Is Mary Magdalene the Sister of Lazarus? (Answered from Scripture)
No. The Bible never says Mary Magdalene was Lazarus's sister. Lazarus's sister was Mary of Bethany, who lived with him and their sister Martha in a village just outside Jerusalem. Mary Magdalene came from Magdala, a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee, some 75 miles to the north.
The two women were blended into one in Western church tradition for more than a thousand years, which is why the question still comes up. Here's how to tell them apart.
Mary of Bethany: Lazarus's sister
John introduces the family plainly:
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
— John 11:1 (KJV)
What the Gospels tell us about her:
- She lived in Bethany with Martha and Lazarus. John notes it was "about fifteen furlongs" from Jerusalem, a little under two miles (John 11:18).
- She sat at Jesus' feet to listen while Martha did the serving. Jesus said she had "chosen that good part" (Luke 10:38-42).
- She wept with Jesus at Lazarus's tomb before He raised her brother from the dead (John 11:28-35).
- She anointed Jesus' feet with expensive spikenard and wiped them with her hair, six days before the Passover (John 12:1-3).
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
— John 11:5 (KJV)
Mary Magdalene: from Magdala
"Magdalene" isn't a surname. It means "from Magdala". Luke introduces her among the women who travelled with Jesus and paid their own way:
And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
— Luke 8:2-3 (KJV)
What the Gospels tell us about her:
- Jesus freed her from seven demons (Luke 8:2, Mark 16:9).
- She followed Him from Galilee and helped support His ministry (Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 27:55-56).
- She stood at the cross when most of the disciples had fled (John 19:25, Mark 15:40).
- She was the first person to see the risen Jesus, and the first to tell the others (Mark 16:9, John 20:16-18).
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
— John 20:18 (KJV)
Notice what's missing from both lists. Mary Magdalene is never linked to Bethany, never mentioned with Martha or Lazarus, and never described as anyone's sister.
Side by side
| Mary of Bethany | Mary Magdalene | |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Bethany, near Jerusalem | Magdala, Galilee |
| Family named | Sister of Martha and Lazarus | None mentioned |
| Best known for | Sitting at Jesus' feet; anointing Him | Healed of seven demons; first witness of the resurrection |
| Key passages | Luke 10:38-42; John 11; John 12:1-8 | Luke 8:1-3; Mark 16:9; John 20:1-18 |
So how did they get mixed up?
There are several Marys in the Gospels, and three different women anoint Jesus or are linked to an anointing. That's fertile ground for confusion.
In a sermon in 591, Pope Gregory the Great taught that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the unnamed "woman in the city, which was a sinner" who anointed Jesus in Luke 7:36-50 were all the same person. His sermon shaped Western art and preaching for centuries. It's also where the idea of Mary Magdalene as a repentant prostitute comes from, although the Bible never says that about her either.
The Eastern Orthodox churches never accepted the merger. They have always honoured Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany as two different women. The Roman Catholic Church separated them again in its 1969 calendar reform. In 2016 Pope Francis raised Mary Magdalene's day, 22 July, to a full feast, and in 2021 he added Mary and Lazarus to their sister Martha's memorial on 29 July.
Why it matters
Both women deserve to be known for who they actually were.
Mary of Bethany shows us what it looks like to stop and listen to Jesus, and to give Him something costly while others call it a waste.
Mary Magdalene shows us what Jesus can do with a life others had written off. Healed of seven demons, she followed Him all the way to the cross, and she was the one He chose to send with the news that He was alive.
Want to know more about who anointed Jesus, and when? Read Which Mary anointed Jesus with oil?