WOMEN IN THE LIFE OF JESUS
By Glenn Pease
CONTENTS
1. THE WOMEN'S QUARTET IN THE GENEALOGY OF CHRIST Based on Matt. 1:1-9
2. LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE Based on Matt. 27:11-26
3. THE MOST FAMOUS FEVER MARK 1:29-31
4. THE STOLEN MIRACLE Based on Mark 5:21-34
5. DARING DEVOTION Based on Mark 14:1-9
6. DARING DEVOTION PART II Based on Mark 14:1-9
7. WOMEN IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE PART 1
8. WOMEN IN LUKE PART 2
9. WOMEN IN LUKE PART 3
10. WOMEN IN LUKE PART 4
11. WOMEN IN LUKE PART 5
12. WOMEN IN LUKE PART 6
13. WOMEN IN LUKE PART 7
14. WOMEN IN LUKE PART 8
15. WOMEN IN LUKE PART 9
16. THE VOLUNTARY MARY based on Luke 1:26-38
17. THE WOMAN AT THE WELL Based on John 4:1-26
18. MARY MAGDALENE Based on John 20:1-18
1. THE WOMEN'S QUARTET IN THE GENEALOGY
OF CHRIST Based on Matt. 1:1-9
The Bible makes it clear beyond all dispute that there are two
roles in the drama of life which women can play on a level of full
equality with men. These two indisputable roles are, the role of
sinner, and the role of saint. Women can be both as bad and as good
as men. When we deal with the really big and crucial issues of life we
find that the equality of the sexes is a self-evident fact.
There are multitudes of insignificant issues in which one sex may be
superior to the other, but when you get to the major themes
portrayed on the stage of life, such as the themes of sin and salvation,
then you find equality.
The genealogy of Matthew clearly confirms this conviction. There
is no equality of numbers, however, for in