12/11/2023 0 Comments Men and women bible study imagesWe can’t know for sure why Jesus appeared first to the women and not the men, as the Scriptures do not say why.įirst, note that all four Gospels affirm that women were the first to see the empty tomb and encounter an angel or angels (Matt 28:5-8, Mark 16:1–8, Luke 24:1-8, John 20:1ff). So we know that women were an important part of the budding discipleship community, but why did Jesus appear to them and not any of the twelve disciples? An unlikely source The women minor characters, in particular, exemplify the way of discipleship amid the failure and absence of the twelve.” They take risks by being at the crucifixion and by going to the grave, and they show their willingness to serve by buying spices and going to anoint Jesus. Apart from Jesus’ mother Mary and Herodias, these are the only other women to be named and, like the 12, they have an ongoing role in the narrative, albeit brief. Indeed, these women continue the discipleship character role. The narrator tells us that “Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, along with many other women’ had been serving Jesus, had followed him in Galilee, and had gone with him up to Jerusalem.” The Gospel accounts also tell us that some of the same women who followed Jesus were present during his crucifixion. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. They traveled with the disciples, financially supported their ministry, and served Jesus however they could. We also know from the Gospels that many of Jesus’ followers were women. He rebuked the disciples and defended the woman who poured expensive perfume on his head, honoring her faith and humility (Mark 14:1–11 Luke 7:36-50).He showed kindness to the woman at the well when even she saw no value in herself ( John 4:1-42).He loved his mother, Mary, caring for her even while he was dying on the cross ( John 19:26-27).One thing we see immediately is that Jesus valued and respected women. Let’s first begin by looking more broadly at the role of women in the Gospels and how Jesus interacted with them. Little did they know that Sunday morning marked a new day in human history. Motivated by love, they gathered spices and perfumes to honor the body of Jesus. But early Sunday morning, the women leaped into action. Why did Jesus appear to the women first instead of the disciples? God chose a small group of women to share the greatest news of all time. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Email LinkedIn
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