|
WHO WAS MARY MAGDALENE?
Matthew 27:55-56
This week in our last study in our
series on the Da Vinci code we will examine Who was Mary Magdalene and
Was Jesus married to her.
Today we come to what is perhaps the
most scandalous section of The DaVinci Code. Dan Brown believes
that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that they had a child named
Sarah and that their bloodline continues today in France. As we’ve been
doing throughout the series, let’s hear from the book itself:
- “The grail is literally the ancient
symbol for womanhood, and the Holy Grail represents the sacred
feminine and the goddess, which of course has now been lost,
virtually eliminated by the Church.” (Page 238)
- “And not just any person…A
woman who carried with her a secret so powerful that, if revealed,
it threatened to devastate the very foundation of
Christianity.” (Page
239)
- Quoting from the Gospel of Philip, the
character Sophie reads this passage: “And the companion of
the Savior is Mary Magdalene. Christ loved her more than all the
others and used to kiss her often on her
mouth. The rest of the disciples were offended by it and expressed
disapproval. They said to him, ’why do you love her more than
all of us?” Now I recoil as much as
you when I hear those words.(Page 246)
- “Behold…the greatest
cover-up in human history. Not only was Jesus Christ married, but He
was a father…” (Page
249)
- “…Mary Magdalene…her
marriage to Jesus Christ…it’s a matter of historical
record…and DaVinci was certainly aware of that fact. The Last
Supper practically shouts at the viewer that Jesus and Magdalene
were a pair.” (Page
244)
[Put up slide of “Last
Supper”]
Dan Brown is convinced that the person
sitting to Jesus’ right is not the Apostle John as we’ve been
led to believe, but in fact Mary Magdalene. But not only that, when you
look at the painting, you see that Jesus and Mary have a space between
them that forms the shape of a "V".
This "V" shape is an ancient pagan symbol representing the
sacred feminine. This sacred feminine is basically the female side of God
and involved pagan symbols and practices including goddess worship.
The implication of course is that
Leonardo Da Vinci knew of the secret marriage and clearly revealed it in
his painting of "The Last Supper". (236)
Before
Believing Brown
Consider these facts before believing
Brown’s book:
· Leonardo wasn’t there for the
Last Supper and didn’t have a picture to work from because he lived
almost fifteen centuries after Christ. That alone should make us pause.
Simply put, he painted his perspective; and that doesn’t make it
true. By the way, do you know what Peter said at the Last Supper? He
looked at his buddies and said, “Hey, you better get on this
side of the table if you want to be in the picture!”
· With only twelve disciples with
Jesus, if one is Mary, then where’s John? He’s referred to in
John 21:7 as the “one whom Jesus loved.” There’s no way he would have been
left out of this very important meal.
· John is the youngest disciple and
therefore was painted as a very young man, perhaps even as a teenager.
· Bruce Boucher of the Art Institute in
Chicago: “St.
John was invariably represented as a beautiful young
man” and, Leonardo’s
portrait of John is consistent with depictions of John by other artists
in Florence
at that time.
· Perhaps most telling is to look at
how Leonardo painted other men at that time. His last known painting is
called “St. John the
Baptist.” In which he paints this John in an effeminate manner.
[Put up slide]
Jack Wasserman, retired art professor
at Temple University, says that “Just
about everything [Dan Brown] says about Leonardo is wrong” (Quoted
by Erwin Lutzer, “The DaVinci Deception,” page 55).
Was
Jesus Married to Mary Magdalene?
Let’s briefly address the
audacious assertion by Dan Brown that “the marriage of Jesus and
Mary Magdalene is part of the historical record.”
· It’s silly to argue from
silence. Brown believes Jesus was married because the Bible
doesn’t say he wasn’t. It’s dangerous to extrapolate
based on absence of information.
· Most men were married, but not
all. Brown suggests that since most men were married, then Jesus must
have been. While that is true, there was precedent for single men,
especially at the community of the Essenes. In addition, the prophet
Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul were single. 1
Corinthians 7:1: “Now for the matters you wrote about: It
is good for a man not to marry.” Keep in mind that Jesus
often did things that were contrary to cultural expectations.
