Mary's Understanding of Jesus as the Resurrection
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a significant figure in the New Testament, described as being of the tribe of Judah and lineage of David [2]. The Gospels indicate that she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit while betrothed to Joseph [5]. While the New Testament provides limited explicit details about Mary's understanding of Jesus's future resurrection, it does offer insights into her awareness of his divine nature and mission.
The concept of resurrection itself is central to Christian faith, with the New Testament presenting it as an historical fact upon which the entire revelation rests [1]. Jesus himself intimated his resurrection in his discourses (e.g., Matthew 20:19; Mark 9:9; John 2:19-22) [1]. However, the disciples, including Mary, did not always grasp the full implications of these predictions.
Mary Magdalene, a different Mary, provides a clearer example of the initial human struggle to comprehend the resurrection. When she first encountered the risen Jesus, she initially believed he was the gardener [7]. Her immediate reaction was to cling to him, suggesting she thought he would resume normal relations with his disciples [7]. Jesus's response, "Don't touch me, for I haven't yet ascended to my Father" (John 20:17), indicates that his post-resurrection fellowship would take a new form [7]. Mary Magdalene then became a witness, telling the disciples that she had seen the Lord [8].
The broader understanding of resurrection in the biblical context often referred to a future event, as seen in Martha's statement to Jesus regarding her brother Lazarus: "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day" (John 11:24) [4]. This suggests a common expectation of a general resurrection at the end of time, rather than an immediate, personal resurrection like Jesus's.
The resurrection of Jesus is presented as the ultimate assurance of God's revelation and the foundation of Christian hope [6, 1]. John Calvin emphasizes that it is through Christ's resurrection that believers are "begotten again to a living hope," as it signifies his victory over death and the renewal of righteousness [11, 12]. The early church understood Christ as "the resurrection" because he enables believers to rise from spiritual deadness to life [9].
While the New Testament does not explicitly detail Mary, the mother of Jesus', precise theological understanding of the resurrection before it occurred, her faith and proximity to Jesus's ministry suggest a unique, though perhaps evolving, comprehension of his identity and destiny. The accounts of the women at the tomb, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (often identified with Mary, wife of Clopas), show their presence and initial grief, followed by their role as early witnesses to the empty tomb and the resurrection [3, 10].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Resurrection of Christ — One of the cardinal facts and doctrines of the gospel. If Christ be not risen, our faith is vain (1 Cor. 15:14). The whole of the New Testament revelation rests on this as an historical fact. On the day of Pentecost Peter argued the necessity of Christ's resurrection from the prediction in Ps. 16 (Acts 2:24-28). In his own discourses, also, our Lord clearly intimates his resurrection (Matt. 20:19; Mark 9:9; 14:28; Luke 18:33; John 2:19-22). The evangelists give circumstantial accounts of the facts connected with that event, and the apostles, ”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Mary The Virgin — the mother of our Lord. There is no person perhaps in sacred or profane history around whom so many legends have been grouped a the Virgin Mary; and there are few whose authentic history is more concise. She was, like Joseph, of the tribe of Judah and of the lineage of David. (Psalms 132:11; Luke 1:32; Romans 1:3) She had a sister, named, like herself, (John 19:25) and she was connected by marriage, (Luke 1:36) with Elizabeth, who was of the tribe of Levi and of the lineage of Aaron. This is all that we know of her antecedents. She was betrothed to J”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Mary — a Roman Christian who is greeted by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, ch. (Romans 16:6) as having toiled hard for him. (a tear) of Cle'ophas. So in Authorized Version, but accurately "of Clopas," i.e. the wife of Clopas (or Alphaeus). She is brought before us for the first time on the day of the crucifixion, standing by the cross. (John 19:25) In the evening of the same day we find her sitting desolate at the tomb with Mary Magdalene, (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47) and at the dawn of Easter morning she was again there with sweet spices, which she had prepared”
- John “Dicit ei Martha : Scio quia resurget in resurrectione in novissimo die. -- John 11:24”
- Matthew “Matthew 1:18 (YLT) — And of Jesus Christ, the birth was thus: For his mother Mary having been betrothed to Joseph, before their coming together she was found to have conceived from the Holy Spirit,”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Assurance — The resurrection of Jesus (Acts 17:31) is the "assurance" (Gr. pistis, generally rendered "faith") or pledge God has given that his revelation is true and worthy of acceptance. The "full assurance [Gr. plerophoria, full bearing'] of faith" (Heb. 10:22) is a fulness of faith in God which leaves no room for doubt. The "full assurance of understanding" (Col. 2:2) is an entire unwavering conviction of the truth of the declarations of Scripture, a joyful steadfastness on the part of any one of conviction that he has grasped the very truth. The "full assurance ”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 20:17: 20:17 Mary thought that with the resurrection, Jesus would resume normal relations with his disciples. She was trying to cling to the joy she discovered in her resurrected Lord. But his fellowship with her would come in a new form (20:22). Jesus had not yet ascended to complete his return to the Father, but the process was underway. Before his final departure, he would give the Holy Spirit (20:22; see 14:15-21, 26; 15:26-27; 16:5-15).”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 20:18: Mary Magdalene came,.... Directly and immediately, being ready and willing to obey the commends of her Lord, with the utmost cheerfulness; and glad to go on such an errand, and carry such news to his disciples, even though her private interest and personal affection might have inclined her to desire to stay with Christ: and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord; not only that he was risen from the dead, and she had been told so by the angels, but she had seen him herself, and was an eyewitness of his resurrection, and which she firmly believed; this she said,”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — 25. CHRIST AS THE RESURRECTION.: Now He is called the light of men and the true light and the light of the word, because He brightens and irradiates the higher parts of men, or, in a word, of all reasonable beings. And similarly it is from and because of the energy with which He causes the old deadness to be put aside and that which is par excellence life to be put on, so that those who have truly received Him rise again from the dead, that He is called the resurrection. And this He does not only at the moment at which a man says”
- John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on John 20:11: St. Mark tells us that Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mar 16:9); that appearance is here largely related; and we may observe, I. The constancy and fervency of Mary Magdalene's affection to the Lord Jesus, Joh 20:11. 1. She staid at the sepulchre, when Peter and John were gone, because there her Master had lain, and there she was likeliest to hear some tidings of him. Note, (1.) Where there is a true love to Christ there will be a constant adherence to him, and a resolution with purpose of heart to cleave to him. This good woman, though she has lost him, y”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 52: his death, but by his resurrection, that we are said to be begotten again to a living hope ( 1 Pet. 1:3 ); because, as 447 he, by rising again, became victorious over death, so the victory of our faith consists only in his resurrection. The nature of it is better expressed in the words of Paul, “Who (Christ) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification,” ( Rom. 4:25 ); as if he had said, By his death sin was taken away, by his resurrection righteousness was renewed and restored. For how could he by dyi”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 52: he obtained the victory, and became the resurrection and the life, Paul justly argues, “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins,” ( 1 Cor. 15:17 ). Accordingly, in another passage, after exulting in the death of Christ in opposition to the terrors of condemnation, he thus enlarges, “Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us,” ( Rom. 8:34 ). Then, as we have already explained that the mortification of our flesh depends on ”