“Mary, Magdalene – With the Risen Christ” – Matthew 28:1-10

There’s something special about being the first to know. I don’t know why, but it seems that most people want to be the first to do or read or see or hear something. Perhaps it offers an air of superiority to us, but we do like to be the first.

In the most significant event in the history of mankind, Mary Magdalene was afforded the privilege of being the first to know. And with the last thing we know about Mary, we learn that God chose her to be the first to know that Jesus was not dead, but that He had risen, and she was given the special task of telling others of the resurrection.

Background

That night between the Sabbath and the next day must have been the longest night for the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem. They had spent three years and their resources in supporting Jesus and His ministry. They had travelled with Him throughout the region. They had seen miracles and heard challenges messages and they heard hopeful promises. With each passing day, they must have been more convinced that Jesus was Messiah.

Now, Jesus lay in the grave. His life had been cruelly taken from Him, and they had watched the entire grizzly events leading up to His burial in the borrowed tomb. They knew that His body had not been properly prepared for a Jewish burial, and now the women had determined that they would return to complete the task as soon as the sun rose on that day after Sabbath.

We aren’t sure how many women went to the tomb. Matthew only mentions the two Marys—Magdalene and the mother of Joses—while Mark includes Salome. Luke only mentions “the women,” later citing Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna and the others with them as the ones who told the disciples about the risen Savior. John gives a greater detailed account of what took place at the empty tomb, but in his telling, only Mary Magdalene is mentioned.

You remember that under Jewish law, it took the testimony of two men to establish a fact, while it took the testimony of four women to do the same. If it was only Mary who had seen the risen Christ, it’s reasonable that the disciples would have had a harder time believing only her testimony, just as they may have doubted the testimony of both Marys. Mark wrote that the women didn’t say anything about the empty tomb because they were afraid, but he later wrote that Jesus appeared to Mary and that she told the disciples, but they didn’t believe her. In both Luke and John, the reaction to the news was for Peter and John to run to the tomb.

To be fair, it would be difficult to believe someone who was dead was alive again. It is something that has occurred only once in the history of our world, and that One person ascended up to heaven after 40 days.

Regardless of how many women went to complete the preparations for Jesus’ burial, we know that Mary Magdalene was one of them, and that she played a very important part in sharing the good news that Jesus was alive and waiting to come to His disciples once again.

As we come to our last encounter with Mary Magdalene, we learn the following truth:

Central Truth: Mary Magdalene and the other women were the first to testify about the Risen Christ.

In our final glimpse of Mary, we see someone who:

1. Had a desire to minister to Jesus (1)

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

A new day can have promise or it can have a sense of dread to it, depending on what happened the previous day. A person waking up on their wedding day has a sense of excitement and anticipation. A person waking up after a dreadful mistake has probably tossed and turned throughout the night and now watches the dawn with a sense of doom and regret.

Mary Magdalene had watched Jesus die a horrible death. She had seen His body taken down and hurriedly placed into a tomb with a large stone rolled over the entrance. She had spent the Sabbath probably observing the rites that go with the day, but her heart could not have been in celebrating the great feast day.

Now the dawn had come, and Matthew wrote the two Marys (Magdalene and the mother of Joses and James the younger) made their way to the tomb where Jesus lay. Matthew wrote that the women went merely to look at the tomb, but other gospel accounts indicate the women brought with them the spices needed to complete the preparation of Jesus’ body for burial. Mark wrote that they were concerned about how to roll the stone away in order to gain entrance to the tomb.

Mary had been faithful to Jesus from the moment He had rid her of her demons. She had supported Him financially and had travelled with Him throughout His earthly ministry. She had remained with Him as He was crucified, and now she wanted to express her love, her gratitude and her faithfulness by completing the last thing for Him. She would prepare His body for burial and say a final goodbye.

We need to remember, though, that even when things look bleak, God may have a different plan and a different outcome than what we believe is going to happen. Always remember that with God, all things are possible, and that His plans are the ones we would do well to follow. Mary Magdalene prepared to complete Jesus’ burial, but God had other plans.

