Mary Magdalene - Freed From Bondage
Luke 8:2-3 mentions a few women by name - women who were followers of Jesus - disciples in their own right. And the first one that Luke mentions is “Mary called Magdalene, from whom Seven Demons had come out”.
Mary Magdalene’s Deliverance
Mary was called Magdalene because she was from the town of Magdala. And Mary's is a wonderful story - the fact that she had been delivered by Jesus, cured of the bondage she was under, delivered from these seven demons that were holding her captive. And we don't know what the demons were or what the nature of this bondage was exactly, but we do know that Jesus changed her life. And when he did this, she followed him from there on.
I like what Charles Spurgeon said in his book “Spurgeon's Morning and Evening” about Mary Magdalene, he said “grace found her a maniac and made her a minister, cast out devils and gave her to behold angels, delivered her from Satan and united her forever to the Lord Jesus. May I also be such a miracle of grace!”
I love that. May I also be such a miracle, having been delivered by the Lord Jesus! Mary Magdalene, of course, was there when Jesus died. She followed him all the way to the cross. And she was the one who Jesus met in the garden outside the tomb when he rose again, and she went rushing to preach the good news - the first preacher of the resurrected Christ. What a story of change! What a story of transformation from a life of bondage to a life of freedom.
Your Story of Transformation
Friends, what are you in bondage of? How is the enemy holding you captive? Are you captive to certain activities in your life? Maybe you do things you're not supposed to do and you can't seem to break free. Are you caught up in a bad way of speaking? A bad way of thinking? Has the enemy taken hold of you in some sort of way and kept you from the freedom that Jesus promises?
I want to say to you today, Jesus can deliver you like he delivered Mary Magdalene. He can deliver you. And perhaps if you look at yourself today and realize that you're in bondage, you will want to speak to a minister or to a trusted Christian friend and find the help that you need. Jesus, of course, still heals this way, but he uses his instruments, his people, to affect this healing. Maybe you need to go for prayer ministry with somebody that they may guide you to the healing that Jesus offers.
Your story can be like Mary Magdalene's, and I pray that you will take the courage to look for that help today. Jesus is willing. He's willing to deliver you. He's willing to bring you out of bondage and into freedom. Seek it. And I know that he's faithful and he will deliver you like he delivered Mary.
