“He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”
-Matthew 28:6-8
Leading up to the Easter season, I came across a Facebook meme that said “women were at the cross. Women were at the burial. Women were at the tomb. Where would the church be without the women sharing the Good News. . .” These words left me thinking about how often we overlook or brush past the role of women in the Good Friday and Easter stories. Truth be told, we often overlook the role of women in early Christianity. From the time of Jesus onward. In part it’s because we don’t always have access to stories and other writings connected to women in scripture or the early church. But it’s also because we still tend to lift up and focus on the male voices over the female. For example, if I were to mention the “Disciples of Jesus” most likely you will picture men. This is partly due to the fact that the “12 disciples of Jesus” are named in scripture, which clearly marks them as male. But we then focus on and speak about their role in Jesus’ ministry while ignoring the women who are also mentioned as followers of Jesus. Yet as this meme points out, the Good News of Easter was first preached by women. It wasn’t the 12 who were at the tomb early that day, it was the women. It was also the women who stayed with Jesus as he took his last breath on the cross. Women named and unamed. Women who at times have been cast in a very negative light to downplay their relationship to Jesus. Women like Mary Magdalene who for far too long has been portrayed as a prostitute, or someone of ‘sinful stature.’ Yet there is no evidence that this was the case. So who are the women who stood by Jesus and who helped share the Good News? At the end of this devotional, I’ve listed all of the scripture references for you to look at on your own time (FB Live it’s in the comments after). But I will say that there are several women including Mary Magdalene who are named, and many others who are unamed. For example, Matthew 27:55 says “Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him.” “Many women” who provided for Jesus, meaning they were well off financially. They were supporters of Jesus who left their homes, just as the 12 did to follow him to Jerusalem. So I encourage you to look up these references on your own time, as you ponder the role of women in the Easter story but also in scripture. Because there are many other references to women followers of Jesus in the Gospels and other parts of the New Testament. All of which are important for us to lift up and celebrate. And so, this Easter, let us do exactly that. Let us celebrate the women who bravely watched and waited while others (the men) hid in fear, as Jesus took his last breath. The women who watched his burial and who returned at sunrise after the Sabbath to finish the burial rites. The women who saw the open tomb, heard words of hope and believed. The women who were entrusted with the Good News and became the first preachers of the Gospel! For it was they who spread the news, who glorified God that first Easter morning, and who persevered even when they were not believed. For this we give thanks, as we share in their Easter joy: Christ is Risen, Hallelujah!
Matthew 27:55-56, 61
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 15:40-41, 47
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 23:49,55-56
Luke 24:1-12
John 19:25
John 20:1-18
Bideford Pastoral Charge 