Women who followed Jesus
Mary Magdalene.
The Roman occupation of Israel (63 BCE.) was part of a long line of invasions beginning with the Babylonians (539 BC), then the Persians and the Greeks and later on others. The Jewish identity rested on stories of the Patriarchs--Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--as well as the founding story of the Moses led liberation from the Egyptians at the Exodus. There were yet other stories that recounted successful self-rule under the Hebrew kings Saul, David and Solomon. How-ever, history records that the Jewish people were more often the victims than the victors in their fight for national sovereignty.. Of further historical interest is the fact that the temple - the center of their worship was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
Hebrew identity was maintained--as it is with most oppressed peoples--through a deep spiritual conviction. This conviction was expressed in terms of a Covenant Theology - the belief that God had chosen them to play a unique role in the history of the world. In particular, the Jewish people had come to expect a Messiah who, they believed, would enable them to fulfill this divine mission. There were different understandings of the mission and role of the Messiah ranging from the establishment of a Jewish political kingdom here on earth to the notion of a heavenly kingdom at the end of the world. It goes without saying that religion and politics were deeply intertwined in the Hebrew faith
By the time of Jesus' birth, the Romans had established a two-tiered system of government consisting of Roman overseers and Jewish leaders who exercised control in the name of Rome. This was the system of power in which the family of Herod the Great grew to prominence. Although half-Jews, (Herod the Great 's father was an Idumean and his mother Arabian.) the Herodian family was detested by the Jewish people for its tyrannical rule and also because of its key role in selling out the Jewish heritage to a foreign power. One of Herod's sons, Archelaus, was so brutal in his exercise of power in Jerusalem, that Rome replaced him with one of its own governors, Pontius Pilate, who was to play a significant role in the crucifixion of Jesus. Another of the sons, Herod Antipas, was responsible for the beheading of John the Baptist. It was the same Antipas who is accredited with the mocking of Jesus at his pre-crucifixion trial - Luke 23:11
The bible is a book that has been found relevant and meaningful to generation after generation. No matter what the ebbs and flows of the culture - the stories, poetry, and historical accounts found in the Bible have spoken to people of all backgrounds. Among many areas in which the Bible is revolutionary is it’s high regard for women and it is a document truly ahead of its time.
In ancient Israel, women participated in every aspect of community life except in the Temple priesthood. Women freely engaged in commerce and real estate (Proverbs 31), as well as in manual labor (Exodus 35:25; Ruth 2:7; 1 Samuel 8:13). They were not excluded from Temple worship -women played music in the sanctuary (Psalm 68:25), prayed there (1 Samuel 1:12), sang and danced with men in religious processions (2 Samuel 6:19, 22), and participated in music and festivities at weddings (Song of Solomon 2:7; 3:11).
Women were included when God instituted the Mosaic covenant (Deuteronomy 29:10-13) and were present when Joshua read the Scriptures to Israel. Their presence was not just an option; they were required to be present for the public reading of the Scriptures on the Feast of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 31:12).
Women were not limited to private roles during those centuries. Several exercised leadership roles over Israel. Miriam, the sister of Moses, led the women of Israel in worship (Exodus 15:20–21); Deborah was a judge and a prophetess (Judges 4:4), and the scriptures specifically mention that she was a wife and mother as well. Huldah was also a prophetess whom King Josiah consulted instead of Jeremiah, her contemporary (2 Kings 22:14–20).
In Genesis 21:12, we read that God told Abraham to listen to his wife, Sarah. Proverbs 18:22 tells us that he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and Proverbs 19:14 says that an intelligent wife is a gift from God. Abigail is recognized for her ability to navigate a politically tense conflict between King David and her husband, Nabal. Her wisdom and valor so touched King David that she became his wife after Nabal’s death (1 Samuel 25:23–42). The wise woman of Tekoa was sent to persuade David to lift the ban on his son Absalom (2 Samuel 14). Many more sharp and gifted women found their ways into the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures and are still honored today.
