Mary Magdalene: Triplets of Redemption

As we have seen, the three women named Mary whom the Bible highlights as being especially significant in the earthly life, mission, and ministry of Jesus Christ are Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary of Bethany; and Mary Magdalene.  The name “Magdalene” indicates that this Mary came from Magdala, a city on the southwest coast of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus stopped to preach (Matthew 15:39)

Mary, mother of Jesus, was the central figure in Jesus’ family, biologically related to Jesus as His mother. Mary of Bethany, along with her sister Martha and her brother Lazarus, were Jesus’ closest friends. But Mary Magdalene initially had no family or friendship ties to Jesus. Rather, she experienced the miracle of His healing firsthand, for she was the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons (Luke 8:2).

So it is with knowing Christ – some are blessed to be born into a Godly family of born-again believers serving Him (2 Timothy 1:5). Being surrounded by the Word, fellow believers, and church from a young age encourages the child to be saved (Proverbs 22:6). Others may not have a Christian heritage, yet God brings saved friends into their life to lead them to the Lord (Proverbs 17:17; 27:17; Mark 5:19). Still others have neither saved family nor friends, yet they realize the depths of their own depravity and that they are sinners needing a Savior (Psalm 30:3; Matthew 9:13).

Regardless of how we come to the Lord, it is an individual decision of faith in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). Being associated with a Godly family or Christian friends is no substitute for our own personal salvation, which is why many “good” churchgoers are doomed to hell (John 3:18) unless they repent of their sins, accept Christ and believe in His completed work on the cross (John 19:30) as the only sacrifice that could pay for all our sins (John 1:29).

When we face Christ, we will do so alone, and we cannot claim any rights to Heaven by virtue of our family, our social circle, or our own good works (Ephesians 3:8-9). Only His righteousness, which is credited to our account the moment we trust Him, can wash away our sins by the precious blood He shed for us (Romans 3:25).

So Mary Magdalene represents the sinner who knows she truly has no merit apart from what Christ has done. She and other women were plagued by evil spirits, infirmities and devils before they met Jesus. After Jesus cast out seven demons from Mary, she became one of His closest followers, as did Joanna and Susanna, also mentioned by name among other women healed by Jesus who devoted their resources to His ministry (Luke 8:2-3).  Once we are saved, may we also give Him freely (2 Corinthians 9:7) of our time, talents and treasure!

Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene and the others had followed Jesus, had ministered to Him in Galilee, and had come with Him to Jerusalem (Mark 15:41). But in contrast to all the movies showing Mary Magdalene intimately involved in all the key events of Jesus’ earthly life thereafter, the Bible does not give us any details of her ministry until we see her at the cross.

Mary Magdalene was at His cross, accompanied by Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome, the mother of Zebedee’s children (His disciples James and John). Mary Magdalene remained with His body at the cross, as Joseph of Arimathea laid it in the tomb, and she even remained by the stone after the tomb was sealed (Matthew 27: 55-61; Mark 15:40,47).

For her faithfulness, Mary Magdalene received a very special three-part reward -– she was among the first to see the empty tomb; she was the first to see the risen Christ; and He gave her the awesome privilege of telling His disciples that He would see them again!  

At the tomb, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary met with the angel of the Lord who had descended from Heaven, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. He had a face like lightning, clothing white as snow, and a terrifying appearance causing the tomb guards to fall down as if dead (Matthew 28:1-4).

Praise God for the angel’s good news: Jesus was crucified, but was no longer in the tomb, for He had risen! The angel told the women to fear not, but to go quickly, and tell his disciples that He was risen from the dead, that He would go before them into Galilee, and that they would see Him there. So the two Marys left the tomb quickly, ran toward the disciples’ meeting place, and were about to tell them when Jesus Himself appeared to them! And they came to Him, and held him by His feet, and worshipped Him (Matthew 28:5-9).

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, emphasizes Mary Magdalene’s role in his narrative of these events (John 20:1-18). She came to the tomb early, on the first day of the week, while it was still dark. This illustrates that Jesus is most likely to meet with us if we seek Him first (Matthew 6:33), giving Him top priority, even while the darkness of yesterday’s despair still lingers (Psalm 30:5).

When she saw the stone rolled away, she ran to Peter and John, and witnessed to them of what she believed to have happened: someone had taken their Lord’s body, for He was no longer in the tomb, and she did not know where He was. Whether or not they believed her, Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves (John 20:2-10), for her testimony had prompted their action. Even if we cannot directly lead someone to the Lord, our sincerity should stir them at least to consider what we have said.

In despair as she stood outside the tomb, Mary wept, stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. But she was not alone! Two angels in white, one at the head and one at the feet of where Jesus had been laid to rest, asked her why she was weeping, and then Jesus Himself, standing behind her in the garden, asked her the same question (John 20:11-13).

At first she did not recognize Him, and said that if He had taken Jesus away, would He please tell her where the body was, and she would claim it. It makes me wonder how often Jesus speaks to us through another person, and yet we fail to recognize His voice! But when He called her name, she knew Him to be her Lord, Teacher and Master!

Jesus instructed Mary not to touch Him, for He had not yet ascended to His Father, but to return to the disciples and to tell them that He was ascending to His Father and their Father, and to His God and their God! (John 20:14-18) How amazing that Jesus confirmed here that His followers are worshippers of the One Triune God (Colossians 2:6-10), His Father’s children, and joint-heirs with Christ! (Romans 8:17)

What an awesome blessing, privilege and responsibility for Mary Magdalene to be the first to see the risen Christ, to hear His voice, and to receive His commandment to tell others the Good News! Once we have our first encounter with the risen Christ by trusting Him as our Lord, Master and Savior, may we follow Mary Magdalene’s example of faith, obedience, and faithfulness!  

