Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus from Magdala in Galilee.
The Lord cast seven demons out of her.
She followed Him, helped support the ministry, stood at the cross, watched the burial, and came to the tomb at dawn.
The risen Christ appeared to her first among the women and sent her to the brothers with the news: I have seen the Lord.
Luke names Mary, called Magdalene, among the women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Seven demons had gone out. She and other women provided for Jesus and the Twelve out of their means. Matthew, Mark, and John place her at the crucifixion when most of the men had fled. She saw where the body was laid. After the Sabbath, while it was still dark, she came to the tomb with spices. The stone was gone. John says she ran to Peter and the other disciple: they have taken the Lord out of the tomb. She stayed, weeping. Two angels asked why. She turned and saw Jesus, and supposed Him the gardener, until He said her name. “Mary.” She answered, “Rabboni.” He sent her to His brothers with the word that He was ascending to the Father. Mark says He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. The Gospels do not identify her with Mary of Bethany, or with the unnamed sinner who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke 7. What they do say is enough. Mercy found her. She stayed to the end. She was the first to carry the resurrection to the church.
- Magdalene names her town, Magdala, not a title of shame invented later.
- Seven demons mark how complete her bondage was and how complete His deliverance was.
- She followed and gave. Discipleship included substance, not only feeling.
- She was present at the cross and at the grave when courage was costly.
- The risen Lord called her by name and made her a witness.
- Tradition has piled other stories on her. The text is simpler and stronger.
- Deliverance is meant to become devotion that stays through Friday and Sunday morning.
- From Magdala – A Galilean woman known by her town.
- Set Free – Seven demons gone at the word of Jesus.
- Provider – She and other women supported the work from their means.
- At the Cross – Looking on from a distance, then near enough to see.
- At the Burial – She saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
- At the Empty Tomb – First to the stone, first to the angels in John’s account.
- Apostle to the Apostles – Sent to the brothers: I have seen the Lord.
- Luke 8:1-3 – “Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”
- Mark 16:9 – “Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.”
- Matthew 27:55-56, 61 – “There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee… Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.”
- Matthew 28:1, 8-10 – “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb… So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’”
- Mark 15:40-41, 47 – “There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him… Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.”
- Mark 16:1-7 – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices; they found the stone rolled back and heard, “He has risen; he is not here.”
- John 19:25 – “But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”
- John 20:1-2 – “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’”
- John 20:11-18 – “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb… Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’—and that he had said these things to her.”
- Luke 24:10 – “Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles.”
- Luke 8:2 – “Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.”
- Matthew 27:45-56 – The women who had followed from Galilee ministered to Him and watched the death.
- Psalm 30:11 – “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing…”
- Mark 5:15 – A delivered demoniac sitting clothed and in his right mind—the same mercy that reached Mary.
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.
She followed. She gave. She stood by the cross. She saw the tomb. She came while it was still dark.
Jesus said to her, Mary. She said, Rabboni. She went and announced, I have seen the Lord.
Do not bury her under later legends. The Gospels have already given her honor enough.
Deliverance is meant to stay until Sunday morning and then run with the news.
He is not here. He has risen. Go to My brothers.
The first witness of the risen Christ was a woman set free and called by name.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.