New Testament
Mary Magdalene
Delivered from darkness — first witness of the resurrection.
Well-attested1st century AD, Galilee and Judea
Their story, briefly
- From Magdala on the Sea of Galilee; Jesus drove seven demons out of her.
- Followed Jesus and helped support his ministry from her own resources.
- Stayed at the cross when most of the disciples had fled.
- Came to the tomb on the first day of the week — and found it empty.
- Was the first person to see the risen Jesus, and the first sent to tell the news.
Key passages
- Luke 8:1-3
- Mark 15:40-41
- John 20:1-2
- John 20:11-18
How their life points to Christ
Mary's story is the gospel in miniature: delivered from darkness, devoted in love, present at the cross, first to hear her name spoken by the risen Christ. The first preacher of the resurrection was a woman the world had written off.
Common misunderstandings
- The Bible never says Mary Magdalene was a prostitute — that legend comes from a 6th-century sermon conflating her with other women.
- She was not Jesus' wife. That claim has no support in Scripture or in the earliest Christian sources.
Want to walk through this together?
Open a calm conversation seeded with Mary Magdalene's story.
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