What! Seven demons…
Mary Magdalene was no stranger to santanic attacks. Thanks to her Savior, Jesus, she was completely delivered from the consumption of seven demons (Luke 8:2, KJV). Perhaps, out of gratitude for her miraculous deliverance, she became fully committed to Jesus’ ministry. Mary helped support Jesus out of her own personal resources (Luke 8:3). Although there is much speculation regarding Mary’s background, scholars report, “Mary was a well-to-do woman from Magdala, a town on the shores of the sea of Galilee, a few miles from Jesus’ ministry headquarters in Capernaum.”
While Jesus’ disciples fled out of fear when He was seized, tortured and crucified, Mary Magdalen was one of several women who stayed with Him as He hung on the cross (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25) – dying for her sins, your sins and mine. After Jesus’ death, Mary looked on as Jesus’ body was wrapped in linen cloth and placed in Joseph of Arimathaea’s tomb (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:25) – a tomb expected to be Jesus’ final resting place.
It was obvious: Mary Magdalene loved Jesus.
John tells us that early one morning, while it was still dark, Mary travelled to Jesus’ tomb and saw that the stone sealing the tomb had been rolled away. Thinking that someone had taken Jesus’ body, she ran to Peter and John and said, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:2, NKJV). Other women may have accompanied Mary due to her use of the pronoun “we” as recorded in the Gospels. The two disciples ran to the tomb, looked inside, and returned home (see John 20:1-10).
Left with a broken heart, Mary stayed at the tomb and cried.
“Mary!” (John 20:16).
Mary suddenly recognized the voice of the only One who could heal her broken heart.
“Rabonni!” (meaning “teacher”) she exclaimed, afer turning towards Jesus.
Simply hearing her Savior’s voice catapulted Mary from a state of tormenting grief to an overflowing ecstatic joy. Yes – Jesus had overcome death and He had appeared to Mary.
Jesus then instructed Mary saying, “…go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to My God (John 20:17).” Jesus was beginning to teach Mary and His disciples that they would have to have faith in knowing He would be with them spiritually although they would not be able to see him physically.
Mary Magdalen was the first to hear Jesus and the first to see Him afer His ressurection from the dead. Furthermore, she was the first to spread this Good News: Jesus has risen! He is alive!
The Good News that Jesus gave to Mary has been spreading from generation to generation. And now it is continuing to spread through you and me.
How blessed Mary Magdalene was to be the first person to witness the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection!