The Voice They Tried to Bury: Mary Magdalene

We finally did it. The long-awaited Mary Magdalene episode. And wow—this one cracked open so much more than we could’ve expected. It’s been a journey. Honestly, we recorded this one like four times. Every time we sat down to talk about Mary, we uncovered something else that made us say, “Wait, what?!” We had to take a step back just to breathe and re-ground because this isn’t just one story—it’s a whole Pandora’s box of forgotten history, suppressed voices, and deeply spiritual truth.

So we started with a simple question: who was Mary Magdalene really? 

Not the version we grew up with. Not the prostitute. Not the “redeemed sinner.” That’s not even in the Bible, by the way. We’re taught she was this fallen woman forgiven by Jesus—and that story has been used forever to show how loving and merciful he is. But… the Bible never calls her a prostitute. Like, at all. That label was given to her hundreds of years after her death by Pope Gregory I in a sermon in 591 AD. He took a few different unnamed women—one of whom wept at Jesus’ feet—and just decided they were all Mary Magdalene. And somehow, that stuck.

For centuries. 

But then, in 1945, something wild happened. In Egypt, a group of farmers digging for fertilizer (still not sure how or why) stumbled on a sealed clay jar. Inside were ancient papyrus texts—about 2,000 years old. What they found became known as the Nag Hammadi Library—a collection of gospels and writings from the first generation of Christians. The Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, the Secret Teachings of John... and these weren’t fringe texts. They were deeply spiritual, radically mystical, and totally centered on a direct, experiential relationship with Christ. 

And while the Gospel of Mary wasn’t part of that discovery, it had already been found earlier in 1896 in what’s known as the Berlin Codex. Her gospel carries the same thread: inner knowing, divine revelation, and teachings that were meant to awaken—not control. 

When we started digging into Mary’s life, everything started to click. First of all, she was likely independently wealthy. Luke 8 says that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna were providing for Jesus and his ministry out of their own resources. Think about that. She didn’t need to work. She wasn’t some helpless woman clinging to a savior—she was funding his mission. 

And then there’s this: Mary was with Jesus for everything. She traveled with him. She witnessed the crucifixion. She never left his side. And she was the first person to see him after the resurrection. Not Peter. Not John. Mary. 

She went to the tomb while it was still dark. And when she found it empty, she stayed. She wept. She waited. And then—Jesus appeared. At first, she didn’t recognize him. Maybe because resurrection changes things. Maybe because when the divine shows up, it rarely looks like we expect. But the second he said her name—Mary—she knew. Her spirit recognized his. 

And then came the most powerful moment of all: he sent her. He told her, “Go and tell the others.” And just like that, she became the apostle to the apostles. The first witness to the risen Christ. The first preacher of the resurrection. The first to carry the message of the miracle. 

And yet… after that, the Bible goes quiet. The story of Mary Magdalene just disappears. Like a curtain dropping mid-scene. But if you look into the gospels that didn’t make it into the canon, and if you listen to the scholars who’ve studied the fragments we do have, a much fuller picture starts to emerge. 

Mary wasn’t just a witness—she was a teacher. A leader. A prophet. Some even say she was a co-proclaimer of Christ’s message. According to Karen King, a professor of early Christianity at Harvard, Mary’s role in Jesus’ ministry was unparalleled. She walked beside him. She learned from him. And—this is wild—some texts even suggest he learned from her. 

And suddenly, it all starts to make sense. Of course she was the one who saw him first. Of course she was the one he trusted to carry the message forward. This wasn’t favoritism. This was recognition. 

Mary got it. She understood something the others didn’t yet see. And maybe—just maybe—we’re only now beginning to understand it, too. 

What’s even more mind-blowing is that for centuries, her leadership, her voice, her wisdom were erased. Diminished. Mistranslated. Branded as sinful. But now? It’s like the truth is rising from the dust. And we’re here for it. 

This isn’t about rewriting the gospel. It’s about remembering the part that got left out. 

Because the truth is: Mary Magdalene wasn’t on the sidelines of Jesus’ story. She was at the center of it. 

She didn’t need to be saved from sin. 

She needed to be saved from history. 

And that’s why we’re telling her story now. Because we believe the Spirit is still speaking—through buried gospels, through brave voices, through women who dared to follow when everyone else ran. 

And if you ask us, Mary Magdalene’s time has finally come.