Disciple of Jesus, First Witness of the Resurrection
1st century AD · New Testament
Healed by Jesus, became one of his most devoted disciples, stood at the cross, and was the first person to see the risen Christ.
Mary Magdalene (called 'of Magdala' for her hometown on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee) is named twelve times in the four Gospels — more than any woman except Jesus's mother Mary. Luke 8:1-3 introduces her: she had been delivered by Jesus from 'seven demons' and afterward followed him as one of his disciples, contributing to the support of his ministry from her own resources. Tradition has often confused her with the unnamed 'sinful woman' who anointed Jesus's feet in Luke 7 (probably a separate person) or with Mary of Bethany (sister of Martha and Lazarus). The Gospels themselves never identify her as a prostitute — that confusion comes from later Western Christian tradition. The four Gospels are unanimous on Mary Magdalene's three most significant moments. First, she stood at the cross when most of the male disciples had fled (John 19:25). Second, she watched as Jesus was laid in the tomb (Matthew 27:61). Third, she was the first to come to the tomb on the third day, the first to discover the stone rolled away, and the first to see and speak with the risen Christ (John 20:1-18). In the most poignant scene of the resurrection narrative, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, mistook the risen Jesus for the gardener, and recognized him only when he spoke her name: 'Mary.' She responded 'Rabboni' (Aramaic: 'Teacher'). Jesus then commissioned her to go and tell his disciples — making her, in the early church's phrase, 'the apostle to the apostles.' Eastern Orthodox tradition holds that she lived to old age in Ephesus, traveling with the apostle John and Jesus's mother; Western tradition has her ending her life in Provence, France. Pope Francis in 2016 elevated her commemoration from a memorial to a feast (July 22), recognizing her unique role as the first witness of the resurrection.
Healed by Jesus; becomes a follower and supporter
Remained when most male disciples had fled
Saw exactly where Jesus's body was laid
Sunday morning — finds the stone rolled away
Jesus appears to her; calls her by name; commissions her
'I have seen the Lord'
Mary Magdalene's significance is threefold. First, she is the first witness of the resurrection — the linchpin event of Christianity. The earliest Christian preaching depended on women who could testify they had seen the risen Christ. Second, her role contradicts both ancient and modern assumptions about who God uses for the most consequential testimonies. In first-century Judaism, a woman's testimony was not legally accepted; that Jesus chose to appear first to a woman, and to send her to bear witness, was theologically deliberate. Third, she is the model of devoted discipleship under cost — present at the cross, present at the burial, and present at the empty tomb when others had given up. Pope Francis in 2016 called her 'the apostle to the apostles' and elevated her feast day in recognition.
“Rabboni!”— John 20:16 — Mary's response to recognizing the risen Christ
“I have seen the Lord.”— John 20:18
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus's most devoted disciples — named more times in the Gospels than any woman except Jesus's mother Mary. She had been delivered from 'seven demons' by Jesus (Luke 8:2) and afterward followed him, supporting his ministry from her own resources. She stood at the cross, watched the burial, and was the first person to see the risen Christ on Easter morning (John 20:11-18). Pope Francis called her 'the apostle to the apostles' for being commissioned by Jesus to tell the other disciples of the resurrection.
The Bible never identifies Mary Magdalene as a prostitute. The confusion comes from later Western Christian tradition — particularly a homily by Pope Gregory the Great in 591 AD that conflated three different women in the Gospels: Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2), the unnamed 'sinful woman' who anointed Jesus's feet (Luke 7:37-50), and Mary of Bethany (John 11). Modern Catholic teaching has corrected this conflation, and Mary Magdalene is now recognized simply as the devoted disciple from Magdala — healed by Jesus, faithful to the cross, first witness of the resurrection.
John 20:11-18 records the conversation. Mary, weeping outside the empty tomb, saw a figure she took to be the gardener. He asked: 'Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?' She said: 'Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him.' Jesus then said simply: 'Mary.' She recognized him and exclaimed: 'Rabboni!' (Teacher). Jesus said: 'Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.' She then went and told the disciples: 'I have seen the Lord.'
Mary Magdalene's feast day is July 22 in the Catholic and Anglican calendars. Pope Francis elevated her commemoration in 2016 from a memorial to a feast — putting her on the same liturgical level as the male apostles — in recognition of her unique role as the first witness of the resurrection and the 'apostle to the apostles' who was sent by Christ himself to announce his rising.