Reading: Luke chapter 8 verses 1-3.
• Mary Magdalene;
• Has the unique distinction of being the first person to see Christ after His resurrection.
• Not only that, she received a special commission from Jesus;
• Making her the first human to spread the Good News of the resurrection!
• Jesus sent her back to the disciples with this news (John 20:11–18).
• Now remember at this point in Jewish culture and history;
• Women could not be witnesses in legal proceedings;
• So the choice of Mary by Jesus as a witness is interesting and worth noting!
(1). Her name.
Mary Magdalene's name identifies her as "of Mandela":
• Ill: Just as Jesus was called “The Nazarene” because of his association with Nazareth;
• Ill: So Mary was named Magdalene because of his association with Mandela;
• Mandela, means ‘tower’ or ‘castle’;
• It was a thriving town about three miles from Capernaum,
• This name distinguishes her from the other Marys referred to throughout the N.T.
• And this distinction is important.
Ill:
• In the 6th Century, Pope Gregory the Great preached a sermon;
• In that sermon he made an assumption, which became an official hypothesis.
• That Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’ and Martha’s sister,
• And the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with ointment;
• And wiped his feet with her hair.
• Pope Gregory the Great obviously wasn’t a Bible student or was badly advised;
• Because he said, these three characters were actually the same person.
• This has led onto another wrong misunderstanding;
• That is that Mary Magdalene had been a prostitute or an adulterous.
• Before she met Jesus!
• For some Mary is probably most well-known for false details & unproven facts in her life
This misunderstanding regarding her character has been seen in a variety of ways:
Ill:
• Many of the great artistic portraits of Mary picture her as a loose woman;
• Often her hair is down (culturally unacceptable) and she is scantily dressed.
Ill:
• For a 150 years in Ireland different orders of the Roman Catholic Church;
• Ran ‘Magdalene Asylums’, these were institutions for so-called "fallen" women.
• Women who fell pregnant outside of marriage.
• Had their children removed and they were placed in these asylums.
• It has been estimated that 30,000 women were admitted during their 150-year history.
• In fact the last ‘Magdalene Asylum’ in Ireland closed on as recent as 1996!
Question: Why such a bad reputation?
Answer:
• As well as Pope Gregory the Great theologically wrong sermon
• Ill: The town of Mandela had an unsavoury reputation for prostitution;
• May be the idea of Mary being linked to prostitution comes from this.
• Ill: Reputation can go before a person e.g. Jesus ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’
• Note: Mary Magdalene is mentioned in each of the 4 gospels & also the book of Acts,
• Not once does it even hint or mention that she was a prostitute or an adulterous.
In fact the very opposite - the Gospel’s shows us that Mary Magdalene:
• Was a woman of great devotion to Jesus;
• And she expressed that devotion in very practical ways.
• She was one of the women who, when Jesus was in Galilee,
• Followed Him & ministered to Him & supported him in his ministry.
• She accompanied Him & His disciples when He went to Jerusalem just prior to His death.
• She was present at the Crucifixion.
• She came to the tomb to anoint Jesus,
• And as I mentioned earlier she was the one who reported the fact that the tomb was empty.
• Many believe that Jesus’ personal appearance to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection;
• Was a special reward for the unfailing loyalty that she devoted to Him.
(2). Her family.
• We have no record of her parentage;
• We have no record of marital status.
• We might say she was single, unattached, the old fashioned word is ‘spinster’.
• Ill: Ivor Powell: ‘Unclaimed treasure’
• We have no record of any other family members,
• We also have no record of her age.
• Without any home or family ties she was free to follow Jesus;
• And this she did.
(3). Her bondage and liberation.
• To be able to support Jesus financially;
• Mary must have been a woman of high standing and comfortable circumstances.
• She might have had money but she did not have peace of mind;
• Luke tells us here that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her.
• We can only imagine the horror of a human mind and body;
• Being tormented by the presence of seven foul spirits.
• Ill: Seven is the biblical number of completeness.
• Mary was no doubt completely controlled by these evil beings.
• We are not told how they affected her;
• Mental distress, physical fits etc, we are only told of her anguish and distress.
• Luke links Mary with Joanna and Susanna and ‘many others’;
• Who were all healed of evil spirits or infirmities by Jesus.
• Only Mary is described as having seven demons;
• Her condition would appear to be the worse than all the rest.
Once again we are not given the details:
• We are simply informed that Jesus healed her, set her free!
• Liberated her from this demonic bondage!
• We are not told how long she had experienced this repression;
• But in an instant she was set free!
• No more torment of her body, mind or soul, no more anguish and fear.
• Instead it was now peace, joy and love that filled her heart and mind.
• How could she not be devoted to the One who made all this possible?
• To use the words of Jesus: “To whom much is forgiven much love is given in return”
(4). Her devotion.
Ill:
• Mary is mentioned 14 times in the gospels.
• That is more than any other woman except Mary, the mother of Jesus
• In eight of those mentions she is named in connection with other women,
• She always heads the lists,
• Implying that she led the way or was influential to the others;
• She was unsurpassed in her devotion and service to Christ.
