Mary Magdalene: History’s Favorite “Bad Bitch” Redeemed

Let’s set the record straight on Mary Magdalene—because this woman has been dragged through the historical mud harder than a goth kid at a Southern Baptist summer camp.

For centuries, Mary Magdalene was treated like the Bible’s resident bad girl, the “fallen woman” who found Jesus after a life of shady alleyway antics. But let’s be honest: this image was a convenient spin by the early church to remind women of their place. The truth? She wasn’t that “sinful woman” who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears. That was an entirely different woman whose name conveniently didn’t make it into the final draft. Mary Magdalene’s name did—and it’s high time we gave it back to her.

Here’s what we do know. She was from Magdala, a fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. She rolled deep with Jesus and his crew—so deep that she was there at his crucifixion and was the first to see him after he rose from the dead. All four canonical Gospels say it, so you can take that to the bank.

In the Gospel of John, she has this mic-drop moment at the empty tomb when Jesus says, “Mary!” and she replies, “Rabboni!” which means “Teacher.” No fanfare, no posturing—just a woman with a mission. She then hauls ass back to the disciples and delivers the biggest news in Christian history: “I have seen the Lord.” That’s some “Apostle to the Apostles” energy right there.

The early Christian community gave her that title—apostle to the apostles—and recognized her as a leader. But then the church fathers realized letting a woman call the shots might ruffle too many patriarchal feathers. So they rewrote her story, lumping her in with every “loose woman” in scripture. Subtle, guys. Real subtle.

If you crack open the Gnostic gospels—like the Gospel of Mary Magdalene—she’s not a silent sidekick. She’s a spiritual teacher and a confidant to Jesus, giving the boys in the back row a run for their money. These texts suggest she was more than just a follower—she was a co-architect of the faith. But because these writings didn’t make the final cut (thank the Council of Nicea for that one), her wisdom was buried under centuries of dusty doctrine.

So who was Mary Magdalene, really? A spiritual powerhouse who refused to let anyone else write her story. She wasn’t some passing fancy or a scandalous footnote in Jesus’ ministry—she was the one who stuck around when the rest of the disciples went AWOL, the first to witness the empty tomb and the first to carry the message of resurrection into a world that didn’t think a woman could be a messenger. She was a woman who stared down death, heartbreak, and centuries of revisionist bullshit—and still walked out of history’s shadows with her head held high.

Mary Magdalene reminds us all that the world will try to repackage our power as scandal, to turn our voice into a whisper or a footnote. But she didn’t fade. She didn’t fold. She took her place at the heart of the story and refused to move, reminding anyone paying attention that real power doesn’t ask for permission—it just shows up, speaks the truth, and keeps on moving.

She was more than a witness. She was a testament to the power of showing up when everything says you should sit down. And if you let that truth settle in your bones, you’ll find it there the next time you’re told you’re too much, too loud, too bold—because, like Mary, you’re here to be seen, not silenced.

xo,

Lily-Jade