If you go to church regularly, you will likely be regularly exposed to teachings on major Christian topics such as grace, faith, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and salvation. You might spend weeks or months studying one of those topics.
There are probably many times you have heard a Scripture and said to yourself, “I wish someone would give me a short lesson on a particular word or topic. Not a long treatise, but enough to get a better understanding.” The purpose of this series is to do that for a wide variety of topics. For that reason, some of these videos are shorter than the typical Eyewitness episodes.
As we often caution, we are not trying to add to what the Bible says, we are trying to add context that will help you understand the Bible better. So, please read the applicable Scriptures in the study guides for these stories so you will know exactly what the Bible says.
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Mary Magdalene is an important figure in the life and death of Jesus. She was a loyal follower of Jesus, she was at his crucifixion, and was the first to see him after his resurrection. One of the specifics known about her is found in Luke 8:1-3. Jesus is traveling from town to town proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. With him are the twelve apostles and some women cured of evil spirits and diseases. These women helped support Jesus and the apostles out of their own means.
That passage specifically says Mary Magdalene “from whom seven demons had come out.” It’s not known if Mary’s previous behavior could be associated with seven specific behaviors or if the seven demons could be separately identified as Jesus cast them out. It is clear that Mary had been demon-possessed, not just ill or diseased.
From stories about demons in the New Testament, certain characteristics of them can be determined. Demons were evil spirits who caused such things as: people to harm themselves and others; physical harm to those they inhabited; controlled people’s thoughts and actions; and, kept people from following Jesus.
