The English term gospel comes from the Old English godspell, a translation of the Greek noun euangelion, which means “good tidings” or “good news”. The gospels, eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus, were written by Matthew - a tax collector who became one of Jesus’s apostles; Mark – a teenager at his time of following Jesus; Luke – who became a follower upon hearing the gospel from Paul after the resurrection; and John – the fisherman, the “beloved disciple”.
But what about Mary?
Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus and supported his ministry with her resources. She is mentioned by name twelve times in the gospels. She witnessed the crucifixion, while John was the only apostle present, and then she followed her Lord to his burial. She was among the women who discovered the empty tomb, and she was the first to encounter the risen Lord.
The fact that John was the only apostle present at the crucifixion leads us to believe that the other gospel writers told the story, at best, from the accounts of second-hand sources. Perhaps Mary’s story was the first-hand account. And as powerful as the gospels are, just imagine the power of the Book of Mary.
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” John 20:18
Mary did not write a gospel, but she was the first to run and tell her friends the good news. May we all run and tell the evangelion.
