Contents

Introduction

This study is interested in why Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection.

Mary Magdalene

Here is Mary of Magdala, one of Jesus’ most dedicated and faithful disciples. A brave woman. She typifies true discipleship to Jesus. See how her soul is in agony over Jesus’ death, which she witnessed. While many fled for the terror of what was happening to Jesus, and what could happen to them as followers of Jesus, Mary held fast by the Cross. Her love for her Lord was much greater than her fears and was here tested in the fire and found to be true. She unwaveringly stood by the Cross until Jesus released His Spirit (John 19:25). But again, her soul, O how it is in agony now, counting the hours until dawn when finally she and the others with her can perform one last ministry for their Lord Jesus, anointing Him (Mark 16:1; she witnessed all the events and locations Matthew 27:55-61). A heart-touching act, a loving one, from the depths of a grieving disciple’s heart, a heart tested in the fire. And so there she was, on the first day of the week, anticipating the first crack of dawn, among the first at the tomb, her heart sore aching, aching with held back tears ready to burst forth. The first day of the week, anticipating the first crack of dawn, among the first at the tomb, and very soon to be the first one to see the, to see even her resurrected, risen, Messiah Jesus. But why, why Mary—why did Jesus appear to her first, after all, there were others with Mary? Or why not Peter first, or John the Beloved? Why not any of the other disciples, better yet, why not more than one of them at once? Did Mary earn this exceeding privilege somehow? No, certainly not; moreover, Jesus does not act on a whim, nor by convenience and the like—He clearly purposed to appear to Mary Magdalene first, and that is significant, but why Mary? Because of her tears. Not works, not merit, tears. Her tears over His death and loss; tears, that is why (John 20:11-16). The Creator of the impassioned tear duct and the tender emotional circuitry behind it, even Jesus, recognized those tears streaming down Mary’s cheeks. Those tears were like unto the ones that He wept when His infinite heart was heavily burdened when beloved Lazarus died and his sisters and the rest cried and wailed over his death (John 11:31-36). Yes, Jesus wept too on that day. Please notice, on that day Jesus resurrected Lazarus in the sight of the beloved grieving for their comfort, for He was deeply touched by their sorrow (John 11:23-26, 39-44), and no less here our dear Lord shows Himself resurrected, to this deeply aggrieved and beloved disciple for her comfort and the comfort of myriad disciples on into eternity. For now, precisely now, beholding our resurrected Savior through the tears-removed eyes of Mary Magdalene (and no less Mary and Martha, Lazarus’ sisters), we are comforted by the assurance that Death has been vanquished thanks to this risen Messiah Jesus, amen.

It is not what one would expect to find in this critically important record of Jesus’ resurrection that He, in that religio-male society and culture, would appear to a woman, even first. That the resurrection record, and thus the foundational truth of Christianity, opens and builds on Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance to a woman in that rabbinic-dominated culture is the last thing one would expect the entirety of Christianity to hang on. Notwithstanding, it is by its sheer unexpected, startling presence in the record one of the most convincing circumstantial evidences of the authenticity of this God-designed resurrection record we hold. Mary Magdalene was the first human being to see our resurrected Savior Jesus, and her testimony is at the apex of a wedge that opens and ever opens wide into the foundational depths of Christianity.

Concluding Comments

What motivated Mary’s deep dedication to Jesus and thus her tears over what happened to Him and His supposed absence going forward? Surely her healing by Jesus played a significant role in that (Mark 16:9, Luke 8:1-2). Seven demons. How did they get to Mary? Who let them “in?” What sort of person was this dear Mary before Jesus arrived on the scene? Seven demons, consummate suffering going by the seven; she was sore ailing before Dr. Jesus healed her, vexed to no end in her spirit, and we can be sure it “bled over” and quite debilitated her physical and mental health. It is an anachronism, but here follow seven of the commonest physical illnesses in modern times:

1.) coronary artery disease (CAD),

2.) stroke,

3.) lower respiratory infections, (LRI),

4.) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),

5.) lung cancer,

6.) diabetes mellitus,

7.) Alzheimer’s disease, dementias.

Here are seven of the commonest mental illnesses in modern times:

1.) anxiety disorders (AD),

2.) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),

3.) bipolar disorder (BD),

4.) depression,

5.) eating disorders (ED),

6.) obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD),

7.) post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To be clear, we are not suggesting that Mary’s demons were purely physical, we think that her demons were literal and her physical and mental capacities became debilitated under their influence during those periods of her life when she surely was as Godless “as the day is long.” Demons do not “get in” any other way, they must be let in by a willing host whose depraved estate is appealing to them. Let us not forget that Satan is a murderer (and a liar of course John 8:44). Notwithstanding the (assumed) Godless depravity, Dr. Jesus came hunting for Mary, why? In general, because the Son of Man, to the day, came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10, 4:18-19; you and I and Mary fit right here dearest reader). More specifically, Jesus came hunting for her because she was marked and drawn by the Spirit of God to become a disciple of Jesus in her day (John 6:44—and who can “put a ruler down” on that draw John 3:8, “Drawn”), no more or less than you and I are drawn to that same discipleship in our day Christian friend, there is no difference whatsoever. (She is not preferred over you and I, nor we over her.) And any crazy human notions such as Jesus sought her because He needed her financial support, or because of some carnal infatuation, are satanically motivated and blasphemous and preposterous and must be dismissed.

That Mary was drawn by God, and sought by Jesus per Luke 19:10 is well and good, and true, but it does not get at the main question of this study: why did Jesus appear to her first after His resurrection? In the main text we offered that it was because of her tears. Mary was healed by the Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3), who identified with her tears, who healed her gravest disease, even Sin, seven demons. Healed at no cost to her but her gratitude and love expressed in true discipleship to her Healer, the One despised and rejected. She had heard all the sermons and knew that is what pleased Jesus the most, i.e., true discipleship, couched in faith, belief, faith that Jesus was who He said He was, sent by very God, and she had committed herself to her Healer in true discipleship in that manner, tested in the fire, to the extent that she would not abandon her Lord at the Cross when most fled. She was not going to be among that crowd of despisers and rejectors, and some who were surface-deep followers at best. A true disciple is hurt, cut to the quick type hurt, when Jesus is hurt, and such a one cannot help but weep when He is hurt, and is thus betrayed by their tears. We are going to suppose that Mary’s hurt over Jesus’ death and the ostensible blow to the program of God as preached by Jesus was deeper and wider in her than in the rest and commensurately assuaged by none other than the appearance of the Healer Jesus Himself to disciple-extraordinaire Mary…first, i.e., before the rest. And as said above, beholding our resurrected Savior through the tears-removed eyes of Mary, we are comforted by the assurance that Death has indeed been vanquished thanks to our risen Messiah Jesus, amen and amen.

Praised be your Name risen Messiah Jesus. Amen.