However the social condition of women in the first century had been radically altered from that of their ancient sisters. And by the time of Jesus, the role of women had drastically changed for the worse. In theory, women were held in high regard by first-century Jewish society, but in practice, this was not always true. While a man’s primary responsibility was seen as public, a woman’s life was confined almost entirely within the private family sphere.
Women were not allowed to testify in court. In effect, this categorized them with Gentiles.
Customarily, even a woman of stature could not engage in commerce and would rarely be seen outside her home. Only a woman in dire economic straits, who was forced to become the family breadwinner, could engage in her own small trade. If a woman was ever in the streets, she was to be heavily veiled and was prohibited from conversing with men. The terminology for a prostitute was “one who goes abroad."
We find that in the New Testament women were very likely illiterate, since the religious leaders did not consider it incumbent upon women to learn to read in order to study the Scriptures. Based on the passage in Deuteronomy 4:9 (King James Version), “teach them to thy sons,” the rabbis declared women to be exempt from the commandment to learn the Law of Moses.
Women were separated from men in private, public, and religious life. They could go to the Temple, but could not venture beyond the confines of the Women’s Court (there was no such court found in the original descriptions of Solomon’s Temple, so we know it was added later. It was added during the time of the 2nd Temple built by Herod The beginning of the Second Temple period (586 BC-AD 70) is marked by the return of Jews to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon in 538 BC. They were allowed to return under an edict issued by Cyrus King of Persia. By 515 BC the reinstated Jewish residents had completed renovating the Second Temple. Under Herod the Great construction began to rebuild the temple in 20 BC and lasted for 46 years.(John2:20) The area of the Temple Mount was doubled and surrounded by a retaining wall with gates. The renovated Temple contained the Court of Women. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
In a book mostly written by men and about men, what is the role of women? Over 90% of the people named in the Hebrew Bible are men. While women were largely confined to the house-hold, they also were a critical part of a society’s social, political, and economic well-being, since the sustainment of the household was so vitally important to ancient life.
In our study on " Women who followed Jesus" we will start with the genealogy of Jesus Him-self. God could have chosen any family line for His Son. While the genealogy of Jesus consists mostly of men ,the women who were selected to be in the lineage of Christ were picked for a reason. They life stories were fierce, daring, and pushed cultural boundaries.
They were the rebel women of their day — willing to do what they believed was right, no matter the personal cost:
1. Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho, she risked her own life to save the Israelite spies.
2. Tamar disguised herself, pretending to be a prostitute, to seduce her deceased husband’s father. She tricked him also, by keeping proof he was the one who slept with her. She gave birth to his son.
3. Ruth was a Moabite widow who pursued a relationship with her Jewish kinsman, Boaz. She took the lead by offering herself to him in marriage. She bravely went against cultural and even racial and religious expectations. The scriptures tell us clearly that " No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation. Deut 23:3
4. Mary was a young girl. She was not married yet became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit- Luke 1:35. If exposed she was punishable by ex-communication and stoning to death. She became the mother of the Son of God!
Coming to the lifetime of Jesus we find that by publicly including women in His ministry, Jesus shattered the prejudicial customs of his day. Nothing in the Mosaic Law prevented men and women from conversing with one another Yet the society of Jesus’ day, with custom dictated by rabbinic Judaism, differed strikingly from the Old Testament written social order.
Jesus shattered the thinking of His day by offering His teachings freely to anyone who would listen—whether they were women or men! We see him directly talking with women on numerous occasions. The woman at the well is perhaps the best known of these. We sense the astounded reactions of the disciples when their teacher was seen talking with a woman. “They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you seek?’ or, ‘Why are you talking with her?’” (John 4:27).
