Mary Magdalene and You
Image from the book Mary Magdalene. Copyright 2025, Arabella Penrose. All rights reserved. Mary Magdalene before her exorcism.
What could your life possibly have in common with a demon-possessed woman who lived in the Middle East during the 1st century AD?
Surprisingly... More than you think.
Meeting Jesus Changes Everything
Mary Magdalene’s story didn’t begin with beauty. She was trapped by darkness, isolated, weighed down by fear. Maybe her hands shook. Maybe her voice trembled. Maybe she had forgotten what peace even felt like.
Then Jesus arrived to her town, Magdala, a small thriving fishing village on the seal of Galilee.
I imagine something drew her to Him. Perhaps it was his gentle but authoritative voice or the love in His eyes.
But whatever it was, in a moment, He commanded, "Get out!" and her seven demons fled. The weight lifted. The chains broke, and she received a new life (Luke 8:2).
Image from the book Mary Magdalene. Copyright 2025, Arabella Penrose. All rights reserved. Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene hugging.
Isn't this where our journey with Christ begins too?
Like Mary, whether we realized it then or not, before Christ we were all under darkness. When we met Jesus, scripture tells us we were "transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light" (Col. 1:12-14). Many of us come to Jesus bound by fear, addiction, shame, and the weight of sin.
But we all experience that same transformative moment when Jesus sets us free.
"If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Cor. 5:17)
But Mary’s transformation didn’t stop at deliverance. She had to choose daily to walk in her freedom. And like her, until we reach heaven, we’re all in the process.
Making Jesus Your Everything
Image from the book Mary Magdalene. Copyright 2025, Arabella Penrose. All rights reserved. Jesus Christ with Mary Magdalene and followers.
The Magdalene (as the gospels affectionately called her, and I just love that!) was completely devoted to Jesus. This wasn't a surface-level love but a love that consumed her entire being. He wasn't just her healer. He was her everything.
After her deliverance, Mary didn't just say, "Thanks for everything!" and return home. Scripture shows she followed Jesus and supported His ministry with all that she had (Luke 8:2-3).
As her story continues, we later see that when most followers left His side during His crucifixion, she stood nearby and watched. She would not leave Him (John 19:25).
When they took His body down, she watched where they laid Him.
When the Sabbath ended, she was first at the tomb the next morning.
This wasn't a coincidence. This was pure devotion. He became her whole world.
This is the kind of commitment to which He calls us as well. Not lukewarm Sunday-morning religion but all-consuming love that reorders our entire lives.
Telling Everybody about Jesus
Mary's story reaches its peak at the empty tomb. There she stands, weeping, her heart broken by loss.
Then suddenly she hears someone gently speak her name. "Mary," Jesus said. The sound of His familiar voice revealed His identity, transforming her sorrow to joy.
This made her the first witness to the risen Christ, the greatest news in history (John 20:11-18).
Image from the book Mary Magdalene. Copyright 2025, Arabella Penrose. All rights reserved. Mary Magdalene witnesses the resurrected Jesus Christ by Garden Tomb.
This wasn't by chance. The one completely devoted to Him became the first witness of resurrection life. Her response? She immediately ran to tell the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!" (John 20:18).
Like Mary, our journey doesn't end with devotion. It naturally overflows into declaration. When you've experienced His touch and walked with Him, sharing His truth becomes our natural response.
Notice how Mary’s witness started with her immediate circle—the disciples. She didn’t preach in the streets or travel to some faraway land. She simply ran to the people who needed to hear:
"I have seen the Lord!" (John 20:18).
The same pattern continues today.
Your testimony may not start at an empty tomb, but it might start at your kitchen table, a phone call to your best friend, or perhaps a friendly conversation with a neighbor.
Like Mary, you don’t need a perfect speech or a big platform, just a willing heart to share what Jesus has done in your life.
Walking with Jesus Through All Seasons
These three elements—healing, devotion, and witnessing—aren't separate phases but streams flowing together, creating a river of abundant life in Christ.
For me personally, God is emphasizing the devotion phase, calling me to the same whole-hearted commitment that marked Mary's life. He's teaching me to listen more carefully to His voice and restructure my life around His presence.
While focusing on deeper devotion, I'm still discovering fresh encounters with His transformative grace and finding new opportunities to share His truth. That's how the Christian life works. It's not a straight line but an interweaving of all these elements.
As you've read about Mary's journey, has God highlighted one aspect in your own life? Maybe He's calling you to deeper healing or perhaps, like me, He's drawing you into more intimate devotion. Or maybe in this season, He's stirring you up to share your story more boldly.
Take a moment to listen to His voice. His invitation is waiting.
Want to share Mary Magdalene's story with the children in your life? My beautifully illustrated book, "Mary Magdalene: A Bible Rhyming Story of Healing, Devotion, and Witnessing," brings Mary’s journey to life in a way that speaks to young hearts, inspiring them to follow Jesus, just like Mary did.
Image of the Mary Magdalene Book by Arabella Penrose from the Real Women's Heroes of the Bible series
