Who was Mary Magdalene?

Mary Magdalene was a devoted follower of Jesus, healed by him, who stayed near the cross and came to the tomb on Easter morning. She was the first person to see the risen Jesus (John 20).

What did Jesus say to Mary at the tomb?

He asked why she was weeping, and then said her name, 'Mary' (John 20:16). She recognized him and he sent her to tell the disciples he was risen, making her the first witness of the resurrection.

Why is it important that Mary saw Jesus first?

In that culture a woman's testimony was not highly valued, yet Jesus chose Mary as the first witness. It shows he honors the grieving and the overlooked. Read it in John chapter 20.

Meet Jesus

Mary Magdalene: When You Are Weeping and Cannot See Him

Mary came to the tomb weeping, found it empty, and assumed the worst: even his body was gone. She did not recognize the man standing there and thought he was the gardener. Then he said one word, her name, Mary, and she knew him. The risen Jesus chose a grieving woman as the first witness of the resurrection, and reached her by name.

If this is you

If you are weeping so hard you would not recognize hope if it were standing right in front of you, Mary was there. She was staring at the risen Jesus and could not see him through her tears, until he spoke her name. Sometimes he is nearer than the grief lets us see.

The story

Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was still dark and found the stone rolled away. Distraught, she stood outside weeping. She saw a man she took for the gardener and begged to know where the body had been taken.

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him.”

John 20:15

“Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.”

John 20:16

“Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

John 20:17

What this shows about Jesus

He met her in the middle of her grief, not after it. He asked her why she wept, letting her speak the pain out loud. And he reached her not with a lecture but with her own name. Then he entrusted the first news of the resurrection to her, a woman, in a world that would not count her testimony. Jesus sees the weeping ones, calls them by name, and honors them.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Mary Magdalene?: Mary Magdalene was a devoted follower of Jesus, healed by him, who stayed near the cross and came to the tomb on Easter morning. She was the first person to see the risen Jesus (John 20).
What did Jesus say to Mary at the tomb?: He asked why she was weeping, and then said her name, 'Mary' (John 20:16). She recognized him and he sent her to tell the disciples he was risen, making her the first witness of the resurrection.
Why is it important that Mary saw Jesus first?: In that culture a woman's testimony was not highly valued, yet Jesus chose Mary as the first witness. It shows he honors the grieving and the overlooked. Read it in John chapter 20.

Read it yourself. Do not take our word for it. The whole scene is right there in the Gospel: John 20 → Read slowly, and watch what Jesus actually does.

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Come and see for yourself

He knows your name, and he speaks it into exactly the grief that is blinding you. Mary turned at the sound of it and everything changed. He is not far from you in your weeping.

You do not have to believe anything yet. Just come and look at him with an open heart, the way the people in these stories did. He still draws near to everyone who comes.

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Jesus Christ is Lord.

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