The Love of God: Mary Magdalene (John 20) – Part 2

(continued from Part 1)

How fallen was Mary Magdalene? I would say “typical.” Typical. Really a type.

There is something basically needful in a person who would become a fallen woman. I think you understand what I mean by that term, a fallen woman. All society branded her a fallen woman, worthy to be stoned if the evidence could only be found. A fallen, sinful street woman. Something in her fallen, fleshly nature was totally twisted out of balance. That was one thing—a real need produced such a woman.

One more thing. What else besides that? Demons possessed her. I don’t know what it takes to be possessed by demons; I don’t plan to find out. Something was really, really wrong with a girl who would let herself into this. Some missing thing, a need, and a greater one that would allow a demon to inhabit her. How many demons? Seven. How many is seven? Perfect. Demons utterly possessed her. Satan need not send eight; seven makes it complete. Perfectly possessed. I don’t think you think too highly of Mary Magdalene in the state I just described.

Please listen to me. Everything I tell you this evening, I have a deep impression of; I cannot prove it from scripture, so I will only tell you. I have a deep impression that Mary Magdalene stands there for us, for you and for me, as a picture of all for all eternity, of the love of Jesus Christ. If it could all be summed up in one person, it would be summed up in Mary Magdalene.

When you look at her, what does she remind you of? I wondered if anyone would know the answer. What does she remind you of? She is a perfect picture of Israel. What is she? A harlot; utterly sold to sin and Satan. Israel; God’s chosen bride, utterly sold to sin and Satan. You’ve got to get this answer down in your inmost being: Was such a creature worthy to be the bride, the wife of the Lord Jesus Christ? Was she or was she not? You need not answer.

Was she more worthy or less worthy than you? Neither more nor less than what? Than me. Alright, if she wasn’t more than you, nor less than you, then she was the same. As worthy or as unworthy as you? As unworthy as you. No more and no less.

You look at Mary Magdalene walking the street. Was she noble? Was she wise? Was she well educated? I ask you, was she religious? Was she holy? Was she pure? Was she a virgin? The answer has got to be no. She was a fallen, sinful creature, and if there are degrees of such things, then she belonged to a select group of the most fallen.  But she was also forgiven, and she went in peace.

She believed. She just flat-footed stood up on her hind legs and believed. She believed that she was forgiven, and that she could go in total, absolute peace, and that she was as pure and as holy as any creature that ever lived. She didn’t believe it one morning and not the next, and one day and not the next. She really believed that she was worthy of loving Jesus Christ.  What did it do to her, make her go out and sin again? No. She stood there over his feet and soaked them in her tears. She knelt beside those feet, and if you can’t see anything else for the next two or three weeks, I want you to see that little girl kneeling there, kissing the Lord’s feet.

I told you the other night, the Greek said, “And she kept on kissing and kissing. Consider that scene; Did she love him? Yes or no? Will you keep all of that in mind? That girl believed. She believed what Jesus Christ said of her state, that she was forgiven, and that she could go in all peace. And what did she do? She went. Where? Where did she go?

Brothers and sisters, I believe John 7 records her being forgiven. It’s at the end of the chapter, maybe it’s John 6. My goodness, I’ve forgotten. Don’t quote me. It’s at the end of some chapter in the book of John. The next chapter begins by saying that there were, along with the twelve disciples, a small group of women: a Mary, a Martha, another Mary, and Suzanne, and Joanna – that’s five – who followed the Lord Jesus Christ wherever He went, for three years.