Jesus Christ alive, they did not believe her.
However, women were important to Jesus Christ. He appreciated his devotion, especially Mary Magdalene’s devotion. He valued the opinions and testimony of a woman. If the account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ were a mere fable, Mary Magdalene would never have figured as the first witness to it.
conclusion
Mary Magdalene was a rich woman; she was a financial success. However, she did not achieve spiritual success until later. Seven demons had possessed her, but Jesus Christ cast them out of her and healed her. She made changes in her life and became a success story. She persistently sought Jesus Christ; she searched for him with courage; and she humbly sought him out. As a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene is an inspiring role model for each of us.