Ill:
• Five times Mary is mentioned alone:
• The connection is the death and resurrection of Jesus.
• Others may flee or leave but Mary would stay to the end or return before the others.
• Among women her loyalty and devotion to Jesus was rarely equalled.
Ill:
Luke in his gospel chapter 8 verses 1-3 tell us of her zeal:
• Mary and the other women who were a part of Christ’s travelling evangelistic team;
• These women mentioned by Luke used their finances to help fund the ministry of Jesus.
• We never read of Jesus or the disciples asking anyone for money;
• But these verses make it clear that he was supported in his ministry by other people.
Ill:
• Principle in the Bible is God meets the needs of his people through his people.
• Ill: Bitterne – nervous lady & gift
ill:
• Christians can get embarrassed when it comes to money.
• As a speaker you find treasurer putting things in your pocket.
• Ill: Bob Telford. (bill for hymn books).
• Principle in the Bible is God meets the needs of his people through his people.
• Those who preach the gospel have a right to a living from the gospel.
ill:
• Only on one occasion (Matt 17:27) did Jesus provide money supernaturally.
• And that was not for himself but Simon’s tax was a coin found in a fish.
• Principle in the Bible is God meets the needs of his people through his people.
• And some of Jesus & the disciples provision came from these women!
Ill:
• Now it was unheard of in Christ’s day;
• For a rabbi to allow women to be involved in ministry.
• Rabbis of the time, wouldn’t even bother teaching women,
• Much less having them travel with them.
• But Jesus was no ordinary Rabbi;
• He was revolutionary and radical!
• He gave everyone the opportunity to share in His work!
• Especially those whom religion and tradition would exclude!
(5). Her reward.
• We read in John chapter 20;
• That early Sunday morning Mary went to the tomb.
• Note: not just in the morning, but ‘early’ in the morning.
• Mary is keen, impatient, desperate to get to the body of Jesus.
• The other gospel’s tell us that she had gone there with some other women;
• But John tells us in his gospel that it was Mary who arrived at the tomb first!
• But when they got to the tomb,
• To their horror the saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb.
• Thinking that the body had been stolen;
• Mary went back to tell Peter and John.
• All three returned to the tomb,
• Confused and with no explanation as to why Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb.
• The mystified disciples go back to the upper room,
• But Mary was so distraught that she remained at the tomb, sobbing uncontrollably.
Two angels appeared and spoke to her:
• They asked her what the matter was;
• She answered them and then turned away.
• For two years she had followed Jesus, supported him, devoted her life to him,
• And now heart-broken, weeping, and bewildered she could not find him!
• She turns away and sees a figure who she assumes is the gardener;
• Despite what Jesus had taught on numerous occasions,
• Like the disciples she had not yet grasped the fact that Jesus would have to die
• But three days later rise again!
Even when the risen Christ first spoke to her, she didn’t recognize His voice.
• But notice that it was when Jesus called her name.
• Just one word – “Mary” – everything changed.
Ill:
• Jesus said; “My sheep know my voice... I call them by name!”
• It was certainly true of Mary!
Ill:
• A man who was conducting a survey knocked on a front door;
• A little boy opened the door and stared at him.
• The man asked the boy how many people lived in the house;
• The boy replied; “There is Jimmy & Mary & Sophie & Bobby...”
• The man impatiently said to the boy; “Just give me the numbers’
• The boy replied; “There are no numbers in this house, they are all names to me!”
Jesus called Mary by name:
• And immediately Mary recognized Jesus and grasped Him.
• “Don’t hold me” said Jesus, ill: Cartoon: “Plenty of time for hugging later on!”
• Instead an instruction: “Go instead to my brothers”.
• Now don’t miss that great description for his disciples!
Ill:
• Think back to when Jesus was in the Garden with His disciples,
• He said these words (John chapter 15 verse 15)
“I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.”
Now here in John chapter 20 verse 17 there is a subtle shift in Jesus’ choice of words:
• Before the cross he called his disciples ‘friends’.
• Now (after the cross) he calls his disciples ‘brothers’.
• Now they are no longer on the outside (close companions)
• Now a new relationship has been made possible by the death & resurrection of Jesus!
• You and I are able to be sons and daughters of the living God;
• We have been adopted in his family!
• And in John chapter 20 verse 18: Mary is the first human to share this good news.
• The fact that a new and living way has been opened up to men and women.
And finally
• What I have always liked about Mary in this chapter;
• Is that she saw two angels and notice; she turned her back on them.
• Now just think though your Old Testament;
• Seeing an angel was often the pinnacle of someone’s life!
• We would say; “It doesn’t get much better than that!”
• Mary saw two and turned her back on them.
• Question: Why?
• Answer: Because she only wanted Jesus & nothing else would do!
• May that be our desire this morning, this day, this week etc.
• Because anything else is a poor substitute!
Prayer Quote Spurgeon:
If now with eyes defiled and dim,
We see the signs but see not Him,
Oh, may His love the scales displace,
And bid us see Him face to face!
