WOMEN – God’s Chosen Messengers of the Greatest Event in History
We often picture the earthly ministry of Jesus consisting of thirteen people – Jesus and the twelve disciples traveling around. This is not an accurate picture. Scripture records that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, Mary, Jesus’ mother, another Mary, Salome, who was the mother of James and John, and “many other women who supported Jesus’ ministry from their own personal finances also traveled with him” (Luke 8:3). Don’t you love how unorthodox Jesus was? These women witnessed many of the teachings and miracles of Jesus. I can only imagine how accepted and welcomed these women must have felt in such a male dominated culture. When it came to the death and resurrection of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and some of the other women mentioned above were the only witnesses of main parts of these events.
Women Witnesses of the Crucifixion of Jesus
Matthew 26:56 records that at a point during the arrest all the eleven disciples “forsook Him and fled.” It is fairly certain that none of them had the courage to appear at the crucifixion except John. The main events that took place at the cross were provided through the testimony of women. At first, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of Jesus, the other Mary and Salome stood at a distance from the cross, but then the three Mary’s moved closer and stood right next to the cross (John 19:25). Jesus committed his mother Mary and John to each other as mother and son, and Greek and Hebrew scholar Kathrine Bushnell states in her extraordinary work “God’s Word to Women” that John took Jesus’ mother away from the gruesome scene and possibly returned later. Jesus spoke seven times while on the cross, (e.g. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” Luke 23:34). John records only three of the seven sayings of Jesus. The recording of the other four may rest entirely on the testimony of the women! The events around the crucifixion - Jesus being mocked by people passing by the cross; one thief repenting and the other mocking and the giving of the vinegar - were secured a place in the gospels and in the teaching of the Church through the witness of women. Mary Magdalene and the others lingered, and when the body was taken down, these women “who had been companions of Jesus from the beginning saw all this take place and watched as the body was laid in the tomb.” (Luke 23:55 TPT)
Mary Magdalene as the First Witness of the Resurrection
This fact has been downplayed by the church through the centuries. Nevertheless, the fact remains, that the ONE event that changed history; that rescued humanity from perishing in sin and death; that destroyed evil once and for all and gave birth to the new creation in Christ was witnessed and proclaimed FIRST by a WOMAN. The resurrection is the supreme and complete display of God’s power over all that had destroyed humankind. EVERYTHING in Christianity hinges on the resurrection of Jesus. It is actually a major deal that God chose a woman to be the first witness and messenger of His ultimate victory. The Old Testament in its entirety points forward to this event, and now everything in the New Testament points back to it. Would God entrust a woman as His messenger of His superlative work through all of human history and then tell them to stay in the background and be silent? Would He call them as witnesses and pour out the POWER of the Holy Spirit upon them to do so, and them tell them to be silent or remain in strictly supportive roles? I don’t think so. Every year, Easter should be a time of celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus, with a full awareness of God’s intention for us all.
We read in Matthew 28: 1-2 that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb “the first day of the week.” God must have been thrilled to see them there, because it is only after they arrived at the tomb that the earthquake came and the angel rolled away the stone. Who witnessed that? The women. It is as if God makes a point to make the “first to be the last, and the last first, for many are called but few are chosen” in bringing the women into these central happenings of history.
Upon the word of the angel, Mary Magdalene runs at once to tell Peter and John (John 20:1-2). They arrive and find the burial cloths. Mary returns to the tomb, enters, and there she has the encounter with the angels, and then with Jesus Himself! It is not only until later that afternoon that Jesus reveals Himself to the disciples in the house where they were hiding.
I believe Jesus is a beautiful Restorer. He truly gives beauty for ashes and turns shame into glory. Women have suffered untold atrocities throughout history, and today, in most parts of the world, they suffer more than ever. This Resurrection Day, I hope you will remember that part of the finished work of Jesus is the restoration of the value and dignity of women. And Jesus is calling YOU to be His messenger of the greatest news anyone could ever imagine.
Cecilie Croissant