April 10, 2023 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, April 10.
The Bible is a book that is dominated by stories about men. I challenge you to name more than ten significant female characters from God’s Word. Why is this? Perhaps it’s because the Bible was written in a culture dominated by men. Whatever your conclusion, we must agree that women of the Word, although few in number, are often great in faith. Women like Queen Esther, Deborah the Judge, Ruth, of the Book of Ruth, Priscilla, protege of Paul, and Mary, the mother of Christ.
Yesterday, on Easter, many Sunday School lessons and sermons centered on the resurrection story from the 20th chapter of the gospel of John. The main character of that story was, of course, Jesus, a man. But, in a very important role, we find a woman, Mary Magdalene.
The Bible tells us that, early in His ministry, Jesus healed Mary of seven demons, and we can safely assume that she was one of the many that followed Him and supported Him and loved Him throughout His time on Earth. This is evident in the events of Holy Week, when ten men, the disciples, were nowhere to be found when Christ was dying on the Cross. But Mary Magdalene was there. When two men took Jesus down from the Cross and buried Him, the Bible tells us that Mary was there, silently watching. And on that first Easter morning it was Mary who came to the empty tomb. It was Mary who was the first to see the Risen Lord.
After this story in John 20, there is nothing else written in the Word about Mary Magdalene. But we can safely assume that she remained a devoted follower of Christ for the rest of her life, perhaps sharing, over and over, her unique and powerful testimony. Mary Magdalene, an inspiring Bible character. Mary Magdalene, a woman of faith.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
Bro. David
dmathis@fbccenter.org
