By Mark Edward Chard
The figure of Mary Magdalene stands at the very threshold of Christian revelation. Between the silence of the tomb and the first proclamation of resurrection, she embodies the moment when human grief meets divine glory. My recently published paper, "Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene: Restoring the Truth through Scripture, Scholarship, and Spirit" now available on SSRN, explores her unique role in salvation history as the first to see, to hear, and to proclaim the risen Christ.
Across centuries, Mary Magdalene has been interpreted as penitent sinner, devoted disciple, and apostolic messenger. Yet beneath these shifting portrayals lies a consistent truth: she is the first believer to encounter the full reality of the Resurrection. Her story, recorded in John 20:1–18, is not only the dawn of Easter morning but the dawn of Christian witness itself.
From a theological perspective, Mary’s encounter with Christ reconfigures revelation. In the darkness of the garden, she moves from recognition through misunderstanding to faith, a pattern that mirrors the Church’s own journey of comprehension and proclamation. The risen Christ calls her by name, and in that personal address, revelation becomes relationship. Her words, “I have seen the Lord”, become the prototype for every Christian testimony that follows.
Mary’s witness also challenges traditional hierarchies of knowledge. In the economy of divine disclosure, the first theologian of the Resurrection is not Peter or John but a woman whose devotion outlasted despair. Her faith does not depend on proof or authority but on encounter. She teaches that the truth of the gospel is not merely seen with the eyes but discerned through love.
For contemporary theology, Mary Magdalene remains a vital symbol of how revelation meets human fragility. Her movement from mourning to mission reveals that divine grace often arises from the places of our greatest loss. She embodies the Church’s vocation to seek, to listen, and to announce, even when the world still sleeps in darkness.
This publication marks another step in a continuing exploration of scriptural figures who bridge heaven and earth, illuminating how divine revelation transforms human experience. I am deeply grateful to those who have encouraged this journey and to the scholarly community that continues to engage with the enduring mystery of the Resurrection.
May Mary Magdalene’s words echo still: “I have seen the Lord.”
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