Another instance is found in the story of Jesus and his disciples at the home of the sisters Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38). Mary, mesmerized by Jesus’ teaching, is found by her sister Martha sitting and listening to Jesus’ teaching with the male disciples. This could have been quite a social embarrassment to the family. The role of women was to serve the family Martha becomes very angry at Jesus for not enforcing the norms by telling Mary to go help. But Jesus defends Mary’s choice to sit and listen. In doing so, he counter-culturally affirms women’s role as a fully fledged disciple and implicitly invites Martha to join her sister among the disciples.
In several other places in Luke’s gospel, we see Jesus publicly associating with women. Some were women of high standing in society, some were women of ill repute, and some even had been possessed by demons.
In Matthew 15:22–28, Jesus spoke with a Canaanite woman. The disciples urged him to send her away for it was improper for a teacher to speak with a woman, and a foreign one at that At first, Jesus did not answer her plea for help. But, as she prevailed upon him with her great need and even greater faith, he had mercy on her and granted her request.
Another aspect of Jesus’s regard for the full intrinsic value of women is seen in how he spoke to the women he addressed. He spoke in a thoughtful, caring manner. Each synoptic writer records Jesus addressing the woman with the bleeding disorder tenderly as “daughter” and referring to the bent woman as a “daughter of Abraham” (Luke 13:16). Jesus called the Jewish women ‘daughters of Abraham’ (Luke 13:16), thereby according them a spiritual status equal to that of men.
Now Jesus did not gloss over sin in the lives of the women he met. He held women personally responsible for their own sin as seen in his dealings with the woman at the well (John 4:16–18), the woman taken in adultery (John 8:10–11), and the sinful woman who anointed his feet (Luke 7:44–50). Their sin was not condoned, but confronted. Each had the personal freedom and a measure of self-determination to deal with the issues of sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Even though clear role distinction is seen in Christ’s choice of the apostles and in the exclusive type of work they were given to perform, no barriers need exist between a believer and the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of gender. Jesus demonstrated only the highest regard for women, in both his life and teaching. He recognized the intrinsic equality of men and women, and continually showed the worth and dignity of women as persons. Jesus valued their fellowship, prayers, service, financial support, testimony and witness. He honored women, taught women, and ministered to women in thoughtful ways.
As a result, women responded warmly to Jesus’s ministry.
Luke opens the narrative of his gospel with a clear objective, to have an orderly and well-crafted account of Jesus’ life and teachings. The stories that he included in his narratives are carefully selected so that it will be focused on Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of the world. As a result, Luke fills his two-volume work - Luke and Acts with stories that illuminate the truth and strengthen the faith of the first century Christians. They point towards the importance of the Great Commission declared by Jesus in Luke 24:47-49. As a theologian and storyteller, Luke is deeply concerned about the way God is present in human history, a presence that for him goes back to the origins of Creation.
Hence, God’s creativity and saving plan is consistently present and permeates throughout the gospel. As a historian, Luke wrote the gospel by not only depending on his literary sources but he also engaged with “eyewitnesses of the Christian community.” The testimonies of the eye-witnesses are crucial for Luke since they are necessary to affirm his belief (that he is passing on through his gospel) that salvation is for everyone and goes beyond human culture, social strata and political spheres.
We will be focusing on the life of Mary Magdalene for the rest of the study.
“Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. There Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out…” Luke 8:1-2
Mary was a Jewish woman from the town of Magdala, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Her name, “Magdalene” is derived from this town. Her name is mentioned 12 times in the Gospels, more than most of the apostles. Mark and Luke recorded the healing of demons from Mary’s life in their Gospel accounts.
Magdala was a thriving center of the fishing industry, producing smoked fish in large quantities – not very romantic, but a good, steady trade.
It was also known as a manufacturing center for fine wool and woolen dyes. Mary seems to have been financially independent, so she probably lived in a comfortable village house.
" These women were helping to support them out of their own means." Luke 8:3 NIV
The “resources” provided as a part of the support of Jesus’ ministry in Luke’s Gospel account suggests that Mary might have been wealthy.
