- Did Mary Magdalene Resurrect Christ
There is compelling evidence suggesting that Mary Magdalene resurrected Christ in the burial tomb. Wide spread belief that God was responsible is the direct result of revisionist history. Alterations to the story advanced by covetous men, uncomfortable with the lead role played by Mary Magdalene in the passion narrative.
I wrote this article using information revealed to me by our subject. The focus in it was her focus. In writing it, I also relied on facts distilled from the canonical and gnostic gospels. To be honest, I have no idea why I was chosen to receive these revelations, but I accept the fact that I was. I should mention, Pista Sophia and Zoroaster were reviewed as additional sources of information relevant to these disclosures. Unfortunately, my purblind eyes could not always discern connections.
Mary Magdalene was the most prominent of the disciples of Christ; she was also the most gifted. To this day, more than two millennia after her death, she is referred to as the Apostle of the Apostles.
A woman of means, she used her resources to feed and provide shelter to Jesus and his disciples. Mary was close to Jesus; this closeness occasionally stirred envy among the some of the disciples.
Mary seems to have been present at all the pivotal events in the life of Christ, including his Baptism, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. She tracked the transport of Christ’s body from Mt Calvary to the burial tomb.
Perhaps owing to the above, Christ divulged secrets to Mary that he did not share with other disciples. In short, the lives of Mary and Jesus were so intertwined; it appears that their union was preordained.
Over the centuries, Mary’s reputation suffered various incarnations, such as prostitute, temptress, etc. The public’s current fascination with her is as the reputed wife of Christ. This fascination is the direct result of theories advanced in the Da Vinci code.
Our singular focus and preoccupation with her reputed lifestyle, and marital status, however, has come at a cost. It has blinded us to an even more profound truth; Mary Magdalene resurrected Christ.
Here’s what we know, Mary was alone with Christ at the moment of the resurrection. She was a master healer, and she had been anointed with the power to resurrect. Her fingerprints are all over every aspect of the resurrection narrative. The two are linked as key figures in the entire passion drama. Outside of Christ, no one had a greater impact on the birth and spread of Christianity.
Let us unpack the proofs relating to Mary and the resurrection. Afterward, each of us is free to decide.
The manner of Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem and his apocalyptic claims forced the hands of Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judaea and Christ’s prosecutor. Jesus’ teachings left the religious orthodoxy staggered and reeling. The fact that he was winning over converts made matters worse.
Mary Magdalene’s problem was that she was known to be a follower of Christ. She and the disciples were going to be held accountable for the beliefs he embraced, including his radical reinterpretation of Judaism.
Christ’s “Good News” ministry was threatening to, and deemed dangerous by the certain religious sects. His ideas posed a threat to the peace. Mary and the Disciples represented the embodiment of this emerging new threat. Something had to be done. Retribution would be swift and comprehensive.
Silencing the leader, and his movement became the priority of the Romans. The capture and execution of Christ were calculated to send a message. All threats would be eliminated. This message seems to have been received by the other disciples, but not by Mary.
After the “trial” and crucifixion, she had to know that the wrath of the Romans would next turn to the devotees of Jesus. Mary, it seems, was in great danger, living on borrowed time.
It would have been safer for her to flee Jerusalem with the other disciples. What, then, caused her to deny the finality of the execution she had just witnessed. Why would she stay? What would justify Mary risking her life? Had she become unhinged after witnessing the execution of Jesus. This writing will address these and other questions.
Magdalene knew that the world had not seen the last of Jesus and his radical ministry. She had a solution. But, what could that solution be? What would it take to put it in motion? Christ had already been crucified. In retrospect, we see that she did have a plan, all her actions and movements were calculated to implement it.
Mary was charismatic; she could inspire men. The following is but one illustration of her ability to move others. It takes place after the Resurrection.
In it, the disciples have gathered in Galilee. Jesus exhorts the Disciples to go out and spread The Good News, he then exits. The disciples, still fearful of persecution, are reluctant. Mary rises and gives a speech. The speech ends with Mary telling the disciples that God will protect them. Moments later we see the disciples on the move in fulfillment of their mission. At this point, the presence of the resurrected Jesus was not enough to allay the fears of the Disciples. The final catalyst, it turns out, was Mary Magdalene.
Still, in spite of her pedigree, for more than two centuries, Mary Magdalen was vilified as a female and maligned as a prostitute. The church even questioned her status as a disciple. It wasn’t until 1969 that the church finally abandoned the prostitution claim.
When we examine her relationship with Christ, when we track Mary Magdalene’s movements during the crucifixion and resurrection, when we consider the biblical /historical record; It becomes difficult to avoid the conclusion that Mary Magdalene was responsible for the resurrection of Christ. Although she did not accomplish this entirely alone.
Enter Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, two wealthy Jewish members of the Sanhedrin and supporters of Christ. The two acted as Mary’s accomplices, providing logistical support. In fact, the burial tomb was owned by Joseph. After Christ’s body was placed there, Joseph had it sealed, blocking it with the infamous stone. This same Joseph, most likely with the support of Nicodemus, removed the tubular cork like stone in anticipation of the resurrection. The removal of the stone provided Mary with access to the body of Christ.
All of the disciples were aware of Jesus’ revelation that he would be resurrected on day three. But they had all fled .It was Mary Magdalene alone, who revived the body of Christ.
For centuries, Christians have been led to believe that God descended into the burial tomb and resurrected Christ. This event triggered the birth of Christianity. The problem is, this version of the events is not in synchronicity with the words of Christ and facts contained in the Biblical, and gnostic records.
When we examine these events untainted by the anti-feminine bias, which dominated this period, a new image begins to take shape. The new picture emphasizes distortions of the old. Distortions advanced to erase the leadership role Mary played in this new movement.
When we examine the historical record, we see that even within the ranks of the apostles, there were strong anti-female sentiments. Some expressed opposition to Mary’s very participation in this movement. It seems the disciples were not always paragons of virtue.
In the gospel of Thomas, Peter said to Jesus “Let Mary go from our midst, for woman are not worthy of life.” We also discover that Mary expressed fear of Peter, citing his profound dislike of women. It is interesting to note that this same Peter later became the first pope of the Catholic Church. Still, other Gospels depict the disciples asking Jesus, “why he preferred Mary Magdalene.” It is easy to see how these attitudes about women, could have distorted the telling of the story.
The resurrection of Christ was the pivotal event in the history of Christianity. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. Without it, Jesus Christ, a Jew becomes a footnote in the history of Judaism.( Another, in the long line of prophets, persecuted because they advanced ideas deemed heretical by the religious establishment.)
Death/Resurrection
Someone had to resurrect Jesus; he could not resurrect himself. He was dead. Death is the utter absence of life and consciousness. That which is lacking consciousness cannot imbue itself with consciousness. It follows, then, that if Jesus possessed the consciousness to resurrect himself, then he was never dead.
The dead can only be brought back to life by a living being with extraordinary or supernatural powers. Who was that living being who resurrected Christ? What clues does the Bible provide?
The Bible contains ten stories involving the resurrection of the dead. As we examine the various resurrection stories, a pattern begins to take shape. Most instances involved physical contact initiated by a live human being touching the body of the deceased person. Typically, this was accomplished by laying on hands. Occasionally, it involved full body to body contact. After this touching, the person is brought back to life. The dead, then, rejoin the living.
Like the other disciples, Mary was anointed by Christ and given the power to heal, to drive out demons, and to raise the dead. The Gospels describe two occasions where the authority to raise the dead was exercised, one involved Paul, and the other- Peter.
Let us now return to the resurrection of Christ. Imagine that you are Mary. You have just witnessed the crucifixion of your beloved Jesus, a visionary who had before been instrumental in assisting you with your own “dark night of the soul.” You are despondent, the only thing preventing you from spiraling out of control is your ability to undo all this.
You know where the body is because you have made arrangements with Joseph of Arimathea, to retrieve and safeguard it. You have taken the extra precaution of following the body from the location of the execution to the burial tomb. You know that all the other disciples have already fled Jerusalem, fearing that they too would be persecuted and put to death.
You find yourself confronted with a stark reality. The fate of Christ and this new movement is in your hands. What would you do?
I am claiming that Mary Magdalene was responsible for the resurrection of Christ. I am also arguing that Jesus was not God at the point of his emergence from the burial tomb. I am not at, this at point, claiming that Mary made Jesus God.
No human, no matter how exalted, could have elevated Jesus to the status of God. God status, can only be conferred by God.
Here, words uttered, by Christ to Mary immediately after his resurrection, become instructive. Christ said to Mary “don’t cling to me for I have not returned to the Father.” I will first address, “ I have not returned to the Father. I will later address the “don’t cling to me.”
I have not returned to the Father”.
The implications of this statement are as follows: 1) Jesus was not god when he emerged from the burial tomb. Jesus implies as much, when he mentioned that he had not returned to the Father. Returning to the father means sitting next to God, it is tantamount to having God status.
2) Christ had not yet completed his mission. Jesus had not yet returned to Galilee to reveal himself to the disciples. If the story ends here, there would be no Christian movement.
3) God did not play a role in the resurrection of Christ. We know that Mary possessed the authority to raise the dead, we also know she was alone with Christ. If God was not going to elevate Jesus to the status of God, and we now know that he did not, his appearance at the resurrection was unnecessary. Mary’s presence would have made God’s presence superfluous.
4) Christ had been with God. When Christ says, he had not returned to God this implies, of course, that at one point, he had been with God.
A fair question at this point is, why Mary, are there no other suspects in the resurrection of Christ. There are, but they all get eliminated. Let us examine who they are, and the case for there elimination.
