ESOCS Devotional 22 July 2024 – The High Place of Women in God’s Plan
MEMORY VERSE: ““And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.” Mark 16:1 KJV
TEXT: MARK 15:40-16:7
There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.
42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.
16 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going [a]before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
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In our text today, we’re going to meet several people who were changed by the glory of God in the work of Christ. We’re going to meet a man, Joseph of Arimathea who, upon Jesus’ death, came out of the closet with his faith. And we’re going to meet several women who, upon Jesus’ resurrection, were brought out of their grief and into wonder.
We’ve seen Joseph of Arimathea moved to action. Next, we’ll see a group of women moved to amazement (15:40-41, 47-16:8). Mary Magdalene was someone Jesus had healed of seven evil spirits (Lk. 8:2). Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses was most likely Jesus’ mother (Mk. 6:3). Salome was the mother of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Mt. 27:56). These were women related to Jesus or Jesus’ followers or who’d been changed by Jesus. This is why they “followed him and ministered to him” from Galilee to Jerusalem (Mk. 15:41).
These women witnessed Jesus’ death (15:40), burial (v. 47), and the empty tomb (16:1-8). Mark’s account is thus corroborated by more than one person who saw these events firsthand.
These women are models of faithful discipleship, following and ministering to Jesus, even in His death. The presence of these women in this part of the narrative tells us that God loves and cherishes and uses women in mighty ways. Women are made in the image of God and were used by God to do great things throughout Scripture. Women are not second-class citizens in God’s kingdom. They’re co-heirs with men of “the grace of life” (1 Pet. 3:7). At Jesus’ last and finest hour, it was women standing by and serving and seeing. The Lord has blessed our church with many women like Mary the mother of our Lord, Mary Magdalene and Salome – godly, courageous, servant-hearted and Jesus-loving women. May God continue to bless and use the women of our church for His glory.
God loves to use the weak to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:26-28). Those dismissed in human society are accepted and blessed and used in key roles in God’s society. This is a picture of something that is sadly too common in the church: passive men who, out of fear, let women take the lead in serving Jesus. May this not be true among us! May God raise up godly, servant-hearted men courageous enough to lead in their families and the church.
The women came to the tomb preoccupied with death, looking for some closure. But while the women were consumed with death, the Crucified One is consumed with life: “He has risen; He is not here.”
They had just seen and talked to an angel who told them that Jesus – the same Jesus they saw brutally executed two days earlier, was no longer dead but was alive and wanted to meet with them in Galilee. How would you react?
- Has the astonishing news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection “seized” your heart? Or has the familiarity of this story dulled its effect in your heart?
- May God the Father give us hearts and minds to understand the work of His Son.
Further Reading: Isaiah 25:1-9; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Luke 2:1-7
ESOCS Devotional 22 July 2024