· If Jesus was married, Paul would
have said so. In 1 Corinthians 9:5, Paul argues that
it’s OK for the apostles to be married and cites those who had
spouses: “Don’t we have the right to take a believing
wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s
brothers and Cephas?” Paul most certainly would have
referenced Jesus being married if He had been because it would have
bolstered his argument that marriage is a good thing.
· The Gospels never mention that
Jesus had a wife. Whenever texts mention Jesus’ family, they
refer to his mother, brothers and sisters, but never a wife. Mark 6:3
is a good example: “Isn’t this the carpenter?
Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas
and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?”
· When Jesus is on the cross, he
does not give any special attention to Mary Magdalene. In fact, the
only woman He is concerned about is His mother, directing John to take
care of her: “Here is your mother. From that time on, this
disciple took her into his home” (John 19:25-27). If
Jesus were married, He would have made arrangements for His wife to be
taken care of as well.
· The Gnostic Gospels never
specifically say that Jesus was married either. Brown likes to
reference the “Gospel of Phillip” and the “Gospel of
Mary Magdalene,” which we have demonstrated are not gospels at all,
because they were written a century or more after Christ’s death.
You can read the “Gospel of Mary Magdalene” online and
nowhere does it say that Jesus and Mary were married.
Scholars point out that the key text
Brown uses from the Gospel of Phillip has a big gap in it so we
don’t know exactly what was said. In addition, Brown claims that
the Aramaic word for “companion” literally meant
“spouse.” That’s simply not true because this word
appears ten times in the New Testament and not once does it imply a
marital relationship. On top of that, this document was not even written
in Aramaic; it was written in Coptic.
The
Real Mary Magdalene
Brown is right about one thing; the
church for years has been mistaken about Mary Magdalene. She was not a
prostitute. Even the Passion of the Christ portrayed her
incorrectly. Let me suggest a few reasons why our views of Mary Magdalene
get messed up so easily.
· Mary is one of seven different women
with this name in the New Testament. It’s difficult to keep
them all straight so it’s easy to get confused about which Mary was
contrary and which Mary was contrite.
· The first notion of Mary as a
prostitute comes from a sermon delivered by Pope Gregory in A.D. 591. While
the Catholic Church did not officially correct this teaching until 1969,
Gregory’s sermon did not trash Mary; instead he held her up as a
tribute to the grace of God that transforms lives. Incidentally, Mary
Magdalene is held in high regard by the Catholic Church. Why would they
do this if they had deliberately set out to tarnish her reputation as Dan
Brown suggests?
· The anonymous sinner in Luke 7
was thought to be Mary Magdalene. Many have made the mistake of
thinking the sinner who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair in the
previous chapter was Mary Magdalene. Luke 8 introduces a totally
different scene with different people with the use of this phrase: “After
this…”
Mary
Magdalene as a Model
However, there is no denying Mary Magdalene
was a follower and friend of Jesus. As I have studied the life of this
Mary I see six facets to her faith journey that can help each one of us
today, which are taken from our text in
Luke 8:1-3: “After this, Jesus traveled about
from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and
also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary
(called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife
of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many
others. These women were helping to support them out of their own
means.”
1. Chaos. The first thing we learn about Mary is that she
was called “Magdalene.” That wasn’t really her last
name; it means she was from an area called Magdala. We also discover that
she had been deeply disturbed by seven demons. The number seven speaks of
completion so we could say that her life was in complete chaos. Notice
how Dr. Luke makes a distinction between those cured of “evil
spirits” and those cured of “diseases.” What we know
about Jesus in Luke 4:18 is that He was sent “to
proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed.” As He preached the good news,
people were set free.
2. Conversion. We’re not really told how this happened,
but we do know that Mary from Magdala had been magnificently set free.
Her life was now moving away from chaos because she had experienced
conversion. If you find yourself in chaos today and you are troubled
spiritually, emotionally or physically…you don’t have to
continue to live that way. For those who come to Jesus there is this
promise. 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is
in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!”
