Celestial Diary

The last part of this series of ‘Prominent women of the bible’ is about women who can be considered as ministry helpers. These were women who either assisted Jesus Christ in His ministry or women who later on helped spread the gospel.

Mary the mother of Jesus

You don’t have to be a Christian to know about Mary the mother of Jesus Christ. She has many names (Mother Theresa, the Holy Virgin etc.) and is even praised as a saint herself in some denominations. Her life was anything but peaceful but this didn’t discourage her from fulfilling her divine destiny and for this reason alone she deserves our utmost respect.

Matthew 1:18-25
¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 
¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 
²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 
²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 
²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Long story short; Mary who was a virgin and was engaged to be married suddenly got pregnant through a ‘Holy Spirit’. Her fiancé wanted to divorce her because in that time purity was a big deal (even in the 21st century no one would believe her story). Had an angel not appeared to Joseph, I doubt they would have stayed together.

This was not the end of Mary’s worries because her child was the savior of mankind but somehow from the womb He already was a wanted man (Matthew 2:13; When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”) and it was now up to her and her husband to protect Him and raise Him in a way that would be pleasing to God (easy right?).

If I were to elaborate on the life she lived, I would need a few pages but since I’m looking into the importance of the women explicitly mentioned in the bible I’ll go straight to the lessons we can learn from her life.

Why is Mary such a prominent figure?

1. She was chosen by God: Out of all the virgins in Nazareth, Mary was the one God chose to bring Jesus Christ into this world. Nowhere in the bible can we find the exact reason why this honor was bestowed upon her. She just happened to be engaged to Joseph who came from the lineage of Abraham and David.
2. She was obedient and humble: Whenever God spoke to Mary, she listened and did as He asked of her without questioning His motives. Being in constant communication with God is very important in our journey because He knows what is best for us. From the very beginning she believed in the plan God had for her and she obediently followed Him (Luke 1:38; “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her). How many of us are willing to follow and obey everything God says? Do we listen without asking questions or do we try to reason with God and use our own logic?
3. She never lost hope: I can’t imagine what’s like to raise a child knowing He will be used as a sacrifice for mankind. She watched her son be bullied, insulted, scorned, ridiculed, beaten by the same people He was supposed to save. Yet she never once asked Him to rethink His mission. Mothers naturally want what is best for their children and suffering is definitely not part of it, yet she never made choices for Him that were contrary to the plan of God.
4. She served with everything she had: She wasn’t just a human incubator for Jesus to come into the world, she was also His biggest cheerleader. Everywhere He went, she followed, she took care of Him, she supported Him and she prayed for Him. Until He died she was always there with Him supporting Him with her whole heart (John 19:25-27; Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home). Her body, soul and spirit was given to the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Joanna

Luke 8:1-3
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 
² and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 
³ Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Joanna is known as one of the women whom Jesus freed from evil spirits. After being healed she decided to follow Him and His disciples to help support their ministry. She was the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod Antipas (ruler of Galilee at the time) so this means she was a woman of high status who was not only wealthy but also highly respected in society.

Luke 24:9-11
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. 

Not only was she a firm believer in Christ, she was also one of the women who saw an angel at the tomb of Jesus after His death. Together with the other women, they told the disciples that Jesus had risen.

Why is she worth mentioning?

1. She didn’t leave after her miracle: 21st century believers have the habit of running to God when they’re in need only to distance themselves after getting what they asked for. She didn’t follow Him around out of gratitude, she genuinely believed in Him after she received her healing and she used her resources to be of help to his ministry.
2. She defied societal norms for Christ: Her husband was a powerful and well-connected man in the palace and this meant that as his wife she held a considerable position in high society, she was an aristocrat in a sense but yet she left it all behind and followed Jesus Christ the son of a carpenter around. There is no way people didn’t mock her or look down upon her for her decisions but she made the right choice for she knew what was truly important (Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well).
3. She became a missionary for Christ: After making the decision to follow Jesus and support His ministry, she didn’t just stay by the sidelines. She spoke about Jesus Christ so much that she even went to prison for His sake (Romans 16:7; Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among^[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was). Junia is the Latin version of Joanna and for Apostle Paul to have given her such high praise, she must have made quite the contribution to the body of Christ.

Dorcas/Tabitha

Acts 9:36
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.

This is how Dorcas is introduced in the bible and from this description there isn’t anything special about her. After all believers of Christ are supposed to do good and help the poor. It is important to note that she wasn’t just a simple believer doing good, the bible calls her a disciple (of Christ) meaning that she sat under the direct anointing of Jesus Christ, she was a part of His inner circle.

