Grace That Restores

Mary Magdalene is known for being delivered from no less than seven demons! It took Jesus' intervention to release her from this demonic oppression. We read about it in the Bible, but we also experience Mary Magdalene's story up close from the very first episodes of The Chosen. In the series her name is Lilith, pointing to a false god, a primordial she-demon from dark mythology. But Jesus knows her real name, and calls her by it: Mary, meaning 'beloved'.

After such a transformation—from bedeviled to beloved—you'd think everything is smooth sailing from there for Mary Magdalene. But in The Chosen, we see a storyline that often happens in real lives as well: Mary Magdalene relapses... She falls down, stumbles—again. Now, many would argue just to leave her there: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." But this is not how Jesus' grace works.

Scholar Jerry Bridges once said: "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." Jesus' grace, God's grace isn't a one time event. It is for every day and for every time we stumble. To lift us up again, to renew God's love in our lives, to restore us to new faith.

In The Chosen, Jesus sends out Simon Peter and Matthew to find Mary Magdalene and bring her back again. Like the Biblical story of the shepherd who searches for one lost sheep, Jesus doesn’t abandon us when we wander. He seeks us out, reminding us that we are still loved. Mary Magdalene’s story shows that restoration isn’t a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process of being drawn back to Jesus.

And being drawn back in, is soothingly good. Peter and Matthew didn’t lecture Mary Magdalene—they simply brought her back to Jesus. And when Mary Magdalene faced Jesus, she didn’t encounter condemnation, but a gentle invitation to return. Jesus knew her brokenness and her desire to be close to Him again. His love didn’t change because she stumbled. His grace was and is still available. Every time.

Today, know that your worth is not measured by perfection. Jesus sees your heart and welcomes you back. Don’t let shame keep you from experiencing restoration. What area of your life needs to be restored by Jesus’ grace today?