3. Community. Once Mary moved from chaos to conversion, she
wanted to spend all the time she could with Jesus and with others who
believed in Him. When Jesus moved to the next town, she went along.
Friend, if you want to grow closer to Christ you must stay in community
with Him and with other Christians. What are you doing to stay close to
Him? You cannot grow if you are out of community with God and with
others. Sunday morning involvement in corporate praise and preaching
cannot be optional for the believer. I encourage you to plug into a small
group or join a Bible study.
4. Contributor. Notice that Mary didn’t just hang out with
Jesus; she used what she had to meet His needs. She had been blessed and
now she was determined to be a blessing as the financial needs of
the entire group were provided by these female followers. My guess is
that Joanna was able to give more because her husband was the manager of
Herod’s household, but whatever Mary had she gave to Him.
That’s a good principle for all of us to remember. No one can do
everything but everyone can do something. Perhaps she gave even less than
Susanna, but we do know that she was a contributor. Matthew 27:55
says that the women “cared for His needs.” The
women here at First Baptist are just like that today. You give because of
the grace you’ve received. This church is as strong as it is, in
large part because of the contributions of the women here.
5. Commitment. Mary and the other women not only contributed
cash, they demonstrated a deep commitment. We know that Mary Magdalene in
particular not only hung out with Jesus, but hung in there with Him when
He was crucified. She figures very prominently in all four gospels. Matthew
27:55-56: “Many women were there, watching from a
distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee
to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.”
The call of Christ requires a
commitment to put Jesus first, even above your family as Matthew 10:37
makes clear: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than
me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me
is not worthy of me.”
Mary took the drastic step of leaving
her home and her family, along with the other women and the disciples, in
order to share in what the Savior was calling them to do. And they hung
in there.
Some of you are in a tough spot today.
Stay strong. Keep believing and stay close to Christ.
6. Communication. Mary not only demonstrated a deep commitment to
the Messiah; she communicated His message as she was sent by Jesus to go
and share the good news in John 20:18: “Mary Magdalene
went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’
And she told them that he had said these things to her.” I
get the sense that she was very enthusiastic about telling others what
she saw and experienced. Moms, keep on communicating the good news of
Jesus Christ to your kids, with excitement and enthusiasm. Keep on
talking to your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members about
what Jesus has done for you. You might even want to consider opening up
your backyard this summer so that our 5-Day-Club team can share Christ
with the children in your neighborhood. It’s been said that women
were the last at the cross, the first at the empty tomb, the first to see
the risen Christ on Eater morning, and the first to share the good news.
Where are you in this process?
· Are you still living with the chaos
that comes from being far from Christ?
· If so, it’s time to be converted
so you can be set free.
· After this important step, are you
doing everything you can to stay in community with Christ and with
other Christians?
· While its good be in community,
it’s imperative that you move from being a consumer to become a contributor.
In what ways can you start giving of your time, your treasures, and your
talents?
· When tough times come, and they will,
will you stay committed? If you’re drifting, it’s time
to come back.
· And then, determine to communicate
what Christ has done for you. Do it with enthusiasm and with energy. Who
will you talk to this week?
A
Closing Observation
This may sound scandalous when you
first hear it so get ready…Jesus will be married someday. Erwin Lutzer puts it this way: “Jesus
is now engaged to us, the church—His bride. He would not have been
married on earth, knowing that His coming marriage is in heaven. On that
day, we, along with Mary Magdalene, will be invited to the marriage
supper of the Lamb…in the most blessed intimate union of fellowship
imaginable” (Lutzer, “The DaVinci Deception,” Page
75). Question: “Are you ready to say “I do”
to Jesus?
Please stand as I read Revelation
19:7-9: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself
ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Then the
angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited
to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added,
“These are the true words of God.”
Only those who accept the invitation
will enjoy the feast. Are you ready to accept His offer so you can move
away from chaos, once and for all? And, as His bride, will you
make yourself ready by remaining pure until He comes?
Return to First
Baptist Sermon page.
|