Dorcas was such a good person that even when she died, those around her called Peter to pray for her and bring her back to life because they weren’t ready to part with her yet.

Acts 9:40
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.

Why is her short story important to us?

1. Actions speak louder than words: The way we portray ourselves as believers goes a long way. Spreading the gospel isn’t only about talking to people and trying to convince them that God is good, it is also the Godly impact we have on their lives. When we see our neighbors in need, do we offer help or do we look the other way? Tabitha was someone who knew how to combine both knowledge and action to bring as many souls as she could to Christ. Imagine being such a good person that people are heartbroken to see you depart from them (Acts 9:38-39; Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once! ³⁹ Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them). Leaving behind a good legacy goes a long way, up until today her life is still a good example for us to follow and her good works are forever recorded for all to see.
2. God never forsakes His own: God is our Heavenly Father who loves us and wants the best for us (Matthew 7:7; “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you). So when Tabitha died and Peter came to pray, the Lord answered and she came back to life. No where in the bible does it say that evil will not come our way once we’re in Christ. However we do know that we shall prevail no matter what comes our way. Sickness and death were Tabitha’s cross to bear but at the end she overcame them because of the people who she was good to (they made sure Peter came to pray over her after hearing of his works). Imagine if she didn’t help those around her, in her time of need she wouldn’t have had help either.
3. Our lives are a living testimony: She was a devout Christian and also someone who went around doing good but yet she became sick and died (meaning it wasn’t a natural death). When Peter came and prayed for her, he didn’t do this in an extravagant way trying to claim the glory for himself (Acts 9:40; Peter sent them all out of the room;). To all those who were waiting outside the room, the resurrection of Tabitha was a kind of confirmation that the God she was serving was indeed a powerful one. The miracle that followed after her tragedy was a great source of motivation for more people to believe and follow Christ (Acts 9:41-42; He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. ⁴² This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord).

Salome

The first encounter we have with Salome is one that shows her ambitious character.

Matthew 20:20-22
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.

Like every other mother she wanted the best for her children and so she asked Jesus to give them a honored position not fully knowing what it implied.

She wasn’t only after ambition but she also truly believed in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, we can see this in the way she followed him around and supported His ministry until He was crucified.

Mark 15:40-41
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. 
⁴¹ In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

She was an ambitious woman who followed Christ but is that really all there is to her story?

1. She raised her children in the way of the Lord: Her sons already knew God the Father and I believe that’s the reason why they were able to discern that Jesus Christ was truly His son. They didn’t hesitate when He called them to join Him in ministry. (Matthew 4:21-22; Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him). Even their father didn’t hold them back because deep down he knew they had chosen the right path. They also didn’t protest when their mother asked Jesus to place them at His side, in fact according to the gospel of Mark the brothers asked Jesus themselves (Mark 10:35-39; Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” ³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. ³⁷ They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” ³⁸ “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” ³⁹ “We can,” they answered). With this she fulfilled a very important commandment (which is to raise our children in the way they should go).
2. She was an example to her children and other women: She could have asked Jesus to give her sons a great position and returned back to her husbands house but instead she chose to be an example and also follow Jesus. We see so many parents who preach Christ to their children but don’t live a godly life themselves. Salome lived what she preached and inspired others along the way.

The bible talks about men most of the time but the role women played in the ministry of Jesus should NOT be underestimated. Even now, women are a force to be reckoned with in ministry.

To some it might not seem significant every time I mentioned how these women followed Jesus around to support His ministry but we shouldn’t overlook how much courage such a decision takes.
Imagine leaving everything you have behind to follow someone who promises you a good life after you’ve died (so you can’t even get anything right now). As women in that time, they already had a weaker social position, they followed a group of men around supporting in every way they could, they left their families behind, they couldn’t settle down and yet they never complained.
No matter where Jesus went, they followed. Even after Jesus died, they didn’t drop everything and go back to their respective homes but they still continued His ministry.

Helping those in need, spreading the gospel, caring for the men, using their personal funds and talents for God’s work, communing with one another and praying. (Acts 1:14; They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers). They are great examples of what discipleship is about and there are many lessons we can learn from them.

Being a believer and a follower of Christ takes courage; the world will look down on us, we will face disadvantages in life, we will come across difficulties, we will have to break ties with loved ones but as long as our hearts are focused on our true goal we will prevail in the end.

Stay Blessed x