“He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons” (Mark 16:9) 

Before Christ delivered her, Mary of Magdala was possessed by seven demons. A demoniac possessed with many demons is usually powerless to resist their evil impulses. But, when Christ commanded the demons to depart, she immediately became the most faithful of His followers.

What a blessed deliverance! What a happy change! From insanity to perfect health, from despair to peace! This was no gradual change she would wonder about in times of weakness. She would always remember the radical change from darkness to light, from being destructive for Satan to being productive for Christ. From that moment, she obeyed every word that came from Christ’s mouth. This is what happens when someone believes Christ is not only their Savior, but the Lord of their life. She became first among a band of healed and grateful women, who ministered to their Lord out of their resources.

When Jesus was crucified, she didn’t abandon Him. No fear or doubt could wrest her from His side. If she could, she probably would have died in His place, such was her love. She stayed as close to Him as possible, and when His body was taken down, she followed to see where it was laid. She was the last to leave the tomb at dusk, and the first to arrive at dawn.

She was obviously a favorite of Christ, for He appeared first to her after the resurrection.  He chose her to bring the good news to the hiding disciples. Christ had converted a demoniac into a faithful minister, a sinner working for Satan to a saint working for God.

But the story doesn’t end there. Mary is an example for millions of Christians worldwide who can tell their story of how Christ transformed them from victims to overcomers, “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11) Can you tell your story when God gives you the opportunity?