© 2016 Laurie Collett

Triplets of New Life: Mary Sees Jesus Raise Lazarus from the Dead

God’s Triune nature is reflected in patterns of three throughout Scripture, as we have seen in three women named Mary who were close to Jesus in His earthly ministry. We know of one of,these women,  Mary of Bethany, because of three Scripture accounts of memorable occasions in her interactions with Jesus.

In the first, she repented and received forgiveness (Luke 7: 37-50, signifying the first step before we can be saved – knowing that we are sinners in desperate need of a Savior (Romans 3:23; 6:23). The second occasion represents our Christian walk, as Mary spends quality time with Christ and listens to His every word (Luke 10:38-42).

The third occasion, namely Jesus raising her brother Lazarus from the dead (John 11: 1-45) symbolizes eternal life, which is the ultimate destiny for every born-again believer (John 3:3-8) who is saved by placing their faith in the death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) of Jesus Christ as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). Jesus triumphed over sin, death and hell for all His followers, giving us eternal and abundant life with Him (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Mary’s third encounter with Jesus is a foreshadowing of that unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Jesus raised Lazarus from death to live once more in a mortal body, but when He comes for God’s children at the Rapture, we shall receive glorified, incorruptible bodies like His, that will never age, die or experience evil in any form: sin, pain, or sorrow (1 Corinthians 15:35-54; Revelation 7:17; 21:4).

John 11 opens by telling us of the family unit of Lazarus, who was sick, and his sisters Mary and Martha (v. 1). John identifies Mary of Bethany as the woman who anointed Jesus with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair in lavish adoration (v. 2). This reminder of her salvation, deep love for Christ, and self-sacrificing worship is significant for three reasons, reflecting the viewpoints of the unsaved world, the saved believer, and the Lord Himself.

From the world’s viewpoint, Mary’s obvious love for Jesus made His apparent abandonment of Mary and her family in their time of need all the more deplorable (v. 37), particularly since it was well known that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (v. 5, 36), and that the two women had sent a message to Him concerning their brother’s illness (v. 3).

From Mary’s viewpoint, she had poured out all her love on Him, and in this time of testing she continued to wait for His lead (v. 20), and to obey when He called (v. 28-29), even though she questioned why He had not come sooner (v. 32). 

From Jesus’ viewpoint, He wanted not only to restore life to His friend and give his family cause for celebration rather than grief, but to glorify God. Instead of healing Lazarus while he was sick, He would perform the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead (v. 4, 40), thereby proving Himself to be the Son of God (v. 4, 45), sent to this world by God Himself (v. 41-42).

Knowing that He would glorify God by raising a corpse to life, rather than just visiting the bedside of a sick friend, Jesus therefore waited for two days after hearing the message of Lazarus’ sickness, leaving for Judea on the third day (v. 6-7).

Three times it is repeated that Jesus and His followers must go to Judea (v. 7, 8, 11). Despite the disciples warning that the Jews had tried to stone Jesus in Judea, He replies metaphorically that when we are in God’s perfect will, we are in the safest possible place (v. 9, 10). Three times the word “sleep” is repeated, Jesus using it figuratively to refer to Lazarus’ death (v. 11), but the disciples thinking He meant literal sleep (v. 12.13).

Because Lazarus died, a great crowd had assembled to comfort the grieving sisters, and many people would witness his resurrection, not just Mary and Martha, but many of the Jews (v. 19).

When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, Lazarus has already been dead four days, which is significant because many Jews believe (through oral tradition; not based on Scripture) that the spirit of the deceased lingers with the dead body for three days. Thus there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Lazarus was dead, not to mention buried and decomposing (v. 39).

Martha, known to be a woman of action, left the house as soon as she heard Jesus was coming; she met Him on the road; and she reproached Him for not preventing her brother’s death by arriving sooner (v. 20). And yet, she shows her faith that God will answer Jesus’ prayer (v. 22), that Lazarus and other believers will rise in the resurrection at the last day (v. 24), and that Jesus is the promised Messiah (the Christ, the Son of God, the One prophesied to come into the world; v. 27).

When Martha secretly tells Mary that Jesus has arrived, Mary responds by arising quickly from their house, going to Him, and falling down at His feet (v. 29, 32). This is the third instance of Mary at the feet of Jesus, the first being when she cleansed His feet with her tears and hair, the second listening quietly at His feet, and now grasping His feet as she seeks comfort for what she sees as the tragic loss of her brother.

As this point everyone is weeping: Mary, the Jews who accompanied her (v. 33), and even Jesus (v. 35). Jesus was genuinely sorrowful, because He loved Lazarus (v. 36); it pained Him to see his family grieving (v. 33); and perhaps even because He knew He would call Lazarus back to the pain of this world from the bliss of Paradise. Jesus groaned in the spirit, was troubled (v. 33), and again groaned in Himself (v. 38) as He approached the grave, which was a cave with a stone lying on it (v. 38).

Jesus announces that belief would be rewarded by seeing God’s glory (v. 40); gives thanks to God (v. 41); and explains that He prayed aloud to reaffirm the onlookers’ faith that He was sent by the Father (v. 42). Then He issues three commands: for Lazarus to come forth; for the people to free him from his grave clothes; and for them to release him (v. 43-44).

Lazarus comes forth bound up in his hands, foot, and face (v. 44), perhaps symbolizing that when we are dead, we can no longer work for God (Matthew 9:37-38), travel to spread His Word (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15), or use our voice to worship, praise and witness for Him (Isaiah 38:18; John 9:4; Psalm 30:8-9). While we are yet alive in this world, may we have Mary’s Godly sorrow over our sins, obedience in our Christian walk, and faith in His gift of eternal life! 

© 2015 Laurie Collett