St. Mary Magdalene July 22, 2018
St. Mary Magdalene
John 20:1-2,10-18
July 22, 2018
“Mary Magdalene – ‘I Have Seen the Lord’”
Sermon Outline
- First, which Mary in the Bible are we talking about?
- Second, what has been said about Mary Magdalene that is untrue or unsure?
- Third, what is specifically unique about Mary Magdalene?
- Fourth, how do you relate to Mary Magdalene’s story?
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mary Magdalene teaches you, by her example, to believe in Jesus and to love Him. We commemorate her today and remember her because she encourages all of us to place all our confidence and trust in Jesus, who died and rose for us. Today we’re taught to place our confidence and trust in ourselves, or in governments, or in science, or in progress, or even, God help us, in socialism. Mary Magdalene would laugh at such nonsense. She had no confidence in herself or her potential or in any government. She knew this one thing—that Jesus saved her. And she trusted HIM. And so should we.
First, we need to take a minute to clear our minds about which Mary this is that we’re talking about today. There are three very important “Marys” in the Bible. (The insert in the bulletin shows you all six of the women mentioned with the name Mary. But of those six, three are the most significant for our purposes.) So you need to be able to distinguish these three “Marys” in your mind. First, of course, is Jesus’ Mom. She is the most well-known by far. Nearly everyone knows who she is because Christmas is such a big deal. She is known as Mary, the Mother of our Lord.
Second, there’s Mary of Bethany. This is the woman we all know from the story of “Mary and Martha”. Martha is her sister who was busy serving and Mary is the one who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened intently to Him. This Mary also used oil to anoint Jesus’ head. She is a very important “Mary” in the Bible. But not the Mary we’re talking about today.
Our Mary today is Mary Magdalene, the last of the three most important “Marys”. She is known as Magdalene because she was from the city of Magdala. And here are the three things we know for sure about Mary Magdalene—to help you distinguish her from the others. We know that she had seven demons that Jesus cast out from her. Second, we know that she followed Jesus and supported Him financially for a while. Thirdly, we know that she was physically present at the cross, the burial, and the empty tomb. So that’s what distinguishes her from the others. Those three things—seven demons cast out, supported Jesus financially, present at crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.
Sadly, however, Mary Magdalene has become known, instead of for what she should be known for as a witness to Jesus’ death and resurrection, for other things that are completely untrue. So what has Mary Magdalene become known for in the last 15 years? Do you know? Thanks to the book, The Da Vinci Code, she has become known as the secret wife of Jesus. I can’t believe how well that book caught on. A story about our Savior Jesus Christ in an intimate and sexual relationship with Mary Magdalene where they have children that become royalty in Europe. What a disgrace.
I’ve said elsewhere that it’s a sign of how depraved and sexually obsessed we are today that we can’t imagine Jesus and Mary having a relationship without it being sexual. But, of course, that is entirely possible. It’s possible because Jesus had a pure heart that loved Mary the same way He loved all His disciples and the same way He loves you and me. She was a dear friend to Him and a great witness to His resurrection. Not the mother of His children.
Another thing that has been said about Mary Magdalene that is very unsure is that she was a prostitute before Jesus healed her. If you look up pictures of Mary Magdalene she will often be portrayed in a sensual or sexual way. In my opinion, it’s too bad that this is how Mary Magdalene is remembered. There’s no direct evidence that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. There’s an unnamed woman in Luke 7 that is called a “sinner” and washes Jesus feet and wipes them with her hair. Even if that is truly Mary Magdalene, which it doesn’t say, it still doesn’t say that that woman was specifically a prostitute. At any rate, it’s unsure.
What Mary Magdalene should be remembered for, above all else, is her witness to Jesus’ death and resurrection. That is her greatest joy and is what is specifically unique about Mary Magdalene. Not only does it show her deep love for her Savior Jesus, that she would be there through all of it—His bitter death by crucifixion, His hasty burial before the Sabbath, and His Sunday morning resurrection. But she also becomes the very first witness to see Jesus alive in the flesh and to touch Him.
We heard this account in the Gospel reading today from John 20. When they go to the tomb early on Sunday morning, they find it empty and angels tell that He has risen. But Mary is still deeply troubled by the whole event. After the other women leave and then Peter and John also come and go, Mary stays behind crying.
A man asks her why she is weeping and she thinks he is the gardener. So she asks where they’ve taken the body. She will go and get it, she says. But then comes a one-word sermon from Jesus that changes the life of Mary Magdalene. He says, “Mary.” He calls her by name.
You have been given the same sermon as Mary Magdalene. The living Jesus Christ has called you by name, to believe in Him and love Him, just as Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene is your sister in Christ. She encourages you, as I said in the beginning, to believe in Jesus and place all our confidence in Him.
This Jesus has called you by name in Holy Baptism. I’ve made a big deal today that Mary Magdalene was present on that Friday when Jesus hung on the cross, that evening when He was laid in the tomb, and on Sunday morning when He rose from the dead. But the truth is that you also have now been there. Because when you are baptized into Jesus Christ, you die with Him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him.
So, yes, Mary Magdalene had a unique relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, He healed her directly from those seven demons. Yes, she followed Him during His ministry and saw His miracles and heard His teaching. Yes, she was there when He died and rose. But you and I are not far behind, are we? We also, just like Mary Magdalene, have been healed by Jesus Christ from our demons. He has cast our sins away from us and given us new life. We also, just like Mary Magdalene, have heard His teaching in His holy Word and seen the miracles that He did. And we also, like Mary Magdalene, have died with Christ, been buried with Him, and risen with Him. We have heard His sermon, calling us each by name in Holy Baptism, to believe in Him.
And Jesus’ words to Mary explain this very well. When she recognizes that it’s Jesus, she wants to cling to Him. In other words, she wants to hold onto Him and not let Him go now that He has returned. But He won’t let her do that. He says, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.”
In other words, Mary cannot have Jesus all to herself. She can’t cling to Him. Because Jesus has risen for everyone. For all of us just as much as Mary. And Jesus must ascend into heaven so that not only Mary can cling to Him in faith, but so that all of us can cling to Him in faith. He certainly didn’t come down to earth only for Mary Magdalene. And certainly not to only be her husband. His bride is the entire Church. We are His bride. And we all cling to Him in faith, placing our confidence and trust in His grace and mercy.
So I will close by again reminding you that Mary Magdalene teaches us to place all our confidence and trust in Jesus. Even though Mary Magdalene saw Him alive that Easter morning, He did, forty days later, leave her and all the rest of the disciples in His ascension. But He was still with them, He said. And they lived by faith. All of them did. Same as you and me. They lived by faith. They placed all their confidence and all their trust in Jesus Christ.
And so should we. Just like Mary Magdalene. Jesus has called you and I by name and saved us. No one else saves you. Not governments, science, or yourself. Jesus is your Savior. Believe in Him and join Mary Magdalene. In Jesus’ name. Amen.