How to be a Woman of Faith Mt 27:55-56
The greatest asset this world has is a woman of faith. The greatest influence a woman can have on her family and community is to be a woman of faith. Women of faith have made the greatest positive, constructive, life changing contributions to our world than any of group in society.
Don’t believe it? Read the story of Mary. She above anyone else made the greatest life changing contribution to our world. Did she not?
And there have been many, many, many more women along with her who have been positive agents of change as well.
Ladies, if you want to be an agent of change for the good, if you want to impact the next generation, if you want to leave a lasting legacy—seek above all else to be a woman of faith.
Although Jesus never married, some of his closest, faithful followers were women. Many followed him all throughout his life. I want us to look at some of the women who were faithful followers of Jesus.
What kind of women were they? What were some of their characteristics? What was in these women that can help women today become faithful followers of Christ?
Mat 27v55 says, “many women…..followed Jesus…..ministering to him.”
V56 says these women included, “Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.”
Many women followed Jesus. These are not the only ones.
Other women included Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead.
Mary and Martha were sincere, faithful, deeply committed followers of Jesus. On occasion they would have Jesus over for a meal.
John 19:25 speaks of other women who followed Jesus, “…his mother's sister [his aunts], Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.”
The first woman in Jesus’ life, who was His first female follower, was his mother, Mary. Mary was a loyal, faithful, godly woman. Of all the women God could have chosen to bring his son into the world he chose Mary.
The women who followed Jesus are examples of godly women. They are examples for women today but what made them godly women?
What made them godly women is they were women of faith. What characteristics make up a woman of faith?
First of all, the women who followed Jesus had Saving Faith.
They knew they were sinners and they knew he was the savior and they confessed their faith in him.
Christ came a long saying, “I am the son of God.” “I am the Christ.” “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one come to the father but by me.” These women believed and followed.
They had saving faith, the first and most important ingredient in being a woman of faith. What about you? Have you believed in Christ? Have you confessed Christ as your personal Savior? This is the first step in being a woman of faith.
2. They had a Simple faith.
A simple faith is not a small faith. A simple faith is not a weak faith. A simple faith is a faith the simply believes everything God has said and acts on it.
One characteristic of women is they are trusting. They’re trusting of others. If you are someone they trust they will believe what you tell them.
A woman of faith is a woman who trusts Christ and believes what he says and lives her life by it.
When the angel Gabriel came to Mary telling her that she was to give birth to the Son of God, Mary just simply believed God and said, “Be it unto me according to your word.”
No doubts, no discussion, no delays. She trusted and obeyed God’s will for her life and in doing so made the greatest life changing contribution to our world that has ever been made -- Ever!!! What did she have? Simple faith.
These other women who believed in Christ believed in him simply for who he said he was. They didn’t need miracles. They believed because he said it. He didn’t have to move mountains for them to believe. He didn’t have to heal the blind for them to believe. For them, all he had to do was speak the word and they believed. Simple faith.
Not only did they have saving faith and a simple faith………
3. They had a strong faith.
Their simple saving faith was a strong faith. There is no stronger faith than simple saving faith. We know they had strong faith because of how they lived their lives.
This passage here in Mt 27:55-56…….these women are at the cross while Jesus was dying. In fact, the women at the cross were the only believers to witnesses Jesus’ crucifixion except for the apostle John. He was the only male believer there. The rest of the apostles were not there.
John 19:25 “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.”
These women showed incredible loyalty in the face of hardship and difficulty. At Jesus’ arrest and betrayal all the disciples ran. Peter denied knowing him. Not the women.
Their faith was no easy faith. It took great courage for them to follow Christ.
These women followed him all throughout his life including his death on the cross, his burial and resurrection.
Jesus warned them if they hate me they will hate you. If they persecuted me they will persecute you also. In spite of the hardship, in spite of the difficulties of following Christ ……….they remained faithful.
They followed him all the way to the cross. There were many at the cross who hated Christ, who ridiculed Christ, who chanted, who mocked, who teased, who scorned, not only Christ, but his followers as well.
But these women were unmovable, unstoppable, fearless in the face of persecution. His persecution was their persecution. His insults were their insults. His pain was their pain.
No woman bore that pain, insult, and ridicule more than Mary. “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother”
What strength. Strong faith.
Lastly, not only did they have saving/simple/strong faith
4. They had a seen faith.
A seen faith is a faith that is visible. Faith is something you possess and something that you express. Some people say I keep my faith to myself. If you have real saving faith it is something you can't help but to show and share with others. A faith that is not seen is not faith. Faith w/o works is dead.
True faith can be seen. These ladies had a faith that was seen. We see their faith don’t we?
We see their faith all throughout our Lord’s life. How do we see their faith? 3 ways: by their actions/deeds/words.
At his birth, his mother displayed her faith when she told the angel, “Be it unto me according to your word”
As Jesus begins his ministry other women exercised faith in him, ministering to him. “many women…..followed Jesus…..ministering to him.” Mat 27v55
We see them ministering to him at the cross. “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, his [aunts], Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.” John 19:25,
Lk 23:56 says some women went to the tomb where Jesus was buried to prepare his body for burial.
Lk 24:10 says it was some women who first discovered Jesus risen from the dead and went back and told the disciples he has risen.
How do we see their faith? By their actions/deeds/words. A woman of faith speaks of her faith in her Lord.
A woman of faith is not afraid/ashamed to show her faith.
She shows her faith by her commitment to Christ by being faithful to him in all things.
She will tell you of her prayer life how the Lord has answered her prayers. She will tell you of her devotional life, how the Lord spoke to her through his word.
She speaks of her faith to others. A woman of faith loves Jesus more than she loves anyone or anything else in life.
Faith, like love, is seen. It is visible. Faith is something we possess and something we practice. A woman of faith shows her faith by her actions/deeds/ words.
Ladies the greatest gift you can give your family and this world is your faith. Let it be seen……..
The greatest asset this world has is a woman of faith. The greatest impact a woman can have on her family and community is to be a woman of faith. The ones who have made the greatest positive, life changing contributions to our world, more than any other group are women of faith..
Ladies, if you want to be an agent of change for good, if you want to influence the next generation, if you want to leave a lasting inheritance—seek above all else to be a woman of faith.
Have a saving faith which is trusting Christ as savior and faithfully following him all the days of your life.
Have a simple faith which is a faith that simply believes all God says and live your live accordingly.
Have a strong faith which is a faith that remains true to Christ in spite of difficulties/hardships/persecutions.
Have a seen faith which is a faith that is visible to others by your words/actions/deeds.
