Healed from demons! Luke 8:1-2 “Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.” Excerpt from “Who was Mary Magdalene?” of a Topical Study from biblestudytools.com: “It is surmised that Mary must have suffered from severe emotional or psychological trauma to deem an exorcism necessary. She was battered and bruised, injured and in agony from the suffering demon possession entailed. Mary lost all control, and dignity, along with everything she knew in her previous life. Beauty and wealth did not spare her from the evil that assailed and attacked her every hour of every day. Seven is a mystic number suggesting ‘completeness,’ implying that when the evil spirits dominated Mary the suffering was extremely severe.” Isaiah 43:1 NKJV “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob. And he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine.” https://youtu.be/O-n_w3bxDAo Lives a life changed… Mary’s name is mentioned 12 different times in the NT, but unlike other women in Scripture, she is not linked to another person, such as, “the wife of…, the daughter of…, the mother of…”. She is simply Mary Magdalene, follower of Jesus. There is no greater name to be known by than the name of Jesus Christ. There is no greater calling but to be His follower and to lead others to know more about Him. Mary’s encounter with Jesus, leads her to be a part of the most incredible and impacting moments, not just in her life, but in history! At his crucifixion on the cross: Mark 15:37-41 “Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” Some women were there watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.” At the tomb, when he was being buried: Matthew 27:57-61 “As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.” At His resurrection: John 20:11-18 “Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away MY Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize Him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.” https://youtu.be/iZS3_ZVjRN4 Mary’s words… **- “I was one way, and now I’m completely different.” “And the thing that happened in between… was Him.” “So yes, I will know Him for the rest of my life.” • Mary of Magdalene’s life is a testament; a story; living proof of a life changed.** She encountered Jesus and she was forever changed. We learn from Mary… That in our darkest moments, He is there. We might not recognize Him, but He recognizes us, knows us, redeems us, and calls us by name. We are His. We are not unseen or forgotten. We are chosen.