Mary, First Person

This feature was created specifically for Easter 2010, but it's worth listening to any time.  Click on the banner to initiate the file. 

For some background on Mary Magdalene, read the text below.

 

Over the weeks leading up to Easter this year, I was reading the gospel accounts of the few days before Jesus was arrested, the events surrounding the crucifixion, followed by His resurrection and appearances to His disciples. As I did this, one particular name kept appearing. At first, I hardly noticed it, because I was so familiar with it. Then I suddenly became aware that there was a depth to this individual which I'd missed.

Her name was Mary Magdalene. In Bible times, names were significant in ways which go far beyond our 21st Century experience, so I dug around to find the meaning associated with them. Mary comes from a Hebrew word associated with bitterness. In the Old Testament story we read of the Israelites encountering a spring of bitter water in the wilderness. They called it Marah. In the book of Ruth, we meet a woman named Naomi. Her life consisted of such a series of calamitous events that she told her friends to stop calling her Naomi - a name signifying "delight" - but to call her Mara because of the bitter losses she had lived through. Two passages refer to a bitter episode in Mary Magdalene's life. It occurred before we read of her in the New Testament, but she had been possessed of seven demons.

Specifically, Magdalene was used of people who came from Magdala, a town on the south western shore of the Sea of Galilee. In a general way, the word is connected with towers. There was one in Magdala which probably accounts for the town's name. Towers, in Bible times, served as places to keep an eye out for danger, particularly approaching enemies. In some cases, they were used as places of refuge and, because of their height, they also served as local landmarks which people would be able to see from a distance and use as a reference point when finding their way. As I looked more closely at Mary's life, I discovered several ways in which she might serve as a spiritual tower for us.

We know nothing of Mary's early life other than that she was from Magdala in Galilee, but at some point, she became possessed by seven demons. Demon possession was characterized by several bitter symptoms. I won't take time to mention the references to all of these, but the New Testament records that some who were demon possessed suffered from physical afflictions. They were deaf, blind, mute or subject to seizures. We read that sometimes demons would take control of their victim and attempt to harm them by throwing them into water or fire to injure or kill them. Others demon possessed persons posed a threat to others who avoided them for fear that they might be attacked. Various degrees of degradation could also be seen, such as one man who lived naked in the town graveyard. We are spared the details of Mary's possession, so we won't speculate. One thing that is worth mentioning is that the rather common idea that Mary was a prostitute is entirely unfounded. However the demons may have manifested themselves in her life, there is no indication that it was in a particularly sexual way.

In spite of the fact that we have little biographical information about Mary Magdalene, there are several things we can observe from her life.

One of the most endearing things about Mary was her personal response to Jesus. She recognized that she owed her entire life to the Lord. We don't know the exact circumstances of her deliverance, but soon thereafter, perhaps immediately, she became a follower of Jesus along with "many other women" as Mark recorded in His gospel. No mention is made of her family relationships and it seems she enjoyed a lot of freedom to follow Jesus on His travels. (Mark 15:39-41)

This reference to her as one among the many women followers of Jesus leads me to note that she was one of a smaller group of them who served the Lord in practical ways. Some of the women in Jesus' entourage "ministered unto him" or cared for Him. One way they did this was by helping to fund his travels. Mary’s devotion cost her something. This group of women, one of whom was connected to King Herod's court, had considerable means and they used their wealth to provide for Jesus in His travels. (See: Matthew 27:55-56 and Luke 8:1-3.)

While we're thinking about Mary in the context of the women who followed Jesus, it's worth noting that she was their leader. Whenever her name is mentioned along with others, she comes first in the list, with one exception. That is when the women who were present at the crucifixion are mentioned. In that case, Mary, the mother of the Lord comes first. There's another indication that Mary Magdalene was the leader of the women disciples of Jesus. When Luke refers to them, he mentions the group and names Mary Magdalene specifically. But when John records the same events, he refers to Mary alone. It seems that, at least in John's mind, Mary represented the whole group. We do this all the time with political and military leaders. You'll hear historians refer to Napoleon sweeping across Europe. He didn't do it by himself, but his name stands in for his entire military force.

Getting back to some of Mary's personal qualities, we see that she was characterized by faithful devotion. Matthew records that she and another woman were present at the crucifixion site until Joseph and Nicodemus took the Lord's body down from the cross. Mary and her friend watched, and perhaps helped as they wrapped it in linen in preparation for the burial and took it to the tomb. And there they stayed until it was closed with the great stone and the men had left. (See Matthew 27:55-60) John records that Mary was first at the tomb the next morning. There is some question as to whether or not she was alone on that first trip to the tomb, but either way, she was there before sun up. (See John 20:1)

Mary's devotion to the Lord was rewarded with a singular honour. She was the first one of His followers to see and speak with Him after the resurrection. In the brief interchange outside of the tomb, He charged her with being the first witness of His resurrection. This is certainly worthy of note given the cultural bias against women giving legal testimony. Mary proved to be an obedient witness. Both John and Luke report that she took the news of Jesus' resurrection back to the twelve. Like many faithful witnesses, she had her testimony counted as "idle tales" by the others. But Jesus’ later appearances to them vindicated her. (John 20:18 and Luke 24:10)

From this point, Mary disappears from the sacred record like the morning mist on the sea of Galilee. There is every reason to believe that she continued among the disciples and was present for the coming of the Holy Spirit in the upper room. But it seems her front-line role had been fulfilled and we read of her no more.

Mary Magdelene's spiritual trajectory was a jagged one. Filled with demons, delivered by the Lord. Filled with devotion for Him and principal among the women disciples, she was devastated by the thought that she had lost her Lord, then chosen among them all to be the first witness of the resurrection. What a delight that must have been! Then to quietly, but I can only imagine with great faith, to retire from public view.

Mary's life was characterized by deliverance and devotion - like every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh! The details are unique, but the great arch of the story is the same. A desperate miserable human, unable to save him or herself encounters Jesus, the One whose own lips confessed that He had come to serve others and lay down His life for many. The result of that deliverance is profound. People whose lives have been completely out of control start to become orderly. People whose only focus in life has been their own benefit, pleasure and comfort start to care about others. People whose fists were shaken in the face of God, extend their hands to allow Him to lift them up.

Mary served her generation as a leader, one who pointed the way to others. Even today, she points the way for us. Her direction is unmistakable. Her commitment, unshakable. Her example, startling. Believe the message she first delivered to broken hearts "I have seen the Lord." It is a message that still rings around the world today.

Let me take a moment to speak to you personally about this. You’ve seen that the appropriate response to deliverance is devotion, but perhaps you have yet to experience liberty from whatever it is that holds you. You’re probably not demon-possessed, like Mary, but there are things that keep you in bondage and take control of your life. It may be any and all kinds of sin in your past, and your present. You’ve not been able to shake free. As He did with Mary, Jesus comes to you today and offers you deliverance from your sin and its consequences. We’ve already seen that this season particularly reminds us of Jesus’ death for our sin as well as His victory over the grave. Consider your own response to His offer today. Find the forgiveness and freedom the changed Mary’s life forever.