From the Holy Scriptures below:
Then Jesus said to them (the women),
“Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee ,and there they will see Me.”
“But go, tell His disciples — and Peter– that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James,
and the other women with them,
who told these things to the apostles.
And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
The first evangelist after the resurrection was a Woman!
The first person Jesus spoke to after the resurrection was a Woman!
The first command of Jesus after the resurrection was to a woman!
Jesus trusted a woman with the most glorious and important message that Jesus has risen from the dead and was alive!
Now don’t tell me that Jesus does not trust women today with His message!
We are looking at the subject of Jesus and women in these columns. This week it is Jesus and women evangelists. Evangelists proclaim the “Good News’ of Jesus and His message. That is what Jesus chose these women to do.
Remember Peter also came to the tomb but Jesus chose not to reveal Himself to this man but to the women that had stood with Him at the cross.
Those women who had stood with Jesus in His suffering were counted worthy to stand with Jesus in the Glory of His resurrection.
As the women went forth to preach the resurrection of Jesus the men were still hiding and then they did not believe the women.
“It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.’
She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.
And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
Yes, while the women witnessed, the men considered their words like ‘idle tales’ and did not believe. How sad that now even two thousand years later many men still do not want to even consider hearing women speak. These women were right and the men were wrong.
Now please read the following scriptures.
Matthew 28:1-10
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
“And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee;
there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy,
and ran to bring His disciples word.
And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee , and there they will see Me.”
Mark chapter 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.
Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week,
they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
And they said among themselves,
“Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away’”
for it was very large.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
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.
“But go, tell His disciples– and Peter– that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.
She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.
And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her,
they did not believe.
Luke 24
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.
Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
“He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when
He was still in Galilee,
“saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'”
And they remembered His words.
Then they returned from the tomb and
told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.
And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
John 20:1-18
On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb,
and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.
So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran
Peter and came to the tomb first.
And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there;
yet he did not go in.
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb;
and he saw the linen cloths lying there,
and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also;
and he saw and believed.
For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.
And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
Now when she had said this, she turned around and
saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!”
(which is to say, Teacher).
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'”
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
I want to encourage you women to be witnesses for Jesus. Share the message of Jesus in every way possible. Go and deliver the message of Jesus in love and power.
You can see from the four Gospel accounts above that Jesus trusted and called women to be His messengers.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
When in doubt about anything in the scripture’¦Look at Jesus. Study Jesus and see how He acted and what Jesus did. Does what you believe look like Jesus?
All of the Bible must be interpreted in the light and life of Jesus. Jesus is the Living Word. No scripture conflicts with Jesus.
In that time of darkness in the world when Jesus went to the cross and died on the cross and was buried Jesus chose women to be His witnesses. Surely in this day and time with billions of lost people and sin ravaging the earth and evil exploding we do not need to eliminate over half the population from witness and leadership.
We need women today as much as Jesus needed them on resurrection morning.
Remember:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.
Acts 2:17
Pilgrim followers of Jesus,
Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1