Mary Magdalene's Confession: I Have Seen the Lord

Devotional

Day 1: The First Witness and the Power of Her Testimony

Mary Magdalene’s proclamation stands as the church’s first confession of faith, emerging from a place of profound sorrow and transforming into a declaration of resurrection joy. Her testimony, often dismissed or maligned throughout history, carries the weight of a personal encounter with the risen Christ. This confession was not born from a place of power or privilege but from the depths of love and grief. It is a powerful reminder that God often chooses the marginalized and overlooked to deliver the most vital truths. Her words echo through the ages, inviting us to listen and believe. [20:22]

John 20:18
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. (ESV)

Reflection: Where in your own life have you witnessed God’s presence in a moment of deep sorrow or loss? How might your experience, like Mary’s, become a testimony of hope for someone else who is grieving?

Day 2: Staying Present Through Grief and Confusion

The journey from the cross to the empty tomb was marked by unwavering presence, even amidst overwhelming grief and confusion. While others fled, Mary Magdalene remained, embodying a faithfulness that does not retreat from pain. Her commitment to stay through the darkest moments positioned her to be the first to witness the dawn of new life. This challenges the notion that faith means having all the answers; instead, it is often about showing up and remaining present. In our own seasons of loss, we are called to this same steadfastness. [26:43]

Luke 8:2-3
…and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. (ESV)

Reflection: When have you been tempted to withdraw from a difficult situation or relationship? What would it look like to practice faithful presence this week, even when things feel confusing or painful?

Day 3: Resurrection as a Defiant “No” to Empire and Death

The resurrection of Jesus was God’s ultimate act of defiance against the forces of death, oppression, and empire. It was a divine rejection of the world’s systems that seek to dominate, dehumanize, and destroy. This event declares that the way of love is more powerful than the machinery of violence and that life will always have the final word over death. To believe in the resurrection is to align ourselves with this power that confronts evil and affirms the sacredness of all bodies. [30:21]

1 Corinthians 15:54-55
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (ESV)

Reflection: What is one way the “empire” of our world—through systems of greed, power, or violence—tries to claim the final word in your community? How can you practice a small, defiant act of resurrection hope in response?

Day 4: Joining the Confession: “I Have Seen the Lord”

The Easter confession extends far beyond a single historical event; it is a declaration we are invited to make every day. We join Mary’s testimony whenever we recognize the risen Christ at work in our world—in acts of love, justice, and liberation. This happens when the marginalized are honored, the silenced are heard, and the refugee is welcomed. Each time we participate in these acts of sacred resistance and love, we affirm that we, too, have seen the Lord. [33:09]

Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (ESV)

Reflection: In which of your daily interactions this week did you most clearly “see the Lord” in another person? How did that recognition change the way you acted or thought?

Day 5: Embodying Resurrection Joy in a World of Crucifixion

To be a resurrection people means to live with the audacious hope that love triumphs, even when the evidence of crucifixion is all around us. It is a call to act, love, and resist boldly, trusting that God’s new life is already at work. We embody this joy not by ignoring the world’s pain, but by confronting it with the conviction that death does not get the final word. Our gathering as a community is a tangible sign of this hope, a place where we dare to rebuild the world together. [36:07]

Romans 6:4-5
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (ESV)

Reflection: What is one area in your life or community that feels like it is in need of resurrection? What is one practical, tangible step you can take this week to participate in God’s work of bringing new life there?

Sermon Summary

As the Easter gathering unfolds, the resurrection shapes both grief and hope. Mary of Magdala stands at the center: healed, faithful, present at the cross, first at the empty tomb, and first to proclaim, “I have seen the Lord.” History and tradition often diminish her role, but the testimony of her sight and proclamation anchors the claim that life overcomes death. The resurrection appears as a decisive rejection of empire, oppression, and the false powers that crucify bodies and spirits; it asserts that death does not have the final word and that love refuses to be silenced.

Resurrection joy carries tangible demands. Belief in the risen Christ requires recognizing that bodies wounded by violence and systems matter to God and that God acts when people resist injustice. The Easter confession becomes concrete whenever communities defend the dignity of the marginalized—women whose voices have been silenced, LGBTQ and trans people seeking welcome, migrants and refugees needing shelter, and families living under bombs. Each act of solidarity, protest, and accompaniment joins the original confession and multiplies resurrection’s power.

The gathering models embodied faith through prayer, offering, and an open table. Communion presents an inclusive invitation: the table belongs to God and welcomes anyone who seeks grace. Prayers collected over Lent become a river of intercession that flows into the present, reminding that personal sorrow and global suffering both matter. The worship life here calls for courageous compassion: to protest violence, to sit with mourning, to refuse dehumanizing policies, and to bear witness with words and action that life, love, and justice endure.

Finally, the liturgy sends forth a simple charge: live as people who have seen the risen one. This living witness looks like tenderness toward grief, bold resistance to empire, and the constant work of rebuilding a world marked by belonging and mercy. The resurrection functions not only as theological truth but as the fuel for persistent, everyday acts of justice and hope.

Key Takeaways

1. Mary of Magdala's witness matters History often sidelines the woman who first proclaims sight of the risen Lord, but her testimony reframes authority: those closest to suffering sometimes become the truest witnesses to new life. Honoring her witness invites listening to voices that power has historically silenced and recognizing revelation in unexpected places. True testimony demands presence, endurance, and the courage to speak when grief and disbelief still linger. [20:09]
2. Resurrection confronts empire and death The resurrection announces a theological and moral no to imperial power structures that normalize killing and erasure; it insists that death does not win. This conviction reframes Christian hope as resistance: faith commits to opposing systems that devalue bodies and to working toward life. Belief therefore fuels political and communal action aimed at dismantling brutality and affirming dignity. [29:54]
3. Resurrection demands embodied solidarity Belief in new life translates into protecting and standing with those whom society marginalizes—migrants, refugees, LGBTQ people, and the silenced. Solidarity shows resurrection not as abstract doctrine but as lived practice: accompany, advocate, and create space for flourishing. Such solidarity recognizes that spiritual truth and social justice belong together. [31:30]
4. The table welcomes all Communion serves as an open, embodied sign that God’s grace reaches everyone regardless of status, past, or certainty of belief. An inclusive table models the kingdom’s reality: belonging precedes worthiness, and welcome undoes exclusion. Regularly returning to this table trains communities to live out welcome in everyday choices and policies. [52:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:32] - Announcements & Community Life
[10:44] - Opening Hymn: Christ the Lord Is Risen
[19:31] - Prayer and Invocation
[20:09] - Mary of Magdala: First Confession
[24:16] - From Grief to Proclamation
[29:54] - Resurrection as Rejection of Empire
[31:30] - Living Resurrection: Solidarity and Action
[36:24] - Affirmation and Hymn of Response
[43:37] - Offering Prayer and Commitments
[52:44] - Communion: An Open Table
[69:49] - Sending Forth and Closing Hymn

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: John 20:11-18 (ESV)
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

Observation questions

What was Mary Magdalene's emotional state when she first arrived at the tomb and what did she discover?
Who did Mary initially think Jesus was and what caused her to finally recognize him?
What was the specific message Jesus gave to Mary and what was her immediate response?
What are some of the ways the sermon mentioned that history has often diminished or misrepresented Mary's role? [21:02]

Interpretation questions

Why is it significant that the first person to see the risen Christ and the first person to proclaim the resurrection was a woman, especially given the cultural context of the time?
The resurrection is described as an "emphatic rebuke of empire" [29:54]. What does it mean for resurrection to be a rejection of systems of power that devalue life?
The sermon states that "belief in new life translates into protecting and standing with those whom society marginalizes" [31:30]. How does the resurrection directly connect to this call to solidarity?
What does the story suggest about how God often chooses to reveal God's self and who gets to be a credible witness to God's work in the world?

Application questions

The sermon claims that "every time a woman's voice is no longer silenced but trusted, honored, and heard... we join in that resurrection confession" [32:33]. In your own circles—family, work, church—whose voice might be diminished and how can you actively listen and amplify it this week?
"Every time a migrant crosses a border and is met with dignity... and every time we advocate, organize, and refuse policies that dehumanize... we join in that Easter confession" [32:52]. What is one tangible way you can extend welcome or advocate for the dignity of an immigrant or refugee in your community?
"Every time a bomb falls and yet love refuses to die... and when we pray and when we protest and when we show up and when we call for peace, we are saying, I have seen the Lord" [34:07]. In the face of global violence and conflict, what is one practical step you can take to be a peacemaker or to stand in solidarity with those who suffer?
The sermon says that "every time grief softens just a little and breath returns to a body that is weary... and we sit with one another in our sorrow refusing to leave anyone alone" is a way we see the Lord [34:46]. Who in your life is carrying a heavy grief right now and how can you simply be present with them without trying to fix it?
The communion table is described as "God's table... open to all" [52:44]. How does this vision of an open table challenge you to break down barriers and extend radical hospitality in your own life?
The sermon ends with a charge to "live as people who have seen the risen one." What is one specific, "everyday" act of justice or compassion that you feel called to do this week as a result of this belief?

Sermon Clips

47s

#ResurrectionJoy

“The mystery of the resurrection is the very thing that helps us confront what is happening in the world. The mystery of life overcoming death, of evil overcoming I mean, of love overcoming evil, that is what resurrection joy is. The work of Christ on the cross through Christ's resurrection was the ultimate no to empire and death. The resurrection was the ultimate yes to love and to life. It was this declaration that death does not get the final word.”

39s

#BelieveWomen

“Sometimes I don't know, and oftentimes I doubt. And there are times where I'm like, yeah, this story is whack, and I don't buy it at all. But for me to say that, for me to think that is to dismiss Mary of Magdala. Like many others, especially men have dismissed her throughout the ages. So to believe in the resurrection sermon of Mary, to believe that testimony of I have seen the Lord, is to believe women.”

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Mary Magdalene's Confession: I Have Seen the Lord

Devotional

Day 1: The First Witness and the Power of Her Testimony

Day 2: Staying Present Through Grief and Confusion

Day 3: Resurrection as a Defiant “No” to Empire and Death

Day 4: Joining the Confession: “I Have Seen the Lord”

Day 5: Embodying Resurrection Joy in a World of Crucifixion

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Mary Magdalene's Confession: I Have Seen the Lord

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