Twelve Extraordinary Women: Mary Magdalene

My life has been totally hectic and out of control, but I did want to get this post done.

See, my garden is producing faster than my full-time working schedule permits. I have gobs and gobs of waxed beans. I have oodles and oodles of rhubarb. I have green bell peppers coming along. We have had garden fresh salad every night. AND soon we'll be eating fresh tomatoes and I'll be doing a whole lot of sauce for the freezer.

Anyway, ehart has had her post up for awhile, and I'm just catching up to her. Here's her post.

In recent years the publishing of such books as The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown has added fuel to the hype of the supposed character of Mary Magdalene. Although Brown's book is classified as a novel, many have fallen prey to the blasphemous suggestion that Mary Magdalene secretly married Jesus then proceeded to have children.

The ancient cults and some early commentators of the Bible have often confused and stretched the facts surrounding this extraordinary woman from the Scriptures.

MacArthur starts out in this fascinating chapter to dispel the myths that cloud our vision concerning the ever-devoted follower of Jesus, Mary Magdalene.

In fact, MacArthur pointedly reveals that Scripture gives us very little background regarding Mary with the exception being the fact that she was at one point tortured by seven demons. Jesus through His goodness and grace freed Mary Magdalene from the grips of this horrific affliction.

It seems Luke and Mark mention the exorcism purely to celebrate Christ's goodness and grace toward her. Both authors don't offer gruesome details concerning Mary's demon possessed condition. They simply state that Jesus delivered her from seven demons.

Moving on to the role that Mary Magdalene played during Jesus' ministry and crucifixion. At Luke 8:1-3 we get a glimpse of the entourage attached to Jesus during His travels. Mary Magdalene is mentioned among the specifically named followers of Jesus throughout the cities and villages, and "provided for Him from their substance."

We can be sure that the relationship that Jesus had with the women disciples was always appropriate. Jesus' enemies were always searching out any kind of "proof" they could find to discredit Him. Never do the Scriptures reveal that Jesus' adversaries accused Him of any inappropriate behavior concerning His women followers. Therefore, we can be absolutely sure that Jesus and Mary Magdalene's relationship was one reflecting a loving servant supporting and helping her Master in His work.

The Bible never makes mention that Mary Magdalene was married or had children during her discipleship. She may have been a widow or possibly never married. She obviously had no housebound responsibilities as Jesus would have certainly directed her to those obligations had she been neglectful of them. Mary Magdalene along with the other followers had a means that "provided for Him from their substance." (Luke 8:3) This may have been property that she had turned into monetary value which she had received as an inheritance, from either the death of parents or a husband.

Mary Magdalene was present when Jesus was hung to the cross. The Scriptures offer more information regarding Mary Magdalene in the passages after Jesus' death than anywhere else.

Joseph of Arimathea requested from Pilate the body of Christ in order to give Him a proper burial.

Egyptians embalmed the dead, but Jews didn't. They wrapped the body in perfumed burial clothes.

Mark 15:47 tells us how Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of Joses, and a few other women watched where Joseph laid the body.

Joseph of Arimathea obtained the body of Christ, and Nicodemus brought the spices.

Mark 16:1 states that Mary Magdalene, Mary (mother of Joses), and Salome bought more spices to anoint the Lord's body. They had seen Joseph and Nicodemus lay Jesus' body to rest. Did they realize that the two Sanhedrins had done a hurried job of the anointing as the Sabbath was fast approaching? Or was it the fact that the two men were Sanhedrin that brought them back to re-anoint Jesus?

Either way, upon coming near the tomb, after the Sabbath, the women wondered how they might remove the stone that had been used to close the tomb. They were unaware that two guards had been placed at the tomb. The guards had been ordered to stand watch over the tomb after the women had left the grave site before the Sabbath. Upon approaching, an earthquake shook the ground all around them.

I find it very interesting that the Chief Priests and Pharisees had gone to Pilate to remind him that while Jesus was alive, He had stated that after three days He would rise again. That's why they had asked that the tomb be guarded and made secure. They didn't want Jesus' disciples to steal His body away in the middle of the night to verify that He had risen. Yet the women were alarmed when they found the tomb empty. They obviously didn't equate the empty tomb with the fact that Jesus had risen! At least not at this particular time

Mary Magdalene ran out of the tomb and came across the path of Peter and John on their way to the burial site. She tells them about the empty tomb, and they both ran to the burial site to confirm her statement.

While the remainder of the women, Peter and John were near the empty tomb; the resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was to be the first person to lay eyes on the resurrected Lord. She clung to Him as she had during His lifetime.

She was granted a great honor for all time through the grace bestowed upon her.

Indeed, she was an extraordinary woman!