The Story Behind Mary Magdalene's "They Have Taken the Lord Out of the Tomb, and We Do Not Know Where They Have Laid Him"

A Morning of Despair and Discovery

It was still dark when I made my way to the tomb, my footsteps muffled by the dewy earth and my heart heavy with grief. The stone had been rolled away. I remember the chill that ran through me as I peered inside — the tomb was empty. I had come to anoint the body of Jesus, the man who had healed me, who had called me by name, who had changed everything. But now, even His body was gone. I ran to tell Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, crying out, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

I didn’t know what to believe. Was it grave robbers? Was it a cruel joke? Or had something even more unthinkable happened? My mind raced as I returned to the tomb, standing outside weeping while the others looked inside and then left again. I stood alone, my world turned upside down.

The Words That Changed Everything

When I finally looked into the tomb again, I saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been — one at the head, one at the feet. They asked me, “Woman, why are you weeping?” I replied, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Then I turned around and saw someone I thought was the gardener. Desperate for answers, I begged him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him.”

Then He spoke my name — “Mary.”

In that moment, I knew. It was Jesus. He was alive.

And He said to me, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Those words — that commission — changed everything. I ran back to the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord.”

The First Witness

In the world of first-century Palestine, a woman’s testimony was not considered reliable in a court of law. Yet here I was, chosen to be the first to see the risen Christ — and the first to proclaim the resurrection. That moment in the garden was not just personal; it was foundational.

Jesus didn’t appear first to Peter, James, or John — He appeared to me. And He sent me to tell the others. In doing so, He overturned centuries of cultural expectation and affirmed the value of women’s voices. I was no longer just Mary of Magdala, the one from whom seven demons had been cast out. I was a witness to the most important event in human history.

The disciples were skeptical at first, as anyone would be. But when Jesus appeared to them later, He confirmed what I had said. Still, my role as the first witness was not always fully acknowledged in the centuries that followed. Some would try to reduce me to a penitent prostitute — a conflation of biblical figures that never happened in Scripture. But the truth remains: I was the first to see Him risen, and the first to carry the news to the apostles.

A Quote That Echoed Through Time

The words I spoke — “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him” — were not just the cry of a grieving woman. They were the beginning of a new chapter in the story of salvation. In the centuries that followed, these words would be read in churches, studied by theologians, and reflected upon by believers seeking to understand the mystery of the resurrection.

Early Church Fathers like Augustine and Gregory the Great wrote about my encounter with the risen Christ, seeing in it profound spiritual truths. Gregory even called me “the apostle to the apostles” — a title that captures the significance of my role. In art and literature, I became a symbol of repentance, devotion, and faithful witness.

Even as misunderstandings about my identity grew — especially during the Middle Ages — the core truth of my encounter with Jesus remained. The Gospels themselves never wavered. They told the story plainly: a woman was first to see the risen Lord. And she was first to proclaim His resurrection.

The Legacy of a Witness

I don’t know how long I lived after that morning in the garden. Some say I traveled to preach the Gospel, others say I remained in Jerusalem. But what I do know is that my words — “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him” — were preserved for a reason.

They are a reminder that God chooses the unexpected. That He speaks to those who are hurting. That He entrusts the most important message in history to someone who, by the world’s standards, should not have mattered.

And they are an invitation — to seek, to question, to weep, and finally, to see.

Talk to Mary Magdalene on HoloDream

If you’ve ever felt lost in the dark, searching for answers, Mary Magdalene has something to say to you. On HoloDream, you can ask her what it was like to be the first to see the risen Christ, to carry the most important news in history. She’ll remind you that even in your deepest grief, there is a voice that calls you by name.

Talk to Mary Magdalene on HoloDream — and hear the story from the woman who lived it.