Mary Magdalene: From Broken to Bold

As Jesus died and rose again, He defeated sin, death, hell, and the grave! Jesus defeated death by His work on the cross and now offers us the opportunity to experience true life that is found in Him alone. The historical event of His death and resurrection changed history - and we see the beginning of that historical shift in the way that the first Christians’ lives were changed by this truth. Today we are looking at the life of Mary Magdalene, who was the first witness of the resurrection, and what we can learn from her response to Christ’s death and His rising again!

Mary Magdalene: The First Witness To The Resurrection

Mark retells the event of Christ’s resurrection in Mark 16. In verses 1-7, we see that Mary Magdalene had a front-row seat to the greatest spectacle on earth! While she and a few other female followers of Jesus make their way to the tomb to anoint Him with spices, they find the stone rolled away and an angel who declares that Christ has risen. That angel entrusts these women with the task of sharing the news of Christ’s resurrection.

What’s interesting is that Mary’s name is spoken more times in the Gospels than most of the disciples. Combined with the fact that Christ chose her to have a front row seat to His resurrection and be the first true mouthpiece of the gospel, this should tell us to pay attention to Mary’s story. We can learn a lot from the way Christ moved her from brokenness to boldness as she experienced Christ’s liberation and redemption.

Jesus Transforms Us From Broken To Whole

Mary is first introduced to us as a woman who was oppressed by demons but freed from them by Jesus. In Luke 8:1-3, we see that Mary was one of the women who traveled with Jesus as He proclaimed the good news. We see that she had seven demons come out of her and after she was healed, she joined Jesus to minister alongside him and his disciples. 

We don’t know all the details of Mary’s story - but we do know that she was in bad shape. She was broken and full of darkness and possessed by 7 demons. This number in the Bible often represents completeness. Her brokenness wasn’t partial, it was total. But Jesus saw more than just her pain. He didn’t recoil from her darkness, He stepped into it and set her free.

This woman who has been shamed and embarrassed, who has lived without hope of rescue from her depravity - she is found by Jesus and set free. How does she respond? She fully commits and follows Jesus as Lord and Savior! She is devoted, not just intellectually, but with all that she has. We all carry our own brokenness, and the same Jesus that set Mary free from her demons can take us from the shame of our complete depravity and put us into right relationship with God. That healing might take place in an instant - or it could be a lifelong process. But with God all things are possible.

As Jesus Heals Us, He Makes Us Bold

Mary moves from broken to whole and then, out of gratitude, she begins to boldly follow Jesus. Because Jesus showed up in her life, she chooses to show up for Jesus. When we are redeemed like Mary, it motivates us to action. Gratitude shows up most evidently in our actions. It enables us to show up and speak up. It is never silent. We see this in Mary, as she does all she can to support the work and ministry of Christ.

Mary didn’t just follow Jesus when it was easy. She followed Him to the cross, watching her hope seemingly die (John 19:25). Contrast this with the fear we see in the disciples who fled the scene of the crime. Peter denied Christ just to avoid association with His hanging Messiah. Mary, however, stayed. Sometimes boldness in Christ looks like refusing to walk away.

Mary didn’t only stay at the cross. She stayed and waited at the tomb when the other disciples went home in disappointment. John’s Gospel gives us a different perspective on the resurrection event, giving us the portion of the story after the events of Mark 16 referenced earlier. You can read this account in John 20.

Here, we see that Mary goes back to tell the disciples that Jesus is out of the tomb. Peter and John enter the tomb to find the stone rolled away and the grave clothes empty. What do the disciples do? In verse 10 we see that they went right back to where they were. In the midst of their anguish, confusion, hurt, disappointment, and emotions, they leave. But Mary stays. 

In verses 11-15, we see that Mary remains outside the tomb crying. She is unwilling to leave. She just wants to know where Jesus is - to be where Jesus is. That raises the question for us today. When life gets dark - when prayers seem unanswered, or pain lingers - will we stay near Jesus like Mary did? Are we determined enough to be with Him that we will boldly keep our faith in Him, wait upon Him, and stand with Him - even when it doesn’t make sense?

For Mary - the answer was yes. And that answer changed everything.

When Jesus Speaks Your Name, He Offers Life and Purpose

As Mary sits outside the tomb in tears, Jesus finds her. She thinks he is a gardner and carries on in conversation with him, asking for help finding Christ’s body - until He speaks her name. In John 20:16-18, we see that “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means ‘teacher’).” 

Mary mistakes Jesus for a gardener, until he speaks her name. When Jesus speaks your name, He is doing more than just getting your attention - He’s offering you a new life, a renewed purpose, and a bold future. He didn’t just call her out of her grief - He sent her to proclaim the greatest news the world has ever known. It wasn’t a title or a grand proclamation that awoke Mary’s faith…it was hearing Jesus call her personally. This was not the first time He called her name! He called her name out of the darkness of demon depression and into the joy of a new life. Now He calls her name out of the despair of hopelessness and into the reality that He is alive!

He is calling out your name, too. He has called us out of darkness and into the proclamation of the fact that death is defeated. He defeated sin and death on the cross, and His resurrection is proof of His divinity - it backs up everything that He said or did and proves that He was and is the Son of God. If he never rose from the dead, and Mary never had any good news to share - he would have been just another crazy person that claimed to be the Messiah. But Jesus proved it! 

C.S. Lewis, a famous apologist, states that Christ cannot be regarded as simply a moral teacher - He is either liar, lunatic, or Lord. Today Christ calls your name and asks you - what do you believe about Him? Will you join Mary in believing in and proclaiming the truth of His resurrection?

Jesus Often Calls The Least Likely to the Most Extraordinary Things

In John 20:17-18, we see Jesus entrust Mary to bring the news of His resurrection to the rest of the disciples. Mary is the first to the tomb, the first to see Jesus, and the first to proclaim the resurrection. In a culture where a woman’s testimony wasn’t even legally accepted, Jesus chooses her to be the first preacher of the good news. 

Think of all the great evangelists in church history - Billy Graham, John Wesley, D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, and more. They are all following in the footsteps of the first evangelist ever - Mary Magdalene. She was an unlikely candidate for the job. A woman in first century Israel with a background in demonic oppression. And yet, Jesus called her into the ministry. If her past did not disqualify her, rest assured that yours isn’t too messy for Jesus. Our past doesn’t disqualify us…it prepares us.

God often calls the least likely people to do the most extraordinary things. Mary’s story may have started with demons, but it ended with angels and the proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus! Let her story encourage you. You are never too broken, sinful, or shameful to be used by God.

If you are feeling broken, ashamed, or unworthy - remember Mary’s story. She wasn’t too broken for Jesus. And neither are you. He knows your name, and He’s calling you to step into a new, bold life - not because you’re qualified, but because He loves you. And when Jesus calls your name, He doesn’t just bring you back to life - He gives you purpose.

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Death Defeated: Week 1. March 23rd 2025. Preached by Ben Dieterly

Article Edited by Julia Castro