Mary Stayed

Mary Stayed
The Adoration and Tenacity of Mary of Magdala
An Imaginative Interpretation of Mary's last week with Yeshua (Jesus)
Print the 8-page PDF

Singer, songwriter, and author Michael Card said, “The best way to love someone is to listen to them. The best way to love God is to listen to Him. Your imagination integrates your heart and your mind. The Bible is aimed at your imagination.”

Chronologies in the Gospel accounts are often difficult to find because the writings were collections of gathered writings. The lack of some detail in these accounts reflects their authenticity. For instance, Mary of Magdala was alone at the tomb with the risen Messiah; But other verses mention she was at the tomb with the other women, as well as with Peter and John. In this story, I explore how these events may have occurred in their order, writing from Mary’s perspective. As I attempted to capture her emotion and her understanding of the events, my gratitude to my Savior has deepened.

For many years, I have been piecing together the timeline of Yeshua’s (Jesus) last days from Scripture. In the framework of this story, I have made a sincere effort to adhere to Scripture rather than to creeds, commentaries, or traditions. I sought the teaching of Dr. Dwight A. Pryor regarding difficult texts. Dr. Pryor was the Founder and President of The Center for Judaic-Christian Studies in Dayton, Ohio. He was also a founding member of the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research. His many years of association with Jewish and Christian scholars in Israel provided him with profound insights into the life and teachings of Yeshua. His message series Misconceptions about the Passover give clarity to passages that seem to have discrepancies in the English until understood in the light of Jewish understanding.

This story reflects the context of first-century Judaism in the Second-Temple period in Jerusalem in about AD 30 during the week of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits in the spring – the week coinciding with Yeshua’s last week on earth. In the free, printable PDF, you will find the a summary of the meaning behind these Jewish Appointed Days that will clarify parts of the story.