NEW TESTAMENT CHARACTERS.

MARY MAGDALENE AND HER FRIENDS.
Those who want to fictionalise the Gospels, love Mary Magdalene. She is the young, beautiful women and former prostitute, just right to provide a romantic interest.

What do we really know of her?

Young? - maybe, she had plenty of energy, but could have been middle aged.

Beautiful? - we have no information on this subject.

Former prostitute? - NO, there is no evidence for this. What Luke tells us is that seven devils had gone out of her - a deep healing certainly, but we have no details.

Romantic? - modern fiction demands a love interest and Mary Magdalene’s undoubted affection for Jesus frequently provides it with one. But Jesus was well able to handle human relationships and keep to His own appointed path. He had come to save the world and marriage was not for Him.

The other thing fictionalisers do with Mary is mix her up with other characters. She is often confused with Mary of Bethany or with the woman who anointed Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee - who probably was a prostitute (Luke 7). There is also the woman taken in adultery (John 8). Mary Magdalene was none of these.

Apart from in the accounts of the cross, burial and resurrection, Mary Magdalene is only mentioned once, in Luke 8:1-3 along with her friends, Joanna and Susanna. (Joanna was with her on Easter morning - but not when Jesus met Mary).

Luke names these women as among those who travelled with Jesus and the apostles, and who helped “from their substance” - this probably means they were financial supporters. Joanna could afford to, being the wife of Chuza, Herod’s chief steward. If Mary had money and supported the apostles, the possibility of her having been a prostitute is disproved - she would not still have that money.

There have been many former prostitutes who have been encouraged by the reflection that Mary Magdalene was one of them - but they would be better encouraged by the woman in Luke 7 - whom Luke does not name because she was probably still alive when he wrote - he may have interviewed her - and Luke did not willingly embarrass people.

The Cross and Burial.
Mary Magdalene stood beside the cross throughout, accompanied by Mary Cleophas, Mary Jesus’ mother and her sister Salome, with John the apostle. Peter watched from a distance.

It was an ordeal. They stood there from mid morning until mid day in the heat of the sun, then three more hours with the sun darkened. They saw Him refuse the wine with gall which would have dulled the brain and given a little relief.

They heard all He said from the cross, first “Father forgive them,” then the promise of Paradise to the dying robber beside Him, then the commitment of his mother into John’ care. Then came the darkness and the silence and only at the end did Jesus speak again.

He prayed, in a parched and indistinct voice, using the words of Psalm 22, “My God why have you deserted me.” Then, wanting to speak distinctly, he said, “I’m thirsty.”

This prompted a rough but kindly act by one of the soldiers - who had not been noted for anything but cruelty and indifference. Maybe the presence of the women had something to do with it. Roman soldiers carry sponges as part of their equipment. One was dipped in sour wine and held up to Jesus to suck at - the only way His mouth could be moistened.

Then the women heard His last words, first a triumphant shout, “Mission accomplished” then a quiet prayer, “Father into your hands I trust my spirit.”

Mary Magdalene was determined to stay to the end. She saw the soldiers check that He was dead, make sure with a spear thrust after which at last John and Salome led Jesus’ mother away; but Mary Magdalene watched the burial with Mary Cleophas and Joanna.

At sunset the sabbath began and everything was shut down for a day, but the women planned a visit on Sunday morning, early. Sunset Saturday night was the end of the Sabbath; so they could go out and buy spices. This was not because of any need for more spices, Joseph and Nicodemus had brought plenty. Rather it was because spices were in that culture what flowers at a grave are in ours. They wanted to add their own.

Resurrection Morning.
Now Salome rejoined them and the four women went to the tomb about daybreak. When she saw the tomb open, Mary Magdalene was the one who ran back for Peter and John, leaving the other three. They then saw the vision of angels and were directed to go and tell the disciples - not Peter and John who were already on the way, but the nine - probably in Bethany. They set off to walk. Peter and John visited the tomb and went back, but Mary Magdalene had returned to the tomb.

Thus it was that she was alone when Jesus came to her. By now she was thinking out what could have happened. Grave robbers? Bureaucracy requiring a move? Roman officers giving insensitive orders. Surely after all Joseph and Nicodemus had done to prevent it, they had not flung his body in a pit with criminals.

“Why are you crying?” A kindly masculine voice.

She blinks up at him through her tears, the gardener. “Sir if you took Him, tell me where. I’ll carry Him back myself.”

“Mary.”

That was it, she recognised Him.

It would be nonsense to suggest that she did not rush to take Him in her arms. Of course she did. He was her friend and she had thought Him dead. That does not prove romantic love. There was deep affection certainly - but not the stuff of soap operas.

Very gently Jesus disentangled Himself from her arms and from her emotions. “Don’t cling to me now. I am not staying. Go and tell my brothers.” (The other women were already on the way to tell the apostles, it was Jesus’ own brothers who needed to know next.)

Jesus did three things to diffuse the intensity. He stopped her clinging to Him, He let her know He was not here to stay and He asked her to do something for Him. On the way, her intense emotions would settle down. The joy would remain.

If it was Mary Magdalene who broke the news of the resurrection to Jesus’ brothers, she may have been the one who led them to faith, or at least prepared the way for Jesus to do so.

The last mention of her, though not by name, is in Acts 1:14 where it refers to “the women” - a pity - we might have wished to hear more of her, but then Luke did not know her as John did. Anyway she was present at Pentecost and no doubt played her part as the young church grew.

There is an early tradition that she went with the Apostle John to Ephesus and helped care for Mary Jesus’ mother in old age. It is not proven, but it is quite early. There is no evidence at all for the much later tradition that she went to France.

Referenced to Mary Magdalene.
Among His followers Luke 8:1-3
At the Cross Matthew 27:55-56 Mark 15:40-41 Luke 23:49 John 19:25-27
At the buriel Matthew 27:57-61 Mark 15:42-47 Luke 23:50-56 John 19:38-42
Resurrection Matthew 28:1-10 Mark 16:1-11 Luke 24:1-11 John 20:1-18
Pentecost Acts 1:14