What We Learn from Jesus’ Appearance to Mary Magdalene After the Resurrection

by Michaelle Moran

"Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say Master." John 20-16 (KJV)

Watching my boyfriend of several years drive away after we exchanged some heated words and broke up devastated me. Standing there alone, he disappeared, not only from my view, but from my life. The hope and joy I had felt just that morning, before our argument, was suddenly gone.

Confusion and abandonment overwhelmed me. The life I imagined with him was now nothing more than a dream that would never come true. I cried as I wondered how I would move forward without him.

I imagine Jesus’ disciples and followers wrestled with these same feelings and questions at His death. They had placed their hope in Him as He walked among them, teaching about the unending Kingdom of God. They ate together. They did ministry together. And now He was gone.

But Jesus never leaves us without hope—even in death, whether it is His or ours.

For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to various followers before ascending to His Father in heaven. For forty days, He delayed His return to His Father’s arms and instead opened His own to those who believed all hope had been lost.

The first to whom Jesus appeared post-resurrection was Mary Magdalene. But who exactly was she and why did He appear to her first?

What we know for certain is that she is one of the most mentioned women in the New Testament, yet there is little personal detail given about her. However, we do know, based on Scripture, that Mary Magdalene loved Jesus (Luke 8:1–3; John 19:25; John 20:1).

Her faith was genuine and she seemed more eager to believe and obey than to understand everything. Perhaps having seven demons cast out of her (Luke 8:2) was all the understanding she needed. There was no need for intellectual reasoning or trying to make sense of everything, as is often the case for those who struggle or refuse to accept the truth of Jesus Christ.

We see that her faith spurred her on to travel with Jesus and His disciples and to contribute financially to the needs of the group (Luke 8:1–3). In fact, the character profile in my Bible (King James Version Life Application Bible) notes that although women were not recognized as disciples in Jesus’ day, Mary was indeed a disciple. Jesus didn’t treat women as others in His culture did. He treated them with dignity—as people of worth and equals in the Kingdom of God (Galatians 3:28).

Additionally, it seems Mary of Magdala lived a life marked by thanksgiving for the freedom Jesus gave her when He delivered her from the demons that once tormented her.

This appreciation for her freedom, along with her love for Jesus, compelled her to His cross as He was crucified, even while all the disciples, with the exception of John, hid in fear (John 19:25-26; Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50).

And although Mary Magdalene didn’t fully know Jesus in His resurrection power—nor was she expecting His resurrection—she knew Him as Lord and Savior.

Can you imagine her sorrow, then, when she came to His tomb to anoint (embalm) Him—only to find that He was gone (Mark 16:1–2)?

Jesus was dead. Hope had vanished. And now she couldn’t even care for His body in one final act of love.

As is always true when we believe in Jesus, He does not leave us in our sorrow. He does not leave us hopeless. He comes near. He is our hope.

And that is exactly what He did for Mary Magdalene as she stood weeping and staring into His empty tomb (John 20:11).

As a matter of fact, John’s Gospel records the exact moment hope was restored to her:

“Jesus saith unto her, Mary” (John 20:16).

In His resurrected body He stood near Mary as she stood near His empty tomb, desperate to find Him (John 20:15). However, she didn’t recognize Him at first, actually mistaking Him for the gardener. But then He simply spoke her name, and immediately she knew His voice and turned to Him, saying,

“Rabboni; which is to say, Master” (John 20:16).

Immediately her hope and joy were restored—and she realized He had been with her all along.

During this encounter, Jesus instructed her, “Go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (John 20:17). She then turned and did as He commanded (John 20:18).

So, what is it exactly that we learn from Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene? Oh friend, we learn so very much.

Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene teaches us that His resurrection is personal. He died for her, knowing her past—what had tormented her. He knew her grief. And He did not leave her in either. Likewise, He died for us, and He does not leave us in our past or our grief.

Just as importantly, Jesus demonstrated His victory over death—and that He is coming back, just as He promised.

He called her by name, and she knew His voice. When we put our faith in Him, we know His voice too and can be assured that He knows our name—He knows who we are, fully and completely.

By appearing to her—a woman—first, He gave a glimpse into the Kingdom of God, where everyone is welcomed—and equal.

When He told her to go and tell the others that she had seen Him (John 20:17–18), He commissioned her as the first messenger of the good news of Jesus Christ. We too are called to share this good news with others (Matthew 28:19–20; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:20).

By referring to the disciples as His brothers and to God as His Father and their Father, Jesus is, in essence, saying, “We are family because when you believe in My death and resurrection, you are adopted as a child of God.”

I’ve known what it is to watch someone I love go away—and what it is to see him return (I married him). But unlike me, who didn’t know whether I would ever see the one I loved return, we are assured that although Jesus has gone away for a while, He is indeed coming back (Matthew 24:30–31; 26:64; John 14:3; Revelation 22:7).

Will you know His voice when He does?