Women of the New Testamentનમૂનો

Day 3
Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!”
– John 20:18a (NLT)

While He was on earth, Jesus spent time teaching, healing, and performing miracles. He made friends, helped people, and showed everyone more of what God is like. But some of the religious leaders thought Jesus was a problem. He said He was the Son of God, and they didn’t believe He was. They thought He would threaten their power. When Jesus was betrayed by one of His own friends and arrested, His followers ran away. His close friend Peter denied even knowing Jesus.

Even though Jesus was innocent and had never done anything wrong, He was sentenced to be crucified. On His way to the place where He would die, Jesus was beaten and mocked. He was then put on a cross between two criminals who were also being crucified.

While most of Jesus’ followers had abandoned Him, a few of His friends worked up the courage to come to the cross and be with Him as He suffered. His friend John was there, and several of the women who were His friends and followers. They loved Jesus, and they wanted to be there at the end. They watched Jesus breathe His last breath and felt the earth shake. As Jesus’ body was taken to a tomb and placed inside, a few of the women followed and paid attention to where He was buried.

One of the women who watched Jesus’ crucifixion and saw where He was buried was yet another important New Testament character named Mary. She is known as Mary Magdalene, probably because she was from the town of Magdala. The Bible says Jesus had healed her from seven demons. After Jesus healed her, she became one of His friends who traveled with Him and supported Him as He taught and helped people.

Three days after Jesus died, Mary Magdalene and a few other women went to the tomb where Jesus was buried, carrying some spices and perfumes to anoint Jesus’ body. The tomb was carved into a rock wall in a garden, and the entrance was covered with a large rock. But when the women arrived, they found that the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty!

Two angels appeared to the women. One of them said, “Don’t be afraid . . . I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead.” (Matthew 28:5-7)

The women ran to find Jesus’ disciples to tell them about the angel’s message. They were scared but excited. When they told the others about Jesus, they didn’t believe them. But Jesus’ friends Peter and John ran to the tomb and found it empty, just like the women had said.

Mary Magdalene went back to the tomb and was crying when she turned around and saw someone standing behind her. She thought it was the gardener. The man asked her who she was looking for, and she told him she just wanted to find Jesus’ body. Then, the man said her name, “Mary!” Suddenly, she knew it was Jesus! He really was alive! She turned to him and cried, “Teacher!” Jesus told her to go once again and give a message to His disciples. When she found them this time, she told them, “I have seen the Lord!”

Jesus went on to appear to more of His friends after He rose from the dead. He gave them some final instructions before He went back to heaven, where He is still alive today!

Mary Magdalene and the rest of the women witnessed the most important events in human history when they saw Jesus’ death and resurrection. Just like Jesus freed Mary Magdalene from seven demons—something she couldn’t do on her own, He wants to free us from our sin and the control it has on our lives. He wants to free us from death and the control it has over our futures. Just like Mary Magdalene had a new life of following Jesus from that point on, Jesus gives us a new life of following Him when we trust in Him to save us.

Reflect: Have you trusted in Jesus to save you and embraced the new life He offers? What is the significance of Jesus’ resurrection to you?

Read: John 20:1-18