Women in Jewish society did not typically carry important roles, which makes their involvement in Jesus’ ministry more radical than normal for the time they lived in. In every stage of His steps on earth, He modeled love for all, even the least in society.
The canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John place Mary as witness to Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.
The gospel references primarily speak only to her presence and actions at these special events; they don’t describe her personality, history or character.
Mary Magdalene loved and served Jesus with a spirit of gratefulness. Before Jesus, she was possessed by seven demons - Mark 6:9 . After her deliverance, Mary became one of Jesus’ most loyal followers throughout His ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
She was one of many in a literal sea of Mary’s that followed Jesus, being that it was the most common name for a Jewish female. Thus, when writing about her, it was necessary to clarify which Mary. The claim that it was Mary Magdalene that poured out perfume onto Jesus’ feet is not specific in the scriptures but it was rather Mary of Bethany. The scriptures does not claim that it was Mary Magdalene who anointed Jesus at Bethany.
"A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." Luke 7:37 NIV
All four canonical gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) noted Mary Magdalene’s presence at Jesus’s Crucifixion, but only the Gospel of Luke discussed her role in Jesus’s life and ministry, listing her among “some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities” (Luke 8:1–3).
Of the three Synoptic Gospels, it is Luke that gives the most prominent role to women disciples. The Gospel begins with two women collaborating with God’s plan of salvation and ends with women disciples proclaiming the resurrection of Christ.
The Lukan narratives offer a rich variety of affirming roles that women disciples embraced, exercised and exemplified. Mary and Elizabeth collaborated with God and their faith is carried throughout the Gospel by the other disciples. Women disciples not only followed Jesus through-out his ministry, they also contributed financially so that Jesus was able to concentrate on his ministry.
Women's equal call to discipleship with their brothers is most evident in the Resurrection accounts, for it is upon the testimony of women that the proclamation of the Resurrection depends. All four Gospels show Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the Mother of James and Joses, Salome and the other women disciples accompanying Jesus to his death; viewing the empty tomb; and experiencing His risen presence. That the message of the Resurrection was first given to women is regarded by many as compelling evidence for the historicity of the
Resurrection accounts. Had these texts been fabricated by overzealous male disciples, they would not have included the witness of women in a society that rejected their legal witness.
In the 2,000 years since Mary Magdalene is said to have watched Jesus Christ die on the cross, she’s been labeled many things - penitent prostitute, lover or wife of Jesus.
But these theories — penitent prostitute or devoted spouse — do not match what can be said about Mary Magdalene from what’s written in the Bible: She was a woman from Magdala, a small Galilean town known for its fishing, who became a female disciple and was first witness to Jesus’ resurrection, the cornerstone of Christianity. The label “prostitute” has stuck fast for centuries defying evidence to the contrary in the canonical Gospels. And also, many movies portray Mary Magdalene as the lover or wife of Jesus. Myths surround the figure of Mary Magdalene to this day. Scriptures do not vouch for any of these myths or theories
In one sense, the group which accompanied Jesus was a testimony to the identity of Jesus Christ as Messiah. As Jesus went from village to village and city to city preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, those with Him bore witness to the fact that Jesus had given them sight when they had been blind, had enabled them to walk, when they were paralyzed, had freed them from demonic possession, when they had been in bondage to demons. The crowd which accompanied Jesus was, in one way of viewing it, the answer to John the Baptist’s challenge that Jesus prove His identity as Messiah - Matt. 11:1-4.
It is not difficult to understand why those who had been healed by our Lord would want to be with Him as He traveled. The delivered demoniac expresses not only his desire to be with Jesus, but that which many like him must have felt as well:
The women who had been healed by Jesus and who now accompanied Him, were those who also supported the whole group out of their own means. Luke wants us to know that these women were not mere “clingers-on,” they were active contributors to the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom. Humanly speaking, this campaign could not have been waged without their support. The party had to eat, and the food was provided by these women. I cannot say for certain that no man contributed to the support of our Lord’s mission, but we do know that many women played a crucial role in this matter.
