mary magdalene

basically we need someone to do a 1 min. 1st Person Point-of-View/Case Study on Mary Magdalene... from the perspective of what it was like to see her Master die on teh cross.

scriptures featuring Mary Mag. (most of these are after crucifixion -but it gives frame of reference)

1. Matthew 27:56
 - Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.


2. Matthew 27:61
 - Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

4. Mark 15:40 - 
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.


5. Mark 15:47
 - Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.


7. Luke 8:2
 - and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;


8. Luke 24:10 - 
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.


9. John 19:25
 - Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.



about her:
Mary Magdalene was the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Who was Mary Magdalene? Tradition has labeled her a prostitute, but there is nothing in the Bible to support this view and much to dispute it.
Many ideas about Magdalene persist today, whether or not the biblical text and historical resources confirm them. For example, early church fathers incorrectly identified her with the sinful woman who anointed Christ's feet at the house of Simon the Pharisee. Others believed she was Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus.
One of the more fantastic ideas links her to myths about the Holy Grail and the Knights Templar. Secular books with names such as Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Woman With the Alabaster Jar expand on traditions that she committed sexual sins. They claim that Jesus married her and fathered one or more children. These books are based on fiction, not fact.
Who really was Mary Magdalene? Apparently her status in early Christianity was as high, if not higher, as Peter's. The Bible gives us clues about her importance. After his resurrection, Jesus first appeared Mary Magdalene not Peter, according to the Gospel of John. Mary Magdalene announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord." In other scriptures, her name is first in the list of witnesses (Mk. 16:1-11; Mt. 28:1; Lk. 24:10; Jn. 20:11-18; 1 Cor. 15:5-8).
The Gnostic Gospel of Mary adds evidence that Mary was a strong Christian leader. This nonbiblical manuscript was discovered in Egypt the middle of the twentieth century. It suggests that Peter was jealous of Mary.

Clearly Jesus and Mary had a special relationship. A familiar scene in art and music is her encounter with Christ that first Easter morning. She does not recognize the man to whom she speaks until he calls her by her name.
Artists have often recreated the scene when Jesus says, "Do not hold on to me" (Noli Me Tangere) in the Gospel of John. Two examples are on this page. The popular hymn, "I Come to the Garden," was also inspired by the story of Jesus' appearance to Mary that first Easter morning.
Recently some scholars have suggested that Mary was the one whom Jesus loved and that she wrote the Gospel of John. For centuries, Christians have wondered about the identity this person beloved by Jesus. Tradition says it was the disciple John; parts of John itself support this opinion. Others, using scholarly analysis, ask, What if the beloved disciple were Mary? These views are both provocative and controversial.
Probably we will never know many details about Mary Magadalene. We can be sure, however, that Mary was a significant leader early Christianity.

Who was Mary Magdalene?:

Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the lists of Jesus’ female companions that appear in Mark, Matthew, and Luke. Some believe that Mary Magdalene may have been an important figure among the female disciples, perhaps even their leader and a member of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples — but not, apparently, to the degree of the 12 apostles. There is no textual evidence to allow for any definitive conclusions, though.
When & Where did Mary Magdalene live?:

Mary Magdalene’s age is unknown; biblical texts say nothing about when she was born or died. Like Jesus’ male disciples, Mary Magdalene appears to have come from Galilee. She was with him at the beginning of his ministry in Galilee and continued after his execution. The name Magdalene suggests her origin as the town of Magdala (Taricheae), on the Sea of Galilee's western shore. It was an important source of salt, an administrative center, and the largest of ten major towns around the lake.
What did Mary Magdalene do?:

Mary Magdalene is described as having helped pay for Jesus’ ministry out of her own pocket. Obviously Jesus’ ministry wasn’t a paying job and nothing is said in the text about their having collected donations from the people he preached to. This means that he and all his companions would have relied upon the generosity of strangers and/or their own private funds. It appears, then, that Mary Magdalene’s private funds may have been an important source of financial support.