For National Women’s History Month, we have, so far, reviewed three amazing women as notable protagonists in Biblical history.  We looked at the leadership of Deborah, the loyalty of Ruth, and the faith of the Shunammite woman.  Each of these women were well-respected and played pivotal roles in God’s work during the Old Testament.  For the last Monday in March, though, we move forward to New Testament time and look at a very unique, one-of-a-kind woman… Mary Magdalene.

You may be asking… Why Mary Magdalene? She was definitely not the well-respected woman like Judge Deborah, David’s great-grandmother, and a charitable, caring wealthy Shunammite.  What role did Mary play in Biblical history? What could we possibly learn from this woman?   We know little about her personal life except that when Jesus first met her, Mary was possessed by seven demons. One can only imagine the disrespectful, revolting, and malicious statements the demons said through Mary’s mouth. No doubt several were directed straight at Jesus, Himself.  But Jesus showed compassion by casting out the demons and giving Mary an opportunity for a new life. She took ahold of this prospect and was so grateful that from that moment on, she followed Jesus everywhere and ministered to His needs to the very end (or so she thought).

Let’s now journey to that misconstrued ‘end’…. to a hillside on a dark and fateful Friday afternoon.  Mary and the other women witnessed with their own eyes the beaten and bleeding body of Jesus hanging on a barbaric wooden cross-shaped device used for capital punishment.  Huge iron nails pierced His hands and feet holding Him on the cross, a crown of thorns shoved down so hard on His head that blood streamed down His face.  Mary watched this pure and innocent man suffer one of the most horrible deaths all the while still showing compassion for others….. Jesus instructed John to care for His mother. He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)   

After Jesus died, I’m sure Mary Magdalene went away brokenhearted, grieved, and confused.  She thought this man was going to change the world. She was certain He was going to change the world!  Look what He had done for the blind, crippled, and so many others. Look what He had done for her!!   But now men are taking down His cold, lifeless body and laying him in a borrowed tomb. The entrance is sealed with a huge stone and guarded by Roman soldiers. There isn’t even time to prepare His body for burial because the sun is setting, and the Sabbath is coming.

When Sunday morning comes, Mary Magdalene with some other women take sweet spices to the tomb to perform the traditional Jewish burial ritual. Imagine how difficult this job would be!  Seeing and smelling a dead body in active decay. Someone you loved and respected so much. Of everything Mary had lived through and done for her Lord Jesus Christ, what happened next is truly her mark in history.

The story of the encounter at the tomb is described in all four gospel books: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke describe how Mary found the empty tomb, saw angels, talked with Jesus, and ran to tell the disciples about the risen Lord.  However, John provides more details of the event through which we can see just how persistent and devoted Mary Magdalene really was.  According to John, when Mary found the tomb empty, she ran to Peter and John to deliver the bad news that someone had taken the body.  The men run to the tomb (with Mary following) and, finding it empty, assume the same thing.  When the men leave to investigate, Mary lingers outside the tomb crying. Not only is Jesus dead, but someone has taken His body. She is even more grieved and stoops to look in the tomb again. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it’s all a dream. When she peers in the second time, she sees the angels who tells her that Jesus is not dead but risen.  She is overwhelmed and probably even more confused now so she starts to walk away. Maybe she’s crazy?  Then she sees a man whom, at first, she believes is just the gardener.  When He asks her a question, she is in such a poor mental and emotional state that she doesn’t realize who is speaking to her.  Then… He speaks her name…. “Mary!” (John 20:16)  It now registers with her who this man is.  She is filled with such joy that she falls to His feet and worships Him. She then runs to the disciples again but with good news this time.

Now, here is why Mary’s actions displayed such persistence. First, consider the fact that in this time in history, women were not considered reliable and trustworthy when delivering news. So, it is not incomprehensible that at first the disciples just brushed her off. She probably kept on until they investigated the situation on their own. Now consider that she came running to them not once with news, but twice.  Did they think she was crazy? She first came with bad news that seemed plausible. But then she returns with a story that is completely unimaginable and seemingly bogus. She had to be very brave to return with this second story, but she was persistent and finally persuaded the disciples that Jesus had, in deed, risen from the dead!

What can we learn from this remarkable woman from Biblical history? Mary Magdalene did not give up. She had a story to tell and, no matter what, she was going to tell it.  Men didn’t take women seriously, especially when they return a second time with an even more bizarre story than the first.  But she did not give up! She was persistent! Today, we could consider Mary Magdalene as the very first evangelist. When you think about it, that is exactly what an evangelist does…. Tell the story of Jesus. And sometimes, that story has to be told over and over and over and over again for it to finally sink in.  Let us all follow that example.  Be persistent, even when someone won’t listen to you the first time, keep telling His story!  This Easter season, let us remember the historical mark left by Mary Magdalene and use it to motivate us to be persistent evangelists today.