Luke 8:1
And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
Luke 8:2
And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
John 19:25
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 20:16
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
John 20:17
Jesus saith unto her, 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.
John 20:18
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Separating the Gospel portrait from later legend
Few figures in the New Testament have accumulated as much later folklore as Mary of Magdala. Over the centuries, popular imagination often conflated her with Mary of Bethany and with the unnamed woman who wept at Jesus' feet in Luke 7. When we return to the four Gospels themselves, a much clearer—and quietly remarkable—portrait emerges. Named after Magdala, a fishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, Mary Magdalene appears as a healed disciple, a patron of Jesus' traveling ministry, and the steadfast witness who stayed when others fled.
Three scenes that define Mary Magdalene in Scripture
Healed and supporting the ministry in Galilee (Luke 8:1–2)
Luke introduces Mary Magdalene alongside Joanna and Susanna as part of the group that traveled with Jesus and the Twelve through towns and villages. Luke notes two things about her: that seven demons had gone out from her, indicating a profound restoration from suffering, and that she and the other women provided for Jesus' company out of their own resources. From her first appearance in the text, her life is marked by gratitude expressed through practical service.
Standing near the cross at Golgotha (John 19:25)
When Jesus is arrested and crucified, most of the male disciples scatter in fear. All four Gospels record that a small group of women remained, and Mary Magdalene is named in every account. In John's Gospel she stands near the cross alongside Jesus' mother, Mary the wife of Clopas, and the beloved disciple. She also watches where Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus lay the body, refusing to abandon her teacher even in apparent defeat.
Recognized by name in the garden (John 20:16–18)
Early on the first day of the week, Mary comes to the tomb while it is still dark and finds the stone removed. In John 20, after Peter and the other disciple inspect the empty tomb and return home, Mary stays outside weeping. She does not recognize the risen Jesus at first, mistaking him for the gardener, until he speaks her name: "Mary." In that single word of recognition, grief turns into commission. Jesus instructs her not to cling to the past manner of his presence, but to go to his brothers and announce what she has seen and heard.
Questions to carry into your reading
As you read the Gospel accounts in Luke and John, consider these questions:
- How does reading what the Gospels actually state about Mary Magdalene change assumptions you may have heard elsewhere?
- What does it mean to remain present in a difficult season when there seems to be nothing left you can fix, as Mary did at the cross?
- Why is it significant that the risen Christ reveals himself through speaking a person's name?
Keep reading
Explore the story of The Ascension, read our character study of Nicodemus in the Bible—who also appears at Jesus' burial in John 19—or browse passages on love in the reading room.
Questions people ask
01Why is Mary Magdalene called 'Magdalene'?
Magdalene is not a family surname; it identifies her hometown of Magdala, a prosperous fishing and dyeing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, distinguishing her from several other women named Mary in the Gospels.
02Does the Bible say Mary Magdalene was the sinful woman in Luke 7?
No. Luke introduces Mary Magdalene by name in Luke 8:2 as a woman healed of seven demons. The unnamed woman who anointed Jesus' feet in Luke 7 is a separate figure, though sixth-century Western preaching famously merged several women into one composite portrait.
03Why has Christian tradition called Mary Magdalene the 'apostle to the apostles'?
In John 20:17–18, the risen Jesus explicitly sends Mary Magdalene to his brothers with the message of his resurrection and ascension, making her the first person entrusted with proclaiming the Easter announcement to the disciples.