Hi, My name is Mary
Magdalene. I will never forget the day I met Jesus. Before I met him I was
worse than an outcast…you see, I had been possessed by 7 evil demons. I was out
of control. I was not seeking the Messiah like many others had been. I was
living a life fully consumed by the work of Satan. He had me in his grip so
tight that no one could save me. I was hopeless. Everyone I knew wrote me off
and left me to suffer in my bondage. Until, I met the man Jesus, because He had
the power to set me free. With authority he spoke and cast out the demons on
that very day! I was finally set completely free just by the power of his word!
Everyone had said it was impossible, and right then I knew this man Jesus was
the Son of God. He was the promised Messiah, and he had found me. He had worked
an impossible miracle in my life and he saved me. From that moment my only
response was to devote the rest of my life to him and his ministry. Along with
the 12 disciples and several other women, I followed Jesus and offered help
with anything he needed as he went from town to town. I witnessed him work many
more miracles in the lives of others. He continued to teach and speak with such
authority. Sometimes I did not understand the things that he said, like when he
ran the money exchangers and vendors out of the temple courts with a whip, and
then he said to them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in 3
days.” I did not understand, and neither did the other Jews among us because it
had taken 46 years to build that temple! But in time I would come to
understand.
Then came the day when Jesus
was arrested. It seemed inevitable as some in the crowds around him became more
hostile about his teachings, especially the teachers of the law. But what
happened next I could not understand. From a distance I watched as the man who
had spoken with such authority and who worked miracles and who had rescued me,
and I watched as he was nailed to a cross. What shame I felt for I knew he took
the punishment that I deserved. I had followed this man and I had never once seen
him sin. He had compassion and he had healed the sick and blind, he fed
thousands, he calmed seas and fears and he even raised a dead man to life. I
was confused and broken when I watched his hands and feet nailed to that cross.
I couldn’t understand why he didn’t work a miracle that day by the authority of
his voice like he had done so many times before. And then right before he
breathed his last breath, the sun completely stopped shining right in the middle
of the day. And then Jesus cried out to the Almighty God and then he died. I
sat at the foot of the cross weeping and bewildered. In my grief I begged for
answers as to why he was taken away from us – away from me! Surely his work was
not done here!
Then early on the morning
after the Sabbath, on the 3rd day after his death, Jesus’ mother and
I went to the tomb to anoint His body. As we were going to the tomb we felt a
violent earthquake and an angel of the Lord came down from heaven. I could
hardly believe my eyes. So easily the angel rolled back the huge stone that
blocked the tomb, and then he sat on it. We were scared to death! The guards
even shook and fell to the ground for fear. Then the angel said to Mary and me,
“Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus. He is not here. He is
risen!” And I looked in the tomb and sure enough there was no body in there.
The angel then told us to go quickly and tell the others that he is risen and
he is going ahead of us to Galilee. So Mary and I ran – our hearts filled with
fear and with joy all at the same time. We ran to tell the disciples everything
we’d seen and what the angel said. But then Jesus himself met us on the way. He
said, “Hello!” I could recognize that voice anywhere! I immediately fell on my
face and worshipped him – my Lord! He is alive! He had rebuilt the temple on the 3rd day just as he’d said!
He had defeated death and I knew from that day forward I’d never be apart from
my Lord Jesus because not even death could keep me away from him for all
eternity.
He is Alive! He is Risen!!
