Jesus was a very intentional teacher. He knew His students and knew the world in which He taught. Jesus also had very devoted students. Undoubtedly, Jesus had the 12 disciples who followed Him around, but the Scripture also teaches us that Jesus had dozens of deeply faithful followers. Many of these followers were women who had just as much buy-in to the teachings of Jesus as any of the male disciples did. They, too, were considered Jesus’ disciples. Luke 8:1-3 shows us that these women were traveling with Jesus as He ministered across the country, as well as funding His ministry from their own money. Across the four Gospels, we see glimpses of these women. They are faithfully following, providing and serving Jesus and His ministry. 

During Holy Week, we see the faithfulness of these women even more clearly. They are by Jesus’ side and remain with Him through everything. When many of Jesus’ disciples abandon Jesus on the cross, the women remain there with Him. In particular, Mary, the Mother of God who is counted as one of the church’s most important disciples, stays with Jesus throughout His entire suffering on the cross.

“The world does not believe the poor and lowly, but Jesus continues to appear to entrust, validate, and believe them.”

The women also undertake the hard, important work of preparing His body for burial. They prepare spices and prepare to walk early, early Sunday morning. It is there, on Resurrection Sunday, that they see Jesus and His angels. The women are the first to witness the resurrected Jesus and are the first commissioned with the task to preach the good news that Jesus is alive.

Unfortunately, the women are not believed. The first sermon and message of the gospel falls on deaf ears. Their experience is not validated, and their words are not trusted. Peter even runs to the tomb, sees the evidence and “went away, wondering to himself what had happened,” completely disregarding the women’s account (Luke 24:12, NIV).

Jesus trusted these women. That, in itself, is a microcosm of the power of the resurrection. The world does not believe the poor and lowly, but Jesus continues to appear to, entrust, validate and believe them. Just as the poor and dirty shepherds were the first to hear of the birth of the Savior, the powerless women were granted new authority to preach because of the resurrection. 

Jesus was intentional by giving these women a new message of salvation. For too long, the world and the church have disregarded the voices and experiences of the poor and powerless.  This Easter, perhaps we should challenge ourselves to follow Jesus’ example and make space to believe their stories and empower them with equal authority in our churches and world. 

• Luke 23:26-43
• Luke 23:44-49
• Luke 23:50-56
• Luke 24:1-12
• John 20:1-10
• John 20:11-18
• Matthew 27:45-56
• Matthew 27:57-61
• Matthew 28:1-10
• Mark 15:33-41
• Mark 15:42-47
• Mark 16:9-20
• Luke 8:1-3
• Luke 2:1-21
• John 12:1-11
• Acts 2:16-21
• Acts 9:36-43
• Acts 21:7-14
• Acts 16:11-15
• Luke 10:1-23
• John 4:1-26
• John 4:27-38
• John 4:39-42
• Luke 8:40-48
• Luke 8:49-56
• Matthew 12:46-50
• Matthew 13:33
• John 19:16-27
• John 19:28-37
• John 19:38-42
• Luke 10:38-42