2. Heard the testimony of the angel (2-7)

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you.”

When it comes to serving Jesus, it is helpful to expect the unexpected. Mary went to the tomb expecting to find Jesus’ body. What she found instead transformed her world and ultimately ours as well.

Depending on which gospel account we read, either an angel had rolled back the stone as the women were approaching (Matthew), or that the women found the stone rolled back and an angel waiting in the otherwise empty tomb (Mark) or appeared to them suddenly as they looked into the tomb (Luke). John wrote that Mary simply noticed the stone was rolled away and immediately went to tell the disciples. Since we’re focusing on Matthew’s account, let’s look at his description of what happened as the two Marys approached the tomb.

An angel appeared and rolled the stone away. The reaction of those who saw this event is very different, perhaps due to their faith in and understanding of God. The Roman soldiers trembled in fear and fainted. The women apparently were frightened, but they remained alert to what was happening. Having gotten their attention, the angel told them what must surely be the opening line of every angel who ever encountered a person: “Don’t be afraid.” He then told them that what they expected to see was never going to happen. The body of Jesus was no longer dead, but was transformed into a glorious body and He now lived. They were given instructions: Look in the tomb to verify what the angel said was true, then go and tell the disciples that Jesus was alive (as He had said) and that He would see the disciples back in Galilee.

Can you imagine the jumble of emotions that were within Mary as she watched and listened to the angel? Sorrow and resignation gave way to puzzlement and doubt, then to hope, amazement and the beginning of joy. Mary came to the tomb expecting to say goodbye for the last time, and now she was told that goodbye was the farthest thing from her relationship with Jesus. What that relationship would now entail was not yet clear, but she knew it was not over.

Sometimes, that describes our walk with God through Christ. Our emotions can change in an instant. But remember: We walk by faith, not feeling. We trust in Jesus, not in our emotions. Have faith, follow Him in obedience and it can only lead to greater understanding of Him and His will.

3. Was the first to see the Risen Christ and to tell others about Him (8-10)

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see Me.”

Eye witnesses can see the same thing, yet have slightly different ways or relating what they saw or heard. If we were to go see a movie for the first time, each of us would come away with different aspects of the film. We would have the overall picture in mind, and we could tell others about the movie, but there would be certain lines and scenes that would stand out to one person and different lines and scenes to another.

The telling of Jesus’ resurrection is like that. Reading the gospel accounts, no two are exactly alike, yet they all say the same thing: The first person to see the Risen Christ was Mary Magdalene. Matthew has Jesus appearing to both Marys.

It’s one thing to see an empty tomb and to hear an angel proclaim that Jesus is risen and waiting to see everyone in Galilee. Actually seeing Jesus in the flesh and hearing His familiar voice would remove any remaining doubts.

As they were walking to tell the disciples what they had heard and seen, the two women find themselves standing in Jesus’ presence. He confirmed what they had been told and had acted in faith to do. Their response was to fall at His feet and worship Him.

It is not unusual for the Holy Spirit to lead us in a direction and we follow in faith. As we follow, God will affirm we are doing the right thing. He will send a message through someone else or through the events to confirm that we are where He wants us to be. It may not be as concrete as seeing Jesus literally standing in front of us and reaffirming the Spirit’s message, but it will be something that confirms our faith and allows us to go forward with worship and praise in our hearts for the One who calls us and leads us.

Conclusion

Over the past three weeks, we’ve come to see Mary Magdalene as the Bible has described her. Hopefully, we have come away with a better understanding an appreciation of the woman who played such an important part in Jesus’ ministry. Seeing her and her story, we are reminded how God works in us.

Mary was freed of her demons, and Jesus transforms us when we trust in Him for salvation. She walked with Jesus, supporting Him in His ministry, and we are called to do the same. Mary stayed faithful even through the crucifixion, and was rewarded with the joy of being the first to see the Risen Savior and given the task of telling others what she knew to be true. Like her, we are called by Jesus to remain faithful and tell others how Jesus has worked in our lives and how the Risen Savior is still working in our world.

Learn from Mary, and follow her example. Let others know what Jesus means to us.