Who was Mary Magdalene?

Deliverance and Ministry

Set Free from Demons to Serve the Lord

and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;

Luke 8:2 (NIV)

It defines Mary Magdalene by Christ's miraculous deliverance rather than by any immoral past, noting that seven demons went out of her.

In Luke 8:2, Scripture defines Mary Magdalene not through the sensational legends of later centuries, but by the miraculous power of Jesus Christ who cast seven demons out of her. Later church traditions frequently conflated Mary Magdalene with the unnamed sinful woman in Luke 7 or with Mary of Bethany, yet the biblical record never identifies her as a former harlot. Her epithet Magdalene links her to Magdala, a prosperous fishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, pointing to her geographic origin rather than a moral stain. Luke 8:1–3 reveals that her encounter with Jesus completely transformed her existence. Freed from horrific spiritual affliction, Mary did not merely admire Christ from a distance; she joined a devoted band of women traveling alongside Him and the twelve apostles. Possessing personal financial independence, she actively ministered to Jesus and His disciples out of her private means, financing the proclamation of the kingdom of God. Mark 16:9 corroborates this profound spiritual deliverance, emphasizing that the Lord who later honored her as the first witness of His resurrection was the very One who had broken her chains of demonic oppression. Her early service stands as a striking testament to genuine gratitude: having received total liberty through Christ, she joyfully consecrated her wealth, time, and life to His advancing work.

Faithful at Calvary

Unflinching Loyalty at the Foot of the Cross

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

John 19:25 (NIV)

It places Mary Magdalene in intimate proximity to the dying Savior alongside His mother Mary and Mary the wife of Clopas.

When Christ hung dying on the cross, John 19:25 records that Mary Magdalene stood faithfully beside the cross of Jesus, undeterred by the shame and terror of Roman execution. While most of the male disciples scattered and fled into hiding, Mary Magdalene demonstrated fearless, unwavering devotion to her Master. Matthew 27:55–56 notes that many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to Him were watching Calvary, and Mary Magdalene is placed at the very head of the list. Mark 15:40–41 similarly highlights her enduring presence among the women who had accompanied Him throughout His Galilean ministry and now attended His final agony. Whether standing directly beneath the cross with Jesus’ mother and the apostle John, or gazing upon the suffering Savior alongside her companions across the grim hill of Golgotha, her loyalty never wavered in the hour of darkness. She did not abandon Jesus when His worldly popularity vanished. Instead, she bore public witness to His sacrificial death, willingly identifying herself with a condemned King in the presence of hostile Roman soldiers and mocking religious rulers.

Witness of the Tomb

Watching the Burial and Arriving at Dawn

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

Matthew 27:61 (NIV)

It records Mary Magdalene sitting opposite the sealed tomb, keeping quiet vigil over the buried body of Christ.

Matthew 27:61 records that Mary Magdalene sat opposite the sepulcher, keeping a solemn vigil as Jesus' body was sealed in the tomb. Her devotion did not end with His final breath. Mark 15:47 records that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed with meticulous care precisely where Joseph of Arimathea laid the Lord's wrapped body. In Luke 23:55–56, the Galilean women took note of the tomb, returned to prepare rich spices and ointments, and then strictly observed the Sabbath according to the commandment. As soon as the Sabbath passed, Mary Magdalene's love compelled her to return. Matthew 28:1 records that at the very break of dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came with the other Mary to see the sepulcher. Mark 16:1–3 adds that she and her companions brought sweet spices to perform the final loving rites of anointing, wondering along the way who would roll away the massive stone for them. Luke 24:1–10 describes how they found the great stone already rolled back, met two dazzling angels announcing Christ's triumph, and carried the report back to the disbelieving apostles. John 20:1–2 captures the raw urgency of that morning: Mary Magdalene arrived while it was still dark, discovered the open entrance, and sprinted immediately to find Simon Peter and John.

The First Witness

First Herald of the Resurrected King

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

John 20:16 (NIV)

The dramatic personal turning point occurs when the risen Jesus speaks Mary's name, transforming her grief into immediate recognition and worship.

In John 20:16, the deepest sorrow in human history is shattered when the risen Savior speaks: 'Mary!'—and she instantly turns in worship, crying out 'Rabboni!'. Having returned to the garden weeping after alerting the disciples, Mary stooped to peer into the sepulcher in John 20:11–13, where two angels in white asked why she wept. Her broken heart could only utter her longing to find where her Lord had been carried. Turning around in John 20:14–15, she saw Jesus standing before her but assumed He was the gardener, desperately pleading to know where He had moved the body. The moment Christ called her by her own name, her eyes were opened to the resurrected King. In John 20:17, Jesus commanded her not to cling to Him, commissioning her as the very first apostle to the apostles to announce His ascension to His Father and their Father. In John 20:18, Mary Magdalene fulfilled this holy commission without delay, proclaiming to the shattered disciples: 'I have seen the Lord!' Matthew 28:8–10 confirms that as she and the women departed with mingled fear and joy, Jesus met them on the road, where they grasped His feet in reverent worship. Mark 16:9–11 crowns her biblical legacy, declaring that Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene, cementing her perpetual place as the first herald of the empty tomb.

Where in the Bible

The story in order

1. Jesus delivers Mary Magdalene (c. AD 28) · Luke 8:1-3 · Freed from seven demons, she began to serve Jesus.
2. Mary ministers to Jesus (c. AD 28-30) · Luke 8:2 · She supported His ministry with her own resources.
3. Mary watches the crucifixion (AD 30) · John 19:25 · She stood faithfully at the foot of the cross.
4. Mary witnesses the burial (AD 30) · Matthew 27:61 · She observed where Jesus' body was laid.
5. Mary comes to the tomb (AD 30) · Matthew 28:1 · She arrived early on Sunday morning.
6. Mary sees the empty tomb (AD 30) · Luke 24:1-3 · She found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.
7. Jesus appears to Mary (AD 30) · Mark 16:9 · She was the first to see the resurrected Christ.
8. Mary proclaims the resurrection (AD 30) · John 20:18 · She announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord.'

From Bondage to Freedom in Christ

Loyalty Through Ministry and Suffering

Key words

Demons (daimonion, δαιμόνιον)

Fallen angels who oppose God and His people. · Luke 8:2

Disciple (mathētēs, μαθητής)

A follower or learner, especially of Jesus Christ. · Luke 8:1

Resurrection (anastasis, ἀνάστασις)

The act of rising from the dead. · Mark 16:9

Witness (martys, μάρτυς)

One who testifies to a fact or event. · John 20:18