God would have to be one suspect, only because he/she is God. The disciples have to be considered suspects, because they possessed the authority to heal and raise the dead. Our third suspect is a placeholder, a person not described in the biblical record, who also possessed miraculous powers. Our fourth , and final suspect has to be Mary Magdalene.
The disciples are ruled out immediately; they are all hiding out in Galilee. There is nothing written that puts any of the other disciples near the burial tomb. The first disciple appears after the resurrection of Christ. The disciples all have strong alibis.
Unknown random suspect gets ruled out because, there are no indications of individuals being raised from the dead in Jerusalem, other than those involving Christ and his disciples. If this were happening, it would have been noteworthy, and likely to have made it into the historical record. Besides, the unknown random suspect has no motive to resurrect Jesus. Any person taking the risk to revive Christ would most likely have been a part of the Christ movement, and therefore he would have been seen an recognized by Mary.
God and Mary as our last remaining possibilities. I will next address God as a possibility.
It is important to note that, while Jesus did predict his crucifixion and resurrection, he never claimed that God would resurrect him. There is a reason for this.
Intervention by God, in the resurrection of Jesus would negate the redemptive nature of the crucifixion. Christ’s death was to redeem humanity for its sins. Recall the claim, “that God so loved the world, that he sacrificed his only begotten son.” Jesus died as payment for our sins. If God intervenes and resurrects Jesus three days after his death, then God has not sacrificed his son. There is no sacrifice if one keeps, intact, that which he claims he sacrificed.
It is, also, significant that after his resurrection, Jesus never said that God resurrected him. He didn’t mention it to the disciples; he didn’t mention it to anyone else.
It is reasonable to conclude that had Jesus been resurrected by God, he might have said something to the effect of “ I Stand before you, having been resurrected by God.” He did not. Jesus knew the implications of such a claim. He knew that it would negate redemption.
Here, one might interject that Christ didn’t mention that he was resurrected by Mary Magdalene either. This is true, but as we shall see, Christ had strong justifications for not disclosing Mary Magdalene as his resurrector.
Disclosing to the disciples that Mary Magdalene resurrected him, was fraught with complexities. Recall, all Christ’s male disciples fled Jerusalem after the trial. Many observers have concluded that the disciples abandoned Christ when he most needed them.
For Christ, underscoring the fact that Mary Magdalen was the only disciple to stand by his side, would not have made sense. Christ, at this point needed disciples confident in themselves, and confident in the message they were about to take to the people. Singling out Mary for special praise and acknowledgment was not the right move. Disclosing that Mary resurrected his lifeless body, might have toppled the entire project. It would have been a bit more than even the disciples could handle.
On the day of the resurrection of Christ, Mary Magdalene alone went to the burial tomb, lay hands or full body on Christ, resurrecting it. The question becomes, how do we reconcile this claim with the “don’t cling to me Mary “ statement uttered by Christ after his resurrection.
I mentioned before; the Bible contains ten descriptions of resurrections. In some, the revival was accomplished by laying on hands. Others involved full body to body contact. Either way, imagine Mary at the moment when she realizes that her touch has restored life to Jesus, what’s next.
After Jesus resurrection, his body would still show the wounds of the crucifixion, Christ’s proof of death. Additional physical contact between Christ and Magdalene, the healer risked repair of the scars associated with the execution. The very evidence Christ needed to show his followers to establish death and resurrection. In short, Christ had to preserve the evidence. The wounds of the crucifixion provided him with that evidence. Continued physical contact with Mary, would have been counterproductive. It, therefore, had to be stopped.
When we view the events of the resurrection of Christ inside the phenomenological and supernaturalist environment Christ and his disciples operated in, setting aside secular biases, there can only be one conclusion. Mary Magdalene alone was responsible for the resurrection of Christ.
Mary Magdalene had the means, the motive, and the opportunity to revive the body of Christ. John’s Gospel and recent church endorsements, make It clear that Mary was at the tomb alone on the day Christ was resurrected. She was the only person in Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion who could have revived the body of Christ. There are no written accounts of people raised from the dead except those mentioned herein.
God did not resurrect Jesus, because to do so negates redemption. A third party resurrecting Christ has no impact on God’s Sacrifice of his son. Unless God urged Mary to action, we still have God acting in good fate.
Recently, Pope Francis acknowledged that Mary Magdalene loved, and was loved by Christ. Pope Francis then admitted that she was the first to see Christ after the resurrection. These acknowledgments move us steps closer to that day when the Church discloses Mary resurrected Christ. Let’s hope that this truth did not perish with the death of Simone Peter, an apostle as well as the first pope of the Catholic church. Now, the evidence is in; it’s up to you to decide.
By Patrick Bernard Cage
https://patricksblogg.com/2018/09/05/the-did-mary-mag…resurrect-christ/