Luke 23:55-56; Matthew 27:61-66

Today’s passage prepares us for the powerful event that will happen on Sunday morning.  The women would be the first to hear of the resurrection.  The guards would be just one more statement of unbelief by those who had rejected Christ.  We are provided with evidence that makes ludicrous a couple of the eventual explanations for the resurrection of Christ.  The first to be circulated was that the disciples had stolen the body.  The presence of the guard makes this impossible.  Another attempt to discredit the resurrection is that the women went to the wrong tomb.  Their constant observation of events makes this assertion ridiculous.

Who were these women?  Luke refers to them collectively as “the women who followed Him from Galilee”.  

·        Jesus’ mother Mary (from Nazareth in Galilee) had been at the cross, of course (John 19:25-27) but it is possible that when Jesus died she had been taken by John back into the city, perhaps to the home of another Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).

·        John also mentions that the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there.  This is likely Salome (Mark 15:40), the mother of the disciples James and John, Zebedee’s sons (Matt. 27:56).  She also may have accompanied Jesus’ mother back into the city as only the 2 other women named Mary are specifically mentioned as observing the actions of Joseph and Nicodemus (Mark 15:47).

·        Mary Magdalene was one of those who observed at the cross and who stayed until the body of Christ had been laid to rest in the tomb.  As her name indicates, she was from Magdala, a seaside village in Galilee.  Her connection with Christ went back to the early days of His ministry, when He had cast seven demons from her (Luke 8:2).  In that passage Luke mentions others who had been spiritually impacted through the ministry of Christ.  Certainly this was the secret to their devotion to Him and the reason that they remained with Him even to His death.

·        As Matthew says, the other Mary was there.  This is likely the same as the mother of James (also called James the less, Mark 15:40) and Joses (Matt. 27:56), also identified as the wife of Clopas (John 19:25).

Again we ask, who were these women?  The gospels portray them as followers of Christ, even as The Twelve.  Each had a story that explained her devotion to Christ.  They expressed that devotion in ways according to God’s choosing.  They were not Apostles; but they supported His ministry by being available as He needed.  These amazing women exemplify loyalty to their Lord and ours, even in His death.  They had a major role in the story of salvation because they were satisfied to be in the place God designed for them.  

Only to be what He wants me to be, Every moment of every day.

Yielded completely to Jesus alone, Every step of the pilgrim way.