Apostle to the Apostles

In his writing of “Mary Magdalene”: A Biography, Bruce Chilton underscores the scriptural references to Mary as being there at the cross and subsequently at the tomb.

Chilton further affirms that Mary is the first person to ‘see’ Jesus after the crucifixion, despite Paul’s erasing that story in his account. Chilton then emphasizes the tradition that Mary is the ‘Apostle to the Apostles’.

Chilton writes:

“… Mary is the first person to see Jesus, and in John, she sees Jesus himself, although she is hysterical and doesn’t recognize him at first (John 20:11-18). Only when he speaks her name does she realize that she is speaking to her rabbi, and so she cries out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni’ (which is to say, “Teacher”) (20:16). She must have reached out to Jesus, because he says (v. 17), “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the father. But proceed to my brothers and say to them, I ascend to my father and your father, my God and your God.” Mary departs and is the first person to say, “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18). It is her experience that ultimately teaches the other disciples how to see Jesus as well…”

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