The more I have read this text, the more I have become convinced that meeting the physical needs of the crowd that accompanied our Lord was a secondary matter, an outgrowth of being with Christ. To put the matter differently, I am convinced that these women did not follow our Lord to “have a ministry” as much as they followed Christ to be with Him. Being with Christ, these women were, like Him, sensitive to needs (even the hunger of those in the group) and to meeting these needs. Thus, these women were with Christ and also acted as He did in the face of needs.
In one way, it is amazing to find our Lord and His disciples in need. In another, it is amazing that He purposed that women meet their needs. The Lord Jesus had proven His power and sufficiency in the lives of each who followed Him. He did that which men could not do—He performed a miracle in each life. And yet He did not miraculously provide for the need of the group for their daily bread. Jesus did not use miracles to provide for His own needs and for those of His disciples
The precedent was set at our Lord’s testing in the wilderness. There, He refused to turn “stones into bread” as Satan challenged Him to do. He would not use His power to provide for His own needs. Similarly, He would not use His power here to do something similar, only on a little larger scale. Jesus would not make “miracle meals,” even though His followers were hungry.
On two occasions, Jesus did miraculously provide for His followers, once at the “feeding of the 5,000” and again at the “feeding of the 4,000.” In both cases, there was no earthly way to feed these hungry. Jesus feed these crowds by performing a miracle because there was no other way to feed them.
I believe that there are several reasons why Jesus did not miraculously provide for His followers, thus making the group dependent on the generosity of these faithful women followers.
This gave the women the opportunity and privilege of having a part in His ministry.
In all the Gospel accounts women are the first to the tomb Sunday morning, and they are the first to see the risen Christ and commanded to carry the good news to the disciples.
In all four accounts different women are named - Matt 28:1 Mark 16:1 Luke 24:1.John 20:1 - but one name is constant in all four gospels: Mary Magdalene. In John 20 she is the first to the tomb on Sunday morning, and the first person to whom Christ reveals himself after the resurrection.
After Mary discovers the empty tomb she runs to where the disciples are staying and reports that someone has removed Jesus from the tomb, and she does not know where they have put him. Peter and the beloved disciple then run to the tomb where the beloved disciple stoops down and looks in, and Peter enters the tomb. Peter sees the linen wrappings and the head cloth then the other disciple enters and sees the same thing. After seeing the linen and cloth the beloved disciple believes but does not understand because he does not realize the reality of the resurrection. Peter and the beloved disciple then leave.
John 20:11 states that Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 20:12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 20:13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 20:16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).
Mary remains at the tomb weeping. She leans down and looks in to see two angels who ask her why she is crying. She answers, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him" (John 20:13). She then turns and sees Jesus but does not recognize him. Jesus asks her, "Whom are you looking for?" (v. 15). The first words Jesus said at the beginning of John were to the disciples of John: "What are looking for?" (John 1:38) . Mary still does not recognize Jesus until he says her name. In something as simple and intimate as saying her name the reality of the resurrection is revealed, and Mary becomes the first person to see the risen Christ.
John 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because 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.'" 20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that He had said these things to her.
She was the first preacher of the good news of the resurrection to the same men who had just been at the tomb before Jesus appeared to Mary.
It is ironic with the low status of women in that day that Jesus chose to appear to Mary and the other women, and that "the first Christian preachers of the Resurrection were not men, but women!" (The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 883).. Mary saw him first, and she received the central tenet of the Christian faith: " He is not here . He is risen!"- Matt 28:5 She was the first to proclaim the good news, or gospel, of the resurrection. Jesus could have just as easily appeared to Peter and the beloved disciple, or to the disciples cowered behind locked doors. That He appeared to Mary first can only mean that this was by divine appointment and was a deliberate act on His part.
Women as well as men were credible witnesses to the gospel and were commissioned to preach it to all with whom they came into contact. And the women were faithful in proclaiming the Gospel, even to the disciples - "He is risen."
