Mary Magdalene: Apostle to the Apostles
April 22, 2025 - Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
John 20:11–18
In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene plays a remarkable role. Alongside the mother of Jesus and the beloved disciple, she stands at the foot of the cross at the moment of Jesus’ death (John 19:25). Then, in the early hours of Sunday—while it was still dark—she goes to the tomb and is the first to discover that it is empty (John 20:1). Finally, in today’s Gospel, she becomes the first to see and speak with the risen Jesus (John 20:14–17) and is entrusted with announcing the good news to Christ’s apostles, earning her the title "apostle to the apostles."
What did Mary see on that early Sunday morning? The arrangement of the angels—“one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been”—captivates many readers and scholars. They note a striking resemblance to the two cherubim that overshadowed the cover of the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament (cf. Ex. 25:18–19; 37:1–9). This cover, known as the mercy seat or, as one translation renders it, “the throne of grace,” was where, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled the blood of animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. Yet, as we know, animal blood cannot purge our sins—only Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross can. Thus, the positioning of the angels in the empty tomb proclaims that Jesus’ body is our throne of grace, the propitiation for our sins.
When Mary sees Jesus, she initially mistakes Him for a gardener—a fitting image, since His death and burial took place in a garden. The very first garden mentioned in the Bible is the one planted by God in Eden, where humankind was given the task of tending the land, where the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil stood, where the first encounter between man and woman occurred, and where the first sin was committed.
Now, we are in another garden. Like God in Eden, Jesus—the gardener—moves through this new garden to announce the beginning of a new creation. Here, the cross becomes the tree of life, and the presence of the risen Christ declares the victory of grace over sin and life over death. In this garden, the new Man meets a woman whose very life depends on Him.
“Woman”—both the angels and Jesus initially address Mary by this title. It is not the only instance in the Gospel where “woman” is used: Jesus also addresses His mother (cf. John 2:4; 19:26), the Samaritan woman (John 4:21), and the woman caught in adultery (John 8:15). Intriguingly, this is how God addressed the woman in the Garden of Eden before Adam gave her the name Eve. While the Church recognizes Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the new Eve, all women who encounter Christ are transformed into new women in Him. This theme is vividly portrayed in a film about Jesus, where the mother of Jesus introduces Mary Magdalene to Him. When Jesus says, "I know Mary," Mary Magdalene is surprised and replies, "You don’t know me, Jesus; I am a prostitute." Then comes the poignant reply: Jesus responds, "You were... once."
There is something unique about the risen Christ. He is both different from and the same as the Christ Mary and the disciples knew before the resurrection. That is why, in many Easter narratives, the risen Christ is not immediately recognized; He must reveal Himself—not merely as an ordinary gardener, but as the true risen Lord. In Mary’s case, recognition comes when He calls her by name.
How do you recognize the presence of the risen Christ in your midst?