Introduction
The idea that there was some sort of physical love between Mary Magdalene and Jesus has been around for a while.
The gospel of Philip, a Gnostic gospel dated around the third century and assigned Philip’s name to give it reader credibility.
It was not a first century witness to the life of Jesus at all, yet it stated that Jesus kissed Mary.
This was no eyewitness account as there are no eyewitness accounts even remotely pointing to Mary Magdalene being the wife of Jesus.
If one were to read the gospel of Philip, we would find it to be a series of nonsensical unrelated random utterances
Describing the Biblical Text
This text this morning describes Mary as being a woman from whom Jesus cast 7 demons.
Does she come up any where else in the NT?
Yes, she does.
We find Mary at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified.
Then we find her at the empty tomb on that first Easter morning.
She was without a doubt a significant part of Jesus ministry and she was certainly worthy of being mentioned in the gospel.
How we see her following Jesus is also very interesting because she is there to support His ministry at some pretty key times.
And, in some pretty key ways.
Narrate the Contextual application
Looking at this passage, we se service.
We see someone whose life was changed by Jesus and who was willing to follow Him with her whole heart and life.
She really did love Jesus but it as not with the love of a wife for a husband, it was the love of a devoted follower.
There was no eros, there was agape.
She is showing us how we are to love Jesus.
Life Application (thesis)
She was a life that was changed and she was able to demonstrate gratitude.
Has your life been changed through Jesus Christ?
Has God made a difference in your life?
How are you giving thanks for that difference?
What is your life saying about Jesus as you seek to live for Him if you seek to live for Him?
As we serve Christ, we are to demonstrate gratitude when God changes our lives.
SO WHAT!! (Outline)
From this text and in the life of Mary Magdalene, we will see three demonstrations this morning.
God’s grace always requires a response.
I am sure that you have all heard the saying, “When I say Jump, I expect you to say how high.”
As God’s grace comes to us, it does not come waiting for a reply from us, it comes moving to reply through faith repentance and then works that honor Christ.
As we see the description of Mary in this passage she is following Jesus.
Mary was hanging out with the disciples sort of in the in crowd around Jesus because she had received the grace of God.
Seven demons had gone out from her and we have to assume that they were cast out by Jesus because of the text saying healed of evil spirits.
So, Mary was healed of her evil Spirits and thusly followed Jesus.
She was healed of that as result of God’s grace.
She was simply a woman that Jesus chose to heal without merit or without desserts.
Think of it this way, how could a demon possessed woman do anything to earn or merit a second look from God.
We have to attribute the response of God to Mary as an act of mercy because of His grace.
I am about to say something here that will cause some of us to take a double think.
Grace is not an offer that God makes to us.
Once His grace is realized in someone’s life, they are exercising faith in Christ.
Remember what it says in Ephesian 2:8, “For by grace are you saved.”
Grace is operand of salvation, not the offer.
The offer is the preaching of the gospel itself but Grace is the effective moving of the Spirit of God in salvation that arises from the preaching of the gospel.
Grace is that which moves some to respond to the message of the cross while others reject Christ.
Where the gospel has been refused, ignored, or unheard, grace has not been present.
Grace is always effective in its call.
Grace is always heeded as it is the unmerited favor of God on those who are being saved.
I heard a pastor make this statement once that God looked down and saw some potential in a six year old boy and offered his grace to me.
First of all, if God saw potential and then offered grace, it would not be grace.
The potential would become merit and at that point, the concept of grace is lost.
God looked down and bestowed grace on that six year old little boy who did the only thing that he could; he became a follower of Jesus Christ.
All the other stuff like becoming a preacher or realizing his potential are just manifestations of the discipleship process whether he realizes the process or not.
Mary is doing al that she can do.
She is following Christ.
Her discipleship process carries her to the cross and to the empty tomb.
Where does our process carry us?
Does it carry us to church on Sunday nights?
Does it carry us to a neighbor’s door or to the side of a hurting or ailing person?
God’s Grace requires a response.
God’s grace always requires a testimony.
We just discussed why Mary was following Jesus.
She experienced His grace.
Now, what was her experience in coming to Christ?
\Seven Demons had to move out because they had been evicted and they didn’t even have any junk to leave on the curb.
It is funny how Luke is able to record that since he is the gospel writer who was not with Jesus as a disciple.
But what does that tell us?
It tells us that Mary had a testimony.
She was able to recount the grace of God and the conversion of her life to following Christ.
I wonder can we do that.
Hopefully we know where God’s grace entered our lives and exactly when God’s forgiveness was realized.
Most of us should have similar testimonies.
Some will be testimonies of wild stuff and some will be testimonies of being raised in church.
But, all the testimonies in here will have one thing in common.
I was a sinner separated from God by my Sins
The punishment for my sins was received by Jesus when he died on the cross for me.
I received Jesus into my life and asked Him to forgive me and he did.
I now know for certain that I have eternal life.
If you would like to have that testimony right now, you can pray the following prayer.
Heads bowed and eyes closed.
Dear Lord, I know that my life has been displeasing to you and that I deserve your wrath and your judgment. I know that your grace is working at this moment and I acknowledge that right now. I receive you Jesus and repent of my sins. I will make you the lord of my life and give you control.
Thank you for dying on the cross for me and for saving me today. Amen
What else do we see here this morning?
God’s grace always requires gracious giving.
Here they go asking for money again.
You folks know that I don’t ever bring up money unless we are promoting a special offering or the text simply deals with the subject.
Today, the text deals with the subject.
Look at verse three
The text could also be read, they were ministering with the best they had.
Have you ever considered giving as ministry?
I think that giving is ministry.
I also think it is worship and that we rob ourselves of worshiping in our giving if we give through the Sunday School.
But our text clearly shows us that giving is ministry or service.
What does that mean?
If a follower of Christ is not giving to the work of Christ, they are not serving Christ.
Followers of Jesus do not tithe because it is some kind of obligation or legal requirement for it is not.
Tithing is an expression of love for the Lord and His ministry.
I love my wife so when she tells me that she wants another African daisy for the front flower bed, I give it to her.
We love Jesus and he asks us to give to His work on this earth through the church.
These people who followed Jesus that we see in this text gave to Jesus on top of the fact that they gave a tithe to the temple which was over 20% per year.
Now, here they are supporting Jesus out of their first and their best.
It is amazing what Grace can and will do in your and for you.
Grace requires gracious giving.
So if our giving is not joyful and gracious, then there may well be a lack of Grace in our lives and if grace is not present, then Christ is not present either.
So just how grateful are we that God has done a work of grace in our lives?
Have we responded in faith to God’s grace?
Have we testified to others?
Are we giving as an expression of ministry and worship?
Let’s resolve this morning to let grace be demonstrated in our lives just like was in Mary Magdalene's.
That way there will be no confusion and the world will see the church as the bride of Christ.
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