Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”
And she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20:18
Did you know that Israeli archaeologists recently discovered the ruins of Magdala? This was the hometown of the infamous Mary Magdalene. Among the discoveries, a first-century synagogue has been found on the site, which means it was quite likely that Jesus taught there as He traveled around Galilee (Matthew 4:23).
Well, what do we know about this Mary from Magdala? Dr. Luke gives some important details about her in his Gospel (8:1–3). She had been possessed by seven demons, but was delivered from them by Jesus. (This subject may seem foreign to us in the Western world, but demon possession is far more common than you might think.)
Mary Magdalene was also among a group of women who helped support Jesus and the disciples. Perhaps you weren’t even aware of this fact, this pivotal role that women played. Others helping in this way were women named Joanna and Susanna.
It would be safe to assume that Mary wasn’t afraid to be associated with Jesus throughout His time of ministry and His death. After all, she was one of the women who stayed close during and after the crucifixion (Matthew 27:55–56, 61).
On that glorious morning of Jesus’ resurrection, Mary Magdalene is singled out in Mark’s (16:9–11) and John’s (20:11–18) Gospels as having a special moment with the newly risen Savior just outside the tomb. Perhaps she was confused or grieved at seeing the empty tomb and the angelic messengers, or maybe Jesus intentionally blinded her recognition of Him for a minute or two.
Sometime after Peter and John returned to the others, Mary turned away from the tomb and saw a man she thought to be the gardener. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” It sounded almost humorous when she assumed that this mysterious gardener had taken the body so she couldn’t get it and preserve it properly.
Instead of calling her “woman” again, Jesus then called her by her actual name; her eyes were opened, and she cried out “Rabboni!” which means Teacher. What a special moment for her, but it wouldn’t last, so He gave Mary a special task: “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” She did go back and tell the others, but in their deep sorrow they didn’t believe that Jesus was alive—yet.
That is the story of the resurrection. The tomb is empty. Sin has been defeated once and for all. And Jesus is calling you by name. He wants you to see Him for who He is—the risen Savior. If you have already been saved by grace through faith, you know someone who isn’t. Pray for their salvation. Ask God to use you to reach them. Evangelism needs to be at the heart of every Easter celebration!