The Bible does not shy away from identifying women who followed Jesus. We can assume that there was a group of women who were transformed by the love of Jesus and who followed him with devotion, similar to the men.
Luke records one instance of women followers.
The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
And Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them[a] out of their own resources (Luke 8.1-3).
After the crucifixion and completion of Sabbath requirements, a group of women came to care for the body of Jesus in the tomb.
After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb (Matthew 28.1).
They could not have imagined in their wildest dreams an earthquake, the appearance of an angel, and an empty tomb. However, that is exactly what happened (see Matthew 28.2-3).
The angel had a message for the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
“He is not here, for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he[a] lay.
“Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead,[b] and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you” (Matthew 28.4-7).
Jesus rewarded the devotion of these women with a personal appearance and a message for them to deliver to his other followers.
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (Matthew 28.8-10).
Meditation Thoughts
One of the best ways to interact with a passage of scripture as dramatic as this is to prayerfully meditate on what it means to us personally. Here are some questions you might consider as you engage in that kind of prayerful interaction with the Lord:
(1) What would it be like to be Mary Magdalene, who had been set free from seven demons, to follow Jesus through Galilee, witness the crucifixion, and now experience an angel and the resurrected Jesus?
(2) How do you respond to fear and faith in the face of the unknown?
(3) Jesus instructed everyone to go to Galilee. This involved a walk of 75 to 93 miles depending on the route they took. How do you respond to the call to seek and encounter the risen Christ in your life? Are you willing to take a long journey to encounter Jesus?
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 