Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 

Mark 16:9-11 

Unbelief does not change truth. Christ showed Himself to be alive from the dead to Mary Magdalene first. She clung to Him, He conversed with her, and then they parted. Mary went straight to the disciples and told them ‘as they, mourned and wept.’ The crux of our text is, ‘when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.’  Thus, the first witness of the resurrection of Christ met with unbelief.  It has been the case ever since. The Greeks on Mars Hill, in Athens, listened until Paul spoke of the resurrection of the dead. The Jewish leaders divided over Paul’s preaching of the resurrection of the dead. When Festus was explaining Paul’s case to King Agrippa, he referred to the fact that it involved questions ‘about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.’ Thus, throughout the days since the resurrection of Christ, the messengers have met with unbelief. It is even so today, but it does not change the truth any more today than it did when Mary Magdalene first spoke it. Christ is risen from the dead. He has shown Himself alive by many infallible truths. Unbelief cannot change it. We continue to declare it. 

Our Glorious Living Christ, 
we rejoice that You have risen from the dead. 
We praise You that You have given unto us the privilege 
to declare this message. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 

Mark 16:9-11 

Truth often meets with unbelief. The Scripture is full of examples of it. God spoke truth to Adam and Eve regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They did not believe Him. Noah’s society did not believe him. Josephs’s family did not believe him. Pharaoh did not believe Moses. The list goes on throughout Scripture of those who heard the truth and did not believe. The disciples are on that list. Our text explains that Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene first, that she went and told the disciples, and they did not believe. This did not change the truth, nor did it reflect poorly upon Mary. She knew what had happened. She had seen Christ alive, had personal interaction with Him, and was on a mission. The angel, with whom Mary and the other women had originally spoken said, ‘But go, tell His disciples – and Peter – that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.’ Unbelief does not change truth. Throughout the centuries, the testimony of the truth of Christ has sounded forth. It is as true today as ever. Mary was the first to see Christ alive from the dead. Many others, who saw Him later testified the same thing. We continue to declare with them, ‘He is risen, indeed.’ 

Our Glorious, Living Christ, 
we rejoice that You are alive from the dead. 
We praise You that You have given to us, 
the privilege of proclaiming the truth of Your resurrection. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 

Mark 16:9 

When Christ arose from the dead, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. He gave no reason as to why He selected her. We may consider some things we know about Mary that perhaps made her His chosen one on this occasion. Mark mentions that she was the one, ‘out of whom He had cast seven demons.’ Christ had delivered her from the grip of evil. Because He had, she had great love for Him. She had been forgiven much, and therefore loved much. This argues for her place as the first to whom He showed Himself alive. Another thought is that she was not one of the twelve disciples. One of the behaviors of the disciples was a competitive spirit which they evidenced from time to time. Even on the night of the Last Supper, they were arguing amongst themselves as to which of them would be the greatest. Thus, for one of them to be the first to whom He revealed Himself could easily become a matter of pride of precedence. Instead, Christ chose Mary who, without pride of place, simply loved Him. These are conjectures, but they give us things to think about. How do we love Christ? How much do we desire to see Him, wherever He may be found? 

Our Glorious, Living Christ, 
we long to see You. 
We praise You that the Holy Spirit, 
still opens the Scriptures to us, 
and we find You there.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 

Mark 16:9-11 

Unbelief does not change truth. Christ showed Himself to be alive from the dead to Mary Magdalene first. She clung to Him, He conversed with her, and then they parted. Mary went straight to the disciples and told them ‘as they, mourned and wept.’ The crux of our text is, ‘when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.’  Thus, the first witness of the resurrection of Christ met with unbelief.  It has been the case ever since. The Greeks on Mars Hill, in Athens, listened until Paul spoke of the resurrection of the dead. The Jewish leaders divided over Paul’s preaching of the resurrection of the dead. When Festus was explaining Paul’s case to King Agrippa, he referred to the fact that it involved questions ‘about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.’ Thus, throughout the days since the resurrection of Christ, the messengers have met with unbelief. It is even so today, but it does not change the truth any more today than it did when Mary Magdalene first spoke it. Christ is risen from the dead. He has shown Himself alive by many infallible truths. Unbelief cannot change it. We continue to declare it. 

Our Glorious Living Christ, 
we rejoice that You have risen from the dead. 
We praise You that You have given unto us the privilege 
to declare this message. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 

Mark 16:9-11 

Truth often meets with unbelief. The Scripture is full of examples of it. God spoke truth to Adam and Eve regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They did not believe Him. Noah’s society did not believe him. Josephs’s family did not believe him. Pharaoh did not believe Moses. The list goes on throughout Scripture of those who heard the truth and did not believe. The disciples are on that list. Our text explains that Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene first, that she went and told the disciples, and they did not believe. This did not change the truth, nor did it reflect poorly upon Mary. She knew what had happened. She had seen Christ alive, had personal interaction with Him, and was on a mission. The angel, with whom Mary and the other women had originally spoken said, ‘But go, tell His disciples – and Peter – that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.’ Unbelief does not change truth. Throughout the centuries, the testimony of the truth of Christ has sounded forth. It is as true today as ever. Mary was the first to see Christ alive from the dead. Many others, who saw Him later testified the same thing. We continue to declare with them, ‘He is risen, indeed.’ 

Our Glorious, Living Christ, 
we rejoice that You are alive from the dead. 
We praise You that You have given to us, 
the privilege of proclaiming the truth of Your resurrection. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning