Mary Magdalene isn’t a personal woman friend, but how apropos to end International Women’s History Month with her. So, I changed my original mission of focusing on personal women friends to feature her this Easter day.
Happy Easter! Yes, I had heard her name before and read about her in the gospels, but who was she?
“Mary Magdalene is probably one of the most versatile and controversial people in the Bible.
https://www.christepiscopalbing.com/who-was-mary-magdalene/
She’s been seen as the sorrowful sinner, the Apostle to the Apostles, Jesus’s wife/girlfriend, a guardian of secret knowledge, a chaste saint, a feminist icon, and a scandalous woman who is healed and repents.”
The Gospels mention her by name thirteen times! Mary Magdalene plays a major role in today’s gospel reading from John 20:1-18, so that’s why I wanted to focus on her. Early that first Easter morn, Mary Magdalene ventured to the tomb with two other women, Mary the mother of James, and Salome to bring spices to anoint Jesus’ body.
“The main reason a dead body was anointed with spices was to control the smell of decomposition. Jews did not practice embalming, and the funeral spices were a way to help minimize unpleasant odors. The spices the women brought to Jesus’ tomb were intended to eliminate such an odor and honor the body of Christ.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/anointing-spices.html
When they arrived, to their surprise, someone had rolled away the gigantic stone. I wonder how they planned to get into the tomb in the first place. Obviously, this band of women wouldn’t let a little thing like a big stone stop them from honoring Jesus’ body. But what now?
Where were the men, the disciples? Sleeping in? So, Mary Magdalene and company ran back and got Peter and John. The two disciples and the women raced to the tomb and found it empty, except for the linen cloth Jesus’ body was wrapped in and the kerchief that had been on His head. The two men left without any answers, wondering what all this meant.
But Mary Magdalene stayed and received a major blessing with her persistence. She wept, she cried, and peeked into the tomb one last time. Again, another surprise—two angels appeared and she questioned them. Then because she stayed and didn’t leave, Mary Magdalene became the first to witness the risen Jesus.
At first, she didn’t recognize him, but when He spoke her name, she immediately knew it was Him. Of course, she wanted to hug Him! He was dead! He had come back to life! Thoughts raced through her head—I saw him on the cross three days ago. The Roman guard pierced His side, but here He is!
As she went to grab Him, Jesus warned her to not hold on. So what did she do? Again, Mary Magdalene raced to the disciples to tell them she had seen Jesus alive—the first witness of the resurrected Jesus!
As I pondered this story in church this morning, I realized God honored Mary Magdalene’s dedication in going to the tomb early that first Easter so long ago, her persistence in staying at the tomb in her grief and confusion, and her resilience in sharing the Good News about Jesus with the disciples.
Where would Christianity be today if she had trudged back with Peter and John and missed her opportunity to see the Risen Lord? To witness his resurrected body? To share with the disciples his resurrection?
Mary Magdalene’s message for me: Stay committed to my heart’s dedications. She reminds me to honor my grief and confusion any time by standing still where I am and not running away and then my God will share a serendipitous moment with Jesus.
I hope your Easter has been blessed and that Mary Magdalene takes on a more meaningful role in your life today. So often, so many cultures today disparaged women around the world today, but this proves to me that my God believes women have an equal place in the world—He had a woman be the first witness of the Resurrected Jesus. That says a lot! And who can disagree with God?
Lastly, my book cover for Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir, won 1st place in the March nonfiction book cover contest on AllAuthors.com. Thanks to all who supported me this month by voting on each round! I know I emailed you and posted on all my social media sites many times, but it worked—because of you!
Enjoy my recent interview on the podcast, The Writing Table
~ Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir available in audiobook format at the following places:
~SHOP TODAY FOR YOUR AUTOGRAPHED COPY! Shop at my Etsy Shop or my Shopify Store
