When Jesus Calls You by Name: Mary Magdalene and the Restoration of Identity
- Jun 14
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 14
When Jesus Calls You by Name: Mary Magdalene and the Restoration of Identity
Introduction
There is something deeply moving about the story of Mary Magdalene. Perhaps it is because so many of us can see ourselves somewhere in her journey.
While Scripture does not tell us everything about her past, it does tell us that she was a woman whom Jesus delivered from seven demons (Luke 8:2). Before she became known as a faithful disciple, she was known by her suffering.
Many people today understand what it feels like to be known by their struggles.
Some battle addiction. Others wrestle with anxiety, depression, shame, pornography, food addiction, substance abuse, trauma, fear, anger, or grief. Whatever the struggle may be, the world has a tendency to take our wounds and turn them into our identity.
But Jesus does something different.
He looks deeper.
Mary's Story
The first time we meet Mary Magdalene in Scripture, Luke tells us:
"Mary (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out." (Luke 8:2)
Notice that this was her condition, not her identity.
The Bible does not define Mary by what had happened to her. Instead, it introduces us to a woman who encountered the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
After her deliverance, Mary became one of Jesus' most faithful followers.
She traveled with Him.
She supported His ministry.
She remained near the cross when many others fled.
She witnessed His burial.
She came to the tomb on resurrection morning.
And she became the first person to encounter the risen Christ.
What an incredible testimony of redemption.
The Difference Between a Condition and an Identity
One of the enemy's greatest tactics is convincing us that our struggle is who we are.
The world often labels people according to their wounds.
You struggle with addiction, therefore you are an addict.
You battle anxiety, therefore you are an anxious person.
You suffer from depression, therefore you are depressed.
You failed, therefore you are a failure.
While labels can sometimes describe a condition, they were never meant to define a person.
There is a significant difference between having a struggle and being identified by a struggle.
The danger comes when a description becomes an identity.
Over time, people can begin viewing themselves through the lens of their wounds rather than through the lens of God's truth.
Jesus Looks Deeper
Jesus consistently looked beyond what others saw.
The woman caught in adultery was more than her sin.
Zacchaeus was more than a corrupt tax collector.
The Samaritan woman was more than her broken relationships.
Mary Magdalene was more than her bondage.
Jesus saw image-bearers of God in need of redemption, healing, restoration, and relationship.
When Christ looks at a believer, He does not merely see where they are.
He sees what His grace is accomplishing in them.
He sees what they are becoming.
From Bondage to Beloved
One of the most beautiful truths of the Christian faith is that redemption is not God turning us into someone else.
Redemption is God restoring us to who we were always created to be in Him.
Think of a sculptor standing before a block of marble.
Everyone else sees a rock.
The sculptor sees a masterpiece hidden within.
The sculptor does not create the statue from nothing. He removes everything that does not belong.
Likewise, Christ continually removes:
Lies
Shame
Fear
Pride
False identities
Sin patterns
Not because He is making us someone different, but because He is revealing who we truly are in Him.
Beloved Before Performance
Many Christians unknowingly live as though they must earn God's love.
Yet before Jesus performed a miracle, preached a sermon, or went to the cross, the Father declared:
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
Identity came before ministry.
Beloved came before accomplishment.
The same is true for us.
We do not become beloved because we perform well.
We are beloved because we belong to Him.
Our identity is not earned.
It is received.
When Jesus Calls Her Name
The climax of Mary's story comes in John 20.
The tomb is empty.
Mary is standing outside weeping.
At first she does not recognize Jesus.
Then He speaks a single word:
"Mary." (John 20:16)
Everything changes.
Not "former demoniac."
Not "broken woman."
Not "failure."
Not "the woman with seven demons."
Simply:
"Mary."
He calls her by name.
The risen Savior sees beyond her past and speaks directly to her identity.
This is the heart of redemption.
God knows our wounds.
He knows our failures.
He knows our fears.
Yet He still calls us by name.
One of the most powerful truths in Scripture is that God does not merely save us from something—He calls us to Himself.
The world may reject us, misunderstand us, or define us by our failures, but God speaks a different word over His people:
"I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you." (Isaiah 41:9, NIV)
What a beautiful picture of redemption.
Mary Magdalene could have lived the rest of her life defined by her past, her suffering, or her bondage. Instead, Jesus called her to Himself. He restored her identity and gave her a new purpose.
The same is true for us.
God does not call us according to our wounds. He calls us according to His grace.
He says:
"I have chosen you."
"I have not rejected you."
When the world says we are too broken, too far gone, or too defined by our past, God reminds us that we belong to Him.
Our identity is not found in what has happened to us.
Our identity is found in the One who calls us His own.
My Identity Is in Christ
One of the greatest lies of the enemy is that our past determines our future.
The Gospel tells a different story.
My identity is not found in my wounds.
My identity is not found in my mistakes.
My identity is not found in my diagnosis.
My identity is not found in what others think of me.
My identity is found in Christ.
I am His beloved child.
I belong to Him.
And nothing can change that reality.
Just as no one can deny the relationship between a parent and child, no one can separate the believer from the love of Christ.
As Paul writes:
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38–39)
Nothing.
Not your past.
Not your failures.
Not your struggles.
Not your wounds.
Nothing.
Mary's Legacy
What is remarkable about Mary Magdalene is that after her deliverance, her story was no longer centered on what she had been rescued from.
It became centered on Who she was following.
She followed Jesus.
She served Jesus.
She stood by Jesus.
She sought Jesus.
She proclaimed Jesus.
Her condition became part of her testimony, but it never became her identity.
The same is true for us.
Our wounds may be part of our story, but they do not get the final word.
Christ does.
Final Reflection
Perhaps the greatest lesson from Mary Magdalene is this:
Your struggle is real, but it is not your identity.
Your wounds are real, but they do not define you.
Your past is real, but it does not determine your future.
The world may label you according to your condition.
Jesus calls you according to your identity.
And when He calls you by name, everything changes.
Because the deepest work of Christ is not merely changing our behavior.
It is restoring our identity so that we can finally live as the beloved children God created us to be.
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1)
Digging Deeper: A Bible Study on Mary Magdalene and the Restoration of Identity can be found in the bible study section the same day this article was published - https://www.thefrontlinefaith.com/post/digging-deeper-a-bible-study-on-mary-magdalene-and-the-restoration-of-identity
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