As we have come to expect, there are a few interpretations in the gospels about what happened on the third day. What is common to all the accounts however is that the women were first on the scene (not counting the angels who rolled away the stone!). In both Matthew and Mark we read that on the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Joseph (yes, another Mary), and Salome headed to Jesus' tomb, armed with spices to anoint his body. In Luke they are 'the women' and in John we see a more in depth description of the encounter between Mary Magdalene and Jesus.
Mary Magdalene, or 'Mary the Magdalene' is a woman whose identity has attracted an awful lot of speculation over the centuries. Luke introduces her first among a group of women who supported Jesus' ministry financially, but also noted her as a woman who had been delivered of seven demons. She had a lot to be thankful for. As was usual in the time, people were often given an identifying name (super useful when there are so many Mary's hanging around), and there are multitude of theories as to how Mary got hers. She may simply have hailed from a town called 'Magdala', but equally, she may have been identified as tall or strong (Aramaic), or even by the profession of hairdresser, as the word 'magdala' is similar to the Arabic-Syriac for the word. Others have associated the word with prostitution due to the link to hair. So Mary unfortunately had this added to her identity, though not in the Greek East where presumably the language translated more accurately and she was better known as 'an apostle to the apostles' due to her evangelistic first task of spreading the good news of Jesus' resurrection.
Various back stories notwithstanding, what is clear through the gospels, is that she was present at the tomb and through the beautiful account in John 20, that she knew, and was known by Jesus. The moment He said her name, she knew who He was. Others may look at Mary and wonder about centuries of mistaken identity but not so here. Her response was to cry out 'Rabbonai' which means 'teacher' and we know that here is another woman who was taught and discipled by Jesus. She was seen, known and valued.
In that vein, we cannot then ignore the second Mary at the tomb, and Salome. Mary was mother to James and Joseph, neither of whom are mentioned elsewhere though it is likely they were among Jesus' followers. It was normal at the time for women to be identified also by their association to the men in their lives and in Matthew 27 is described rather cryptically as 'the other Mary' (perhaps everyone was confused by all the Mary's at this point). This Mary is mentioned seven times in the Bible as a witness to the burial and resurrection which interestingly is more often than some of the twelve. In the ancient world women were considered unreliable witnesses and so it is important and remarkable that these women recorded into 'fact' that Jesus was risen. Finally, Salome was the wife of Zebedee and mother to James and John, both of whom were one of the twelve disciples, of which John was 'the one Jesus loved', or in modern language, his best friend. This family were all close to Jesus and His ministry, making Salome the ideal third witness to the resurrection miracle.
These women were, without doubt, disciples of Jesus. While not counted in the twelve, they supported Him practically and financially, learnt from him and loved Him like family. In being the witnesses and evangelists to His burial and resurrection, they put a final seal on the incredible work Jesus carried out in His ministry, of elevating women to personhood and value. One of the most incredible threads we see running through His time of earth was the way He truly saw and heard people, especially those on the margins and it is because of this that we can be certain that He sees us too.
This Easter at Life Church, we welcome two women to witness to us about the miracle of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Martina on Good Friday and Kirsty on East Sunday morning. The symmetry of this to the first Easter weekend I hope is not lost on you too. I hope you've enjoyed this introduction to the many Marys at Easter, not forgetting dear Salome, and I hope it encourages you to consider their witness more closely and be encouraged by what it means for us today.
Michelle