For most of her days and nights, Mary Magdalene's life had been a mess!

Many today believe she was a prostitute, but we don't know that for sure. However, if she was alive today, she might be a resident of a mental institution. The reason I think that is because the Gospels record she was inhabited by seven demons.

Mary Magdalene could also have been deeply depressed. And people in her condition today would probably be alcoholics or addicted to drugs. She may have been suicidal as well. Mary had no hope for a bright future and was probably deeply ashamed of the way she was living. Trapped in a sinister lifestyle, she couldn't rise above what she had become -- a deeply troubled woman rejected by most people.

But then everything changed instantly! She met Jesus one day and He did not reject her like almost everyone else did! In fact, He welcomed her and gave her the best gift of all -- the gift of a brand-new life. She found -- to her great joy -- that she had peace of mind instead of tormenting thoughts! The degrading passions that drove her unmercifully were replaced by a deep self-sacrificing love for other people and especially for Jesus! What a transformation!

When Jesus gave her a brand-new life, He probably gave her a number of true friends as well -- including some other loving women. They along with Mary Magdalene ministered to Jesus and His friends out of their own funds.

Soon personal tragedy overwhelmed her! Jesus -- her Savior and Leader -- was arrested, convicted and nailed to a Roman cross beside two criminals.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, two wealthy and highly respected Jewish leaders, exposed themselves to public ridicule by giving Jesus an honorable burial in Joseph's own new tomb. Crucified criminals were often thrown into a common burial pit. These two men tenderly took Jesus down from the cross and carried His body to the cave tomb. They wrapped His corpse around and around with yards of expensive linen material saturated with ointments and sweet-smelling spices. The ointment acted as a kind of glue which transformed the long cloth into a cocoon. Then they laid Him in the tomb and rolled a large stone over the entrance.

Mary Magdalene and at least one of her friends watched while Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus entombed Jesus in the cave that afternoon after His crucifixion.

Mary and her friends went home and rested when the sun went down that day in order to kept the Sabbath that began at sundown, so they didn't have time to anoint Jesus's body themselves.

However, early the next morning while the sun was just rising, Mary Magdalene and her friends brought sweet spices to add their spices to Jesus's burial wrappings. While they journeyed to the cave, they questioned among themselves who would roll the stone away since it was too heavy for them.

Imagine how astonished they were when they arrived at the cave to discover the huge stone had already been moved! You see, there had been a great earthquake accompanied by the coming of an angel who rolled the stone away and then sat on it. When the guards saw this glistening being shining like lightning, they collapsed on the ground in a dead faint!

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