Editor’s Note: In honor of International Women’s Day (March 8), Women’s History Month in the United States, and the Lenten season, we will be publishing devotions written by women about the women who Jesus ministered to during his time on earth. This series will be called, “The Women Jesus Loved.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, every morning I wake up and brace myself for bad news. So when I do receive good news, it seems all the more wonderful. The baby took her first steps. All the senior members of our family are healthy. Our neighbor left cookies on our front porch. Praise the Lord!
We all know it is wonderful to receive good news at bleak times. An extraordinary example of this is found in the Gospels when a woman named Mary Magdalene received great news at a sorrowful hour.
All four gospel writers mention Mary Magdalene among Jesus’ followers. But they don’t say much about her except that Jesus exorcised seven demons from her.
For most of Jesus’ ministry, Mary Magdalene is a background character, present during his itinerant ministry and then looking from a distance at his crucifixion. Then, following the death of Jesus, when all hope seems lost, the writers push Mary Magdalene into the foreground.
John’s account is the most detailed. (John 20:11-18)
“Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
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.”
Mary Magdalene was an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection, and now her job was to tell this story. But her actions in front of the tomb were not her finest moments. She was crying in front of strangers. How embarrassing. She assumed the empty tomb meant Jesus’s corpse had been moved. Where was her faith? She didn’t recognize Jesus and tried to enlist His aid in finding his own corpse. How absurd.
But she did as she was commanded. Mary told her story to the others, and what shockingly good news it was: Jesus who was dead and is now alive! This Gospel message transformed her into a woman who was boldly proclaiming the risen Christ.
Here are three lessons we can learn from Mary Magdalene.
1. Christ Redeems Our Embarrassing Moments
We may never experience the joy of meeting our resurrected friend at his tomb. But as followers of Jesus Christ, we, like Mary Magdalene have encountered Him in a personal way. In the depths of our tears, embarrassing moments, and lack of faith, he reaches out to us. Jesus can redeem the challenges we currently face.
When I was nearing 30 years old, at a time when my peers were having babies or advancing their careers, I was underemployed and living at home with my mom. I had very little money, and after sending $500 to a friend in need, my car broke down. I remember going to the bank and tearfully requesting to close my checking account because I could not keep the minimum balance. I felt like a failure. I reflected that if my car had broken down earlier, I would not have sent my friend so much money.
As the months passed, income-earning opportunities appeared, but mostly I had to accept the humbling reality that I was not a strong, independent individual. God was taking care of me through my mom’s generosity. Then one day, I won an award. You can imagine my shock when the dean of my seminary announced that I had won an award vaguely designated for “achievement in an area of biblical study,” shook my hand, and gave me $500. I sensed the Lord reaching out to me, telling me to remember this moment because I would look back on this moment and know that He will provide. He was right.
2. We Need to Share Good News
None of us has Mary Magdalene’s specific mission of being the first to tell others of the resurrected Christ. But as His followers, we are also commissioned to share the good news. At this time, when the pall of pandemic looms over life’s everyday pursuits, good news is all the more wonderful.
So preach the good news to yourself and then share it with others. Let your mind dwell on the amazing truth that Jesus was dead and is now alive. The death of Jesus is proof of God’s love for us. The resurrection is proof that what He said is true. Jesus paid the price for our sins, and through faith in Him, we have eternal life.
If you need reassurance that you, with whatever issues you might presently have, would be called upon to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, just remember the story of Mary Magdalene or perhaps the even more embarrassing story of this author.
3. Jesus is a Compassionate Friend
Mary Magdalene’s story reveals much about our savior as well. Beyond the obvious fact that He was dead and now alive, Jesus’ character and purpose are on display. The resurrected Christ, instead of appearing to His skeptics in triumph, appeared to His friend in comfort and love. Instead of entrusting His mission to a competent, “go-to” apostle, He entrusted it to a woman who was flustered and emotional.
This is great news for those of us who, like Mary, find ourselves in need of hope. Jesus is a patient, caring friend. He has a mission for His followers, even those who don’t feel qualified. He has overcome sin and death and ascended to our God and Father. Let’s continue to share the story with others for He is risen indeed.
Read more of our “The Women Jesus Loved” series here.