DECEMBER 2007 Introduction My purpose is not to present biographies but to demonstrate the importance of women in the life and ministry of Christ. 1. The Role of Women in the Life and Ministry of Jesus “Jesus went to His death attended by a loyal following of women who had stood by Him throughout His ministry. Women played a major part in Jesus’ life and work.” – Wayne House What follows was adapted from material developed by Wayne House in Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary. He came into this world with the trust and obedience of a woman. “Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus,” Luke 1: 31 Jesus was loved and cared for as a child. “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” Women provided financial support for Jesus’ ministry “Not long afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby cities and villages to announce the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women he had healed and from whom he had cast out evil spirits. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples,” Luke 8: 1 – 3 It was a woman that provided one of the most memorable examples of generosity faith and trust recorded in scripture. “Jesus went over to the collection box in the Temple and sat and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two pennies. He called his disciples to him and said, “I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has,” Mark 12: 41 – 44 While the disciples remained essentially clueless as to the coming fate of Christ, it was a woman who recognized His suffering and prepared His body for burial. “During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head. The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste of money,” they said. “She could have sold it for a fortune and given the money to the poor.” It was women who stood by Him in His darkest hour. “Apparently most of Jesus’ disciples had fled in fear of the Jewish and Roman authorities when Jesus was sentenced to die. But these women were faithful followers to the end.” – George Knight And it was to a woman that He first appeared after His resurrection. “Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance…Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.
2. The Women at the Cross “Many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and Zebedee’s wife, the mother of James and John,” Matthew 27: 55 – 56 “Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Then they and many other women had come with him to Jerusalem,” Mark 15: 40 – 41 “The women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching,” Luke 23: 49 “Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene,” John 19: 25 All four gospel writers mention the fact that women stood by our Lord as He suffered on Calvary for our redemption. Four of these women are mentioned by name. Only one other person is mentioned and that is John. Apart form Mary, the mother of Jesus, three other women are referred to. Some argue that John is only referencing two, that Mary is Mary’s sister. But I think it more likely and consistent that Salome is Mary’s sister. This is a matter of debate and we cannot be dogmatic. “John’s list in all probability, refers to four women, not three.” – William Hendriksen
Mary the mother of Jesus “The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,” Genesis 3:6 “Mary said, behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word,” Luke 1: 38 “Her faith and humility exhibit themselves in her immediate surrendered to the divine will.” – Merrill Unger Of all the women of all the earth, God entrusted His incarnation to Mary and because she was trustworthy, faithful and true, a savior was born to the world, for you and for me. Aren’t you glad Mary said “be it unto me according to thy word?” In a similar circumstance, in a time when an unwed pregnant woman could be stoned or expelled without support from her community, would you do the same? Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “You are blessed by God above all other women.” Luke 1:42 “She is the most tender, the most faithful, humble, patient, and loving of women.” – Merrill Unger
Mary Magdalene “Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons,” Luke 8:2 It is likely that she derived her name from her town of origin, Magdala. However, it should be noted that the word Magdala means “watchtower” and it may connote the steadfastness of her faith. The word Gadal from which Magdala is derived could also allude to spiritual greatness. We know that she was delivered from seven demons. We are not explicitly told how she came to be tormented by seven demons though the usual method is by occult and or pagan practices. Imagine how difficult it must have been for her to be tormented by seven demons. Then, she encounters Jesus and finds that He is not only willing but also able and ready to expel them. How would you feel? How much devotion would you have? She followed him and became a witness not only of His crucifixion but also of His resurrection. In fact, as was alluded to previously, she was the first witness to the resurrection of our Lord. “A certain immoral woman,” Luke 7:37 Mary has often been referred to as a prostitute based on the above reference. If the Mary Magdalene, so named and referenced by Luke in chapter 8 was the same person as the “immoral woman” of Luke 7, why wouldn’t he have named her? The answer is because Luke is referring to two different women. I’m not saying Mary was absolutely not a prostitute. It matters not because once Jesus touches our lives, what is behind us is of no consequence. What I am saying is that there is no biblical reason to assume that Mary was ever involved in prostitution. “Perhaps no figure in biblical scholarship has been the subject of more controversy and debate than Mary Magdalene.” – Patricia Monaghan
“Each era has fashioned Mary Magdalene according to its own specific interests and desires…she was His apostle to the apostles.” – Susan Haskins “It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead, and the first person who saw Him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons,” Mark 16:9 Jesus could have appeared to anyone, anywhere, at any time after His resurrection but He chose Mary Magdalene, a former demoniac. “Go find my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God,” John 20: 17 Mary is commissioned by Jesus to testify to the others of His resurrection. The fact that she was commissioned to this task by Jesus and that she was a witness to His resurrection, qualifies her in one sense as an apostle. “Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes?” 1st Corinthians 9:1 Paul argues for his own apostolic authority on the basis of his witness to His resurrection. Whatever we may conclude about the apostolic authority of Mary, as a witness to His resurrection, she would have and does provide vital evidence of the validity of our faith in the same way as the apostles. The following was adapted from a sermon entitled “Mary Magdalene” and composed by Dr. Jack Hyles:
What ever became of Mary Magdalene? The Roman Catholic Church believes that during the persecution of the Christians, Mary left Palestine with Martha, Lazarus and several disciples. They crossed the Mediterranean in a small boat and landed in France where Mary adopted a contemplative life, and lived in peace in the hills of La Saint Baume, about 40 miles northeast of Marseille, where she spent the remainder of her life. Some of her companions were Maximin, Sidonius, Suzanna and Marcella, who helped to Christianize parts of ancient France.
Mary the wife of Clopas, the mother of James and Joses “From a comparison of the crucifixion passages it appears that Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary the mother of James the less and Joses are the same person.” – Merrill Unger “Mary was one who persistently followed with the disciples and ministered of her substance to aid and comfort the Lord.” – Louis Matthews Sweet “Clopas was the brother of Joseph, the husband of the virgin Mary.” – J. D. Douglas “James is called the less or the younger to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee. He was one of the twelve (Mt. 10:3, Mk 3:18, Lk 6:15, Acts 1:13). In John 19:25, this Mary is called the wife of Cleophas or Clopas who is in turn identified with Alphaeus.” – C.M. Kerr We don’t know much about this Mary or her sons. They were no doubt well known to the first century church or they would not have been mentioned. One of her sons was an apostle. She traveled with her son and Jesus since the time of our Lord’s Galilean ministry.
Salome Salome was the wife of Zebedee, the mother of James and John. If she were the sister of Mary then James and John would be the cousins of Jesus. “When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed,” Luke 5: 8 –10 James and John were the fishing partners of Peter. The three of them became the inner circle of our Lord. “Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance changed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became dazzling white,” Matthew 17:1 Jesus took only these three to the mount of transfiguration. “Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go on ahead to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep distress. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me,” Matthew 26: 36 – 37 Jesus solicited only the company of these three in His darkest hour in Gethsemane. “Not long afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby cities and villages to announce the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women he had healed and from whom he had cast out evil spirits. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples,” Luke 8: 1 – 3 Salome was no doubt among this group. “A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat mending their nets. 20 He called them, too, and immediately they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men and went with him,” Mark 1: 19 – 20 The fact that Zebedee could afford to hire men suggest that he is a successful businessman and financial able to support our Lord’s ministry. “The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus’ body,” Mark 16:1 Of the four women known to be present at the foot of the cross, only our Lord’s grieving mother was not among those that “went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus’ body.”
3. Conclusion William Hendriksen sums up the importance of these women in a threefold capacity.
See also The Role of Women in Ministry, the Position Paper of the Assemblies of God |