THE FIRST EASTER EVANGELISTS (LUKE 24:1-12)
A Catholic sister, Sister Chris Schenk, was shocked when she was told in a theology class that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Then Schenk learned there were efforts to restore the reputation of Mary of Magdalene by an organization called FutureChurch, and when FutureChurch invited her to serve as executive director, she decided to quit her job as a midwife in Cleveland and correct one of the worst injustices in biblical history.
In two years, Schenk promoted some 124 services to an estimated 2, 500 people to honor Mary of Magdalene on or near July 22. Schenk said, “Most women, when they hear about Jesus and his disciples, think Jesus and 12 men were running around Galilee, when in fact women were among his closest followers.”
Was Mary Magdalene a sinner or a saint, an apostle or an adulterer, a meek follower or a model feminist?
Mary Magdalene’s fate, and the grim future of women through the ages, was sealed by the Vatican, Broadway and Hollywood. In the 6th century Pope Gregory the Great pronounced that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany (John 11:1) and the unknown sinner who anointed Jesus (Luke 7:37) were, in fact, the same person. Later, Broadway’s ‘60s musical production of Jesus Christ Superstar greatly sensationalized Mary Magdalene’s relationship with Jesus, but the final insults were from Martin Scorsese’s 1988 movie, “The Last Temptation of Christ,” and “The Da Vinci Code” that tastelessly depicted Jesus and Mary Magdalene as lovers and spouses. Even now, a non-profit organization with a noble web URL (www.prostituition-recovery.org), again, wrongly dubbed their efforts as The Mary Magdalene Project. Indeed, many paintings often depict Mary Magdalene as a fornicator, temptress or prostitute – partially clothed, scantily clad and beguilingly portrayed.
Women were highly esteemed biblically, but unkindly disparaged historically. The first appearance, proclamation and instruction of the angels on Resurrection day, however, were to women – a fitting and an honorable and admirable reward for their faithfulness. All four gospels exalted the role of women in the most important event of Christianity (Matt 28:1, Mark 16:1, Lk 24:10, John 20).
So why did angels choose to disclose the most joyous event to women? What was the role and place of women in Christianity? How have women historically served God before our eyes, behind our backs and beyond duty’s call?
The Lord Honors Those Who Love and Care for Him
24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 24:1-3)
A king who desired to build a cathedral, forbade anyone from contributing anything, in order that the credit might be all his. A sign was placed on the site with the king’s name as builder. But that night, he saw in a dream an angel who came to erase his name, replacing his name with the name of a poor widow. This was repeated three times.
Awaking from the dream, the king summoned the woman and demanded what she had been doing. The trembling woman replied, “I love the Lord and longed to do something for His name and for the building of His church. Since I was forbidden to touch it in any way, I brought a wisp of hay for the horse that drew the stones.” So the wise king commanded her name be inscribed on the cathedral. (7, 700 Illustrations # 7599)
The Easter women had hearts of gold. They had traveled with Jesus from town to village (Luke 8:1-3), from region to province, from their hometown to the capital. Their mission from Galilee to Jerusalem was simply to care for Jesus’ needs (Mark 15:40-41). The disciples naturally benefited from their presence and help. Not only do women empty their pockets (Luke 8:1-3), they cooked, sewed, washed and accomplished almost everything and more than what was expected of women those days.
Only one of them, Joanna (Luke 8:3), might have a regular reliable income. Her husband worked for Herod. She served in spite of possible conflicts with her husband, giving from her husband’s contribution to her purse strings and traveling out of town on her husband’s expenses.
The women’s love and care for the Lord were attested at the cross, the tomb and the upper room (Acts 1:14). When everything fell apart, everyone feared, folded and fled (Mark 14:50, Matt 26:56), but the women returned, led by Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome who bought spices to anoint Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1). They served out of love, respect and thankfulness.
Mary Magdalene had more reasons than any other to be kind, compassionate, and sympathetic. She was not the attractive woman the media made her out to be; in fact, Jesus had driven out from her seven demons (Lk 8:2, Mk 16:9). Mary Magdalene, along with two mothers - Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons, watched from a distance while the disciples deserted him and fled (Matt 26:56, 27:55). Later Mary Magdalene and another Mary sat opposite the tomb, watching as the rich man Joseph of Arimathea placed the body of Jesus in his own new tomb (Matt 27:59-61). And finally, at the end of the day, she stood with Jesus’ mother, Mary’s sister and Mary the wife of Clopas near the cross (John 19:25), then obtained spices early Sunday with more women - Mary the mother of James, and Salome - to the tomb to embalm Jesus so that his body may not smell. All in all, Mary Magdalene appears 12 times in the Bible, and the only woman more prominent than her in the New Testament was Jesus’ own mother.
God honors those who love and care for Him -- people who give generously to God, devote their time and do their utmost for God and work together rationally, fervently and harmoniously with other believers.
The Lord Honors Those Who Listen and Comprehends His Words
4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7’The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’" 8 Then they remembered his words. (Luke 24:4-8)
A little boy, who wanted $100.00 very badly, prayed for two weeks but nothing happened. Then he decided to write GOD a letter requesting $100.00. When the postal authorities received the letter to GOD, U.S.A., they decided to send it to the President. The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the boy $5.00.
Mr. President thought that this would appear to be a lot of money to the little boy. The little boy was delighted with the $5.00 and immediately sat down to write a thank you note to GOD that read: “Dear God, Thank you very much for sending me the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Washington, D.C., and, as usual, they deducted $95.00 for taxes!” (bestofhumor.com Apr 19, 2000)
Historically, cynics have a field day with the resurrection. The resurrection had always been a controversial, complex and cantankerous subject (Acts 4:1-2). The Sadducees opposed it (Matt 22:23-24), but the Pharisees believed it (Acts 23:6). The Law and the Prophets taught it (Dan 12:2, Acts 24:14-16) and the apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 2:31) and the traveling Paul used it to full effect in their message (Acts 1:22, 2:31, 4:1-2, 4:33, 17:18, 17:32, 23:6, 24:15). The resurrection was an open, informed and known secret. In the oldest book of the Bible, the long-suffering Job says, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27) The Bible recorded Jesus predicted primarily to the disciples in three instances at different places that he will rise again – once each in Caesarea Phillipi (Mark 8:31), passing through Galilee on the way to Capernaum (Mark 9:30-32), and shortly before reaching Jerusalem (Mark 10:32-34). Ironically, while it escaped the disciples, the chief priests and the Pharisees heard the news and asked for tighter security against possible theft of Jesus’ body by the disciples (Matt 27:62-63).
Even though the women, like other disciples, did not understand Jesus’ resurrection previously, they were quick to listen and comprehend the two men’s comments. They were the only ones that instantly believed upon hearing. The two disciples on the way to Emmaus from Jerusalem required a long exposition on a seven-mile trip to be convinced (Lk 24:13). The rest of the disciples in the upper room were not persuaded by Jesus’ hands and side, and so Jesus ate food to convince them (Jn 20:20, Lk 24:40-43). Doubting Thomas needed a whole week to be convinced (Jn 20:27).
The Lord Honors Those Who Learns and Confesses His Power
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. (Luke 24:9-12)
Hope none is offended by this “Man or woman?” humor:
While eating out and the bill arrives, the guys will each throw in $20 even though the bill is only $22.50. None will have anything smaller, and none will admit they want change back. When girls get the bill out come the calculators.
With money a man will pay $2 for a $1 item he wants. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 dollar item she doesn’t want.
In a bathroom a man has six items. A toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from Holiday Inn. A women has on average 337 items in her bathroom. A man would not be able to identify most of these Items.
In arguments a woman has the last word. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren’t looking men kick cats.
A women worries about the future until she gets a husband. A husband doesn’t worry about the future until he gets a wife.
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, and read a book. A man will get dressed up for weddings and funerals.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful women is one who can find such a man.
The resurrection, ironically, resulted in an unexpected battle of the sexes. The most unusual yet predictable part is how the men responded to the Easter women who communicated the good news to them. The women’ report, the men’s rebuff (v 11) and how Jesus’ men and women disciples got along historically is noted in this passage. Even Jesus’ mother usually spoke to no other men, except his own son, house servants (John 2:2, 5) and her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:40). After rushing home, gathering the disciples, and breaking the greatest news on earth to them, what did the disciples conclude about what was said? The men considered what the women said as nonsense, idle tale (King James Version), or women talk!
The response of the male and female disciples was miles apart, if not poles or worlds apart.
Jesus saved the last, best and greatest role for women. In fact, they were the first, earliest and primary Easter witnesses, believers and evangelists. When everything fell apart, the disciples fled and forsook Jesus, but the women were devoted to the end, led by Mary of Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, Salome (Mark 16:1-8) and Joanna (Lk 24:10). They stood up, reached out, and pulled together.
The women were natural evangelists. Even though Matthew and Mark record that the angels informed them to tell the disciples (Matt. 28:7, Mark 16:7), Luke records the women naturally, happily and immediately went by themselves. They were unselfish, they did not expect a hostile reception or cared what others thought, but the men considered the women were emotionally unstable, suspending belief and seeing things. However, just when their time, effort, and words were wasted, someone blinked – the leader Peter. Peter rose, ran and reached the tomb to consider the evidence for himself. The women moved the same Peter who would later speak for the disciples at Pentecost to thousands of Jews from all over the world. The faithfulness of women, therefore, was constantly attested at the cross, the tomb and the upper room.
Conclusion: The highest compliment Jesus gave to women is to let them have the first knowledge of the risen Lord and be the first to herald His resurrection message. Even though Jesus Christ included no women among the 12 apostles, they were the privileged hearers, recipients and bearers of the good news of the resurrection. They were the first Easter witnesses, believers and evangelists. No wonder Mary is also known as the Apostle of the Apostles.
Do you see the many opportunities available to serve God? Do you testify to Him out of faith or fear? Do you offer up your love, your devotion and your all to Him?
