FOX Nation and FOX News Podcasts present Women of the Bible Speak. Shannon Bream, anchor of FOX News Sunday and author of the book Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today. This episode highlights the discussion on Mary Magdalene’s journey in the Bible embodying the longing to find goodness in life and the significance that the first-person Jesus appeared before after he was resurrected was a woman. #foxnews

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[Music] Fox Nation presents podcasts Wow I mean a wonderful approach to those Big things in life where she just it's Almost as if she took a deep breath and Went okay God wants me to carry his son How will this work let's begin Women of the Bible speak now here's your Host Shannon Breen [Music] Welcome to women of the Bible speak Podcast I'm your host and author of the Book Shannon bream whether you grew up Going to Sunday school and reading the Bible or you haven't read it in years There are so many inspiring and Timeless Stories in the Bible and many people Don't realize what a big role women Played in these stories these women I Write about are dealing with things that Are still relevant to the women of 2021. They are all amazing lessons that fit Today that we can all find inspiration And Hope from Foreign I am really excited and privileged to Have a good friend with me today to talk About some of her favorite women in the Bible Megan Alexander she is all kinds Of things a wife a mom of three adorable Kiddos an author of faith in the Spotlight in her children's book which You will love love love one more hug She's a country music journalist and you

May recognize her as my mom does her Biggest fan she's a correspondent on Inside Edition as well Megan thanks for Being with us thank you so much for Having me Shannon Well listen you and I have talked about One of the primary women in this book Around Christmas time we talked about Mary the mother of Jesus certainly one Of the best known women in the Bible and Around the world whether you're a person Of Faith or not Um so many people know that she was just A young woman the Bible tells us when The the angel Gabriel came to her and Told her some pretty amazing stuff that She was going to be with child this was Going to be a divine intervention and She was going to give birth to the Messiah she asks in Luke 1 34 how will This be since I'm a virgin and but I Write in the book the first thing I Thought is like oh no how am I going to Explain this to everyone she was Betrothed to Joseph but he knew they Hadn't physically been together but to Her family and her community I mean Hiding a pregnancy in those days Couldn't have been too easy Once you Started the show Um but she was such Grace took on this Assignment and said I will be known as Blessed among women she was very humble And she took on the assignment that may

Have been very scary for a lot of people Shannon Mary is hugely inspirational in So many ways and when I found out we Were writing this book you know you and I we we corresponded quite a bit and I Just thought I would love to talk about Mary the mother of Jesus because for me Personally especially around the Holidays I long to know more about her I Yearn to understand more you know Exactly what she went through when she Was pregnant with Jesus and you know Being pregnant myself what was it like Did did Jesus kick the way that all of Our babies kick in our belly when it was The Son of God the Savior but yet you Just threw out a couple things like Right from the get-go Mary is just Incredible I mean culturally speaking She was what maybe 14 15 we think she Was a teenager young young woman and it Her culture to to be a young woman who Is engaged which is basically married I Mean you did not break off engagements In those days right and um and then to Suddenly have the weight of this on her A couple things that struck me Shannon From your book which I loved working my Way through First and foremost you talk about that She immediately Received this message from the angel and And started processing it and asking Questions of oh okay well let's break it

Down how can this be since I'm a virgin She didn't say no and run away with this Right massive assignment she started Processing it and breaking it down and I Was thinking she immediately received it But yet in a very thoughtful way started Saying okay how is this gonna work out Wow I mean a wonderful approach to those Big things in life where she just it's Almost as if she took a deep breath and Went okay God wants me to carry his son How will this work let's begin talking About it I I just love her approach There and yet very real in how she you Know started asking questions about how Will this be you know why me Um but then you also talked about Shannon how she immediately you know Clung to prayer she she went to the Lord She's dialoguing with the angel she Continues to you know seek the Lord in All areas of her life I mean simple and Yet so important how she processed Things right and like you said she Didn't go running from it it must have Been overwhelming just think if an angel Showed up at your house right now in Your room like I I don't know that I Could speak and in fact oh yeah this is A young woman who's now asking very Important questions and she's willing She's called on for a huge assignment And I know that all of us in our lives Um people of Faith have had times where

We felt God calling us to do something Or asking us to do something I had one Of these moments today that involved a Barista at Starbucks and I was like Listen I hesitated on something a couple Weeks ago that I felt like God was Asking me to do and I regretted it later That I didn't reach out to this person So I was like all right this is it today With this Barista Um try to bless this person and Um you know that's something so tiny Compared to what Mary was asked to do But we're all were asked at some time to Do something that calls on us to take a Step of Faith big or small and we all in Our lives have some huge ones whether It's about marriage or children or Career or health or Finance Um and Mary's a good example for us in Walking in faith Absolutely and when those moments come Like I wonder how did she get to that Point of being able to receive that news Um in such a thoughtful way obviously Sharing that she was overwhelmed and not Certain but yet she'd been raised to Process things that way was she Constantly in dialogue with the Lord and It really feels like that conversation With the angel like you said she wasn't Completely shocked even though she she Might have been overwhelmed but it was Like okay God this is what you want me

To do this is my life this is what I've Been called to do Um and that continues through her whole Life in the way she dialogues with Jesus At the wedding when she comes to him you Also wrote Shannon about her deep Relationships and they immediately Showed up when you talk about that the First person she shared the news with Was her cousin yeah I love that story me Too like she doesn't go to the street Corner and shout it out she didn't run Away she went to her family's like I Found myself going okay gosh who are my Close friends am I close family that I Would go to with such big news I mean Life-changing news she goes to her Family and they immediately have Something in common because lo and Behold Elizabeth is also carrying a very Special baby but how how thoughtful that Was that she already had people in her Life that she could talk to and again How important it is for all of us to Have those close friends and family that We can process stuff with yeah her Cousin Elizabeth who we understand to be Older and maybe the baby was a surprise To her because there's a whole back Story on how she becomes pregnant with John the Baptist who was a forerunner For Jesus they were close in Ministry And throughout their lives together and Clearly related because Elizabeth and

Mary were cousins so I find that so much Of what I read or know about Mary is That early visit from Gabriel the Initial reaction she had to the news and Processing it but I thought it was Important in the book as well to include That uh other steps in her life where She was in the temple where Simeon and Anna were there to be bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah and also when they Go on a trip to Jerusalem they're going Home and guess what Jesus isn't with Them they don't even figure it out for a Couple of days they go back and find him As this young young guy teaching in the Temple that people are listening to his Every word and when she says like any Mom who's missing their kid would say What have you been doing what are you Doing we were so worried about you he Says don't you know I have to be about My father's business so we see along the Way she's a mom of yes the Messiah but Of a boy of a young man growing up who Had very real mom interactions with him Yeah absolutely that's a fascinating one Too because you start to see what the Relationship is in terms of she is well Aware that he's the son of God but when Would that start to play out you know Shannon did you work through that like As he was growing up were there moments Along the way where maybe she saw it but That was you know 12 13 he's at the

Temple where it truly became okay this My son is now stepping into his Destiny And into his calling 100 Um even though of course he always was But yet you know you said that she we we Wonder if she pondered that it would be A little bit later you know he would be A little bit older started so young and Yet what that relationship must have Been like I mean she always seems to be Thoughtful in her approach observing Right she Ponders things in her heart Um and and yet very peaceful it feels Like with God's Will and and that's Maybe one of the many reasons God chose Her that is a question I was thinking of As I was reading this chapter Shannon is Again that question of why her and and And we long for maybe sometimes a big Statement from the Lord as to why we get These little hints along the way but Then I realized as I'm working my way Through your chapter maybe God Continually reveals it all through the Gospels he sprinkles it here and there In these exchanges and these moments and How she interacted with Jesus at the Temple and then later at the wedding He's revealing the whole time why he Chose Mary yeah and she was key in that First miracle that we we have recorded Of him the water into wine we talk about That in the book but also I thought it Was important to look at the end of her

Life or what we know about her in that We know she was at the cross I cannot Imagine as a mother losing a child and Then to know he was being wrongfully Accused and to watch him be killed I Cannot imagine but she did not shy away From that she was there at the foot of The cross and then we see interim until He is resurrected she's Faithfully with The disciples she's praying in the upper Room she is a key player in the Beginning foundations and roots of the Church so I want people to see her not Just as this young teenager with this Overwhelming assignment right somebody Who is faithful all the way through and We know was there and never walked away From the ministry or the plan in fact Doubling down and being part and Building the initial church that's an Excellent point excellent point and I I Personally long to hear more about those Moments later in Jesus life I you know You just wonder as what did how did Mary React to some of the first Miracles that Jesus performed right I'd love to know What I knew it yeah yeah it's my son I Told you yeah or was it wow this really Is happening in front of my very eyes She had that front row seat and yet her Perspective I really enjoyed Shannon you Breaking down a bit more of of what that All means and a reminder that no matter What obstacles or hardships we face in

Our life you know that Mary again took Everything in stride and had such Confidence in the Lord and such Confidence in her son all the way to the End Um that that was deeply encouraging to Me and I think as a mother with a little Daughter now wanting to she grows up Explain you know Mary is a role model And how we should approach Life we'll Have more of this interview coming up There's so many Mary's and I point that Out in the chapter like there are a lot Of Mary's in the New Testament and we Talk through them but I paired Mary the Mother of Jesus with Mary Magdalene so She's a part of this chapter too and What a story she's part of the group of People who are ministering to Jesus and The disciples supporting them in their Ministry She also we're told as a person of some Independent means it sounds like in Being able to support but Jesus as I Talk about later in the book in a Separate chapter two has all these Relationships with women that probably Weren't exactly what the custom of the Day would have expected from him as a Rabbi or exalted religious teacher he Allowed these women to be part of that Learning to be his close friends uh and Mary Magdalene is one who was there Often she's all throughout the gospels

And we're told in one of the gospels That she had been delivered from Seven Demons so she'd had a rough patch before She gets to this place where she's now Learning and growing spiritually in all These ways and she is a key person also Whom Christ reveals himself to when she Goes to the Tomb in absolute Despair and Grief after his death wanting to go There intend and care for his body But he chooses a woman to be the first One that he reveals himself to is now Having risen And so she essentially becomes the first Evangelist and that she's running now to Tell the story Um such a touching scene of really her Life but that that moment of the Tomb as Well Absolutely and again Shannon you break It down when you talk about you know When the Angels appeared to her she Dialogues with them and you almost think Like wait a minute again there's two There's two angels in front of you did That didn't that throw you off a little Bit but she's she's in the moment and And saying in questioning where Jesus is And then when Jesus finally appears to Her and she says my teacher right and Tries to reach out for him and you just Think of gosh isn't that the type of Relationship we all long for I mean I Really found myself getting a little

Emotional Shannon I was I was reading That because I was thinking we long Sometimes to just touch goodness and When you find that wonderful friend in Your life in some small way maybe we can Relate where you just want to be around Them and then here he is she thinks he's Gone and then here he is my gosh what a Moment and like you said he appeared to Her and I was thinking isn't that a Reminder of like all through her life She thinks he's gone then he appears Again when she first met him she was Probably in the darkest of places being Demon-possessed and being an outcast and People you know living a dark life and Again we have some details about you Know possibly a prostitute and this and That but by no means welcomed overly in Society and yet Jesus is always melt Welcoming her and then like you said That one moment when he appears for the First time it's her that he chooses I I Find her story to be incredibly hopeful And optimistic that no matter what we're Going through in our life she Experienced the low of lows whether you Know being demon possessed and all the Things that she went through and then She got the highest of highs by being There when Jesus rose again Um I gotta throw this out there Shannon For me I couldn't help but think of CeCe Winans song Alabaster Box which they

Believe is about Mary Magdalene and wow Just the Arc of her life it's incredibly Inspirational and reminder that no Matter how bad you think things have Gotten and maybe how horrible you feel About yourself Jesus saw her as worthy and a child of God and he loved her and the same Applies to all of us and I do love that I thought it was important throughout These stories in the New Testament as I Said to talk about how Jesus went to People who were outcasts male and female Considered unacceptable I included in The book where he confronts the woman Who's now been accused of adultery They've pulled her out to Stone her and They're they're always testing him the The religious leaders are always trying To pull him into something that will Catch him that will discredit him in Some way and how he stayed there with Her defending her not her sin what she May have done but giving her complete Compassion and acceptance and saying go And sin no more but showing all of the Men who had showed up there to Stone her To death you guys are not innocent Either you're not without sin he was There to defend the defenseless and to Care for people and I think about Mary Magdalene at some point would have Clearly been not viewed well in society Whether it was

Um you know the demon possession or as You said many scholars believe she may Have been involved in prostitution and But he was always kind and he included Her he didn't say ah this woman of ill Repute whatever her thing was she can't Hang around with us she can't be seen in Ministry or be around us Um he he you know loved her as he did With so many people throughout his Ministry Um who weren't the quote right people Yeah and they were the not loved and the Outcast I want to talk about a little Bit more of detail about when he was at The tomb with her and you mentioned the Angels and how she doesn't even freak Out when she sees the Angels they said Woman why are you crying she said They've taken my Lord away I don't know Where they've put him that was in John 20 verses 11 through 13. and Um she's just she's just devastated Because she's already you know in deep Grief over losing this person but the Fact that she went there to just tend to His body and he wasn't even there she Was so grieving doesn't even really get Rattled by the Angels at all The disciples have taken off and she's There and so we know she's sitting there And she says she sees somebody that she Thinks is a gardener say woman why are You crying who is it you're looking for

In John 20th says she thought he was the Gardener she said sir if you have Carried him away tell me where you've Put him and I will get him Jesus said to Her Mary she turned toward him and cried Out in Aramaic rabbit eye which means Teacher or beloved teacher you reference That it was just him saying her name she Must have been you know sobbing and so Overcome with grief maybe not even Clearly able to see physically what or Who was in front of her Um but we know that she at the sound of His voice knew exactly who he was and What Joy must have sprung up in her Heart at that moment to think he is Alive who we thought he was that that's Who he is maybe we didn't understand it But I get it now I mean Shannon he saw her and how many People in life just want to be seen Especially when you go through hard Things I mean that was profound for me To read I thought you just want to hear Your name you want to be seen you want To be known you want to be loved and he Says her name and you think what that Must have meant to her and I've got to Read what you wrote Shannon In this Passage because I underlined it this Stood out to me you said so as we Navigate this earth-bound life of Valleys and mountaintops we too can look Forward to the day we hear Jesus say our

Names with infinite tenderness and Compassion he is calling to us even now His beloved children until the Glorious Day we will see him face to face That's what she got to experience and How many times Shannon I've wanted to Just see Jesus you know you have those Times in your day where you're like ah I Just want to see him I wish I could just Sit with him for a couple minutes you Know and you think Mary thought he was Gone and she looks up and he's there and He calls her name she immediately Recognizes him I feel like that'll be The moment we walk into heaven and he'll Say Shannon welcome home Megan Oh that I almost can't take it honestly And folks can't see you right now but You're teared up you're making me tear Up because I think about it wow right to Know that the god of the universe saw Her saw her and called her name and I Think sometimes I almost don't let my Mind go there to how beautiful and Overwhelming I think that will be Um and sometimes in our Earthly day in Our laundry and our carpals and our Deadlines we forget about what's coming If we believe uh as we do in the Christian faith that there will be that Moment when he does see us face to face Um I don't think I can put that into Words my friend no it's a glimpse of Heaven that I think we get right there

And What your book is about that in that Powerful moment he appears first to a Woman and we as women in this world and With all the conversations going in on In culture right now with the church and Women and and our value and Here it is right there in the Bible Jesus appeared to a woman first a Woman Who Wasn't perfect would not have had The perfectly curated Instagram would Not have had the most fantastic LinkedIn She had some stuff that she worked Through in her life and God looked at Her and said her name and said you are So loved and valued he appeared to a Woman as a woman Shannon if that doesn't Give you a sense of value and worth I Don't know what will because that is Something I cling to and just a Beautiful example of of Jesus loving all Of us no matter our gender he you're Right and I do love how much he reached Out as I said to Um women and they were important and They were respected by him they were Valued we are today and then we take Encouragement in that Megan thank you so So much your insights and just you know Just the depth of your faith is so Apparent and I really appreciate you Spending your time and your resources And your love uh for the Lord with us Shannon this book is a gift one that is

Incredibly timely for me and I know it Will be for so many people who long to Know more about the women of the Bible Who God has spoken to and worked through And their stories Um I think it's very timely especially For this moment Shannon I want everyone To get it please get a copy folks for me Personally it has been incredibly Encouraging to read this book thank you So much Megan it's called women of the Bible speak you can get it at Foxnews.com books and I hope it will be An encouragement to you to see you soon My friend you got it Thank you for listening to women of the Bible speak on the Fox News podcast Network for more of this podcast series You can go to Foxnewspodcast.com please rate and Review this one wherever you download Podcasts we want to hear what inspires You my book women of the Bible speak the Wisdom of 16 women in their lessons for Today is out March 30th and available For pre-order right now at foxnews.com Books this has been Fox News presents Podcasts women of the Bible speak Foreign [Music]