Were You There?

A Series on Women in the Bible
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Mark 16:1-11

[God worked in and through the lives of countless women in the Bible. These women played significant, if not critical roles in the Lord’s plan of Redemption. In this series, we will look at the faithfulness of some of these God fearing women.]

According to hymnary.org, the hymn, “Were You There”, is an African American spiritual that probably predates the Civil War, and was first published in William Barton's Old Plantation Hymns in 1899.

 The verses are fairly repetitive starting with:

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Ohh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, Tremble, tremble
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

 From here the verses progress through the tragic and amazing series of events:

Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?

Were you there when He rose up from the dead?

 

The only person that I know of that could answer yes to all four of these questions is Mary Magdalene. Scripture tells us that she had been possessed by seven demons until Jesus drove them out. Apparently, because of this, the rest of her life was devoted to following Jesus, and supporting his ministry.

 

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, ² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.           Luke 8 NIV

 

In fact, she followed Jesus to the very end. As the story unfolds, we read time and again that Mary Magdalene was watching as Jesus was crucified, died and laid in a tomb. She was the first to discover that the tomb was empty. Not only that, but she was the first to greet him after he had been raised from the dead.

 

⁹ When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. ¹⁰ She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.                              Mark 16 NIV

 

Mary Magdalene was as close as she could be to Jesus during his most intensive suffering; she was also there to rejoice and celebrate when he had risen. Mary Magdalene was not only a loyal and faithful follower of Jesus, but also a friend.

 

She was there for him. Her devotion to him is inspiring. Let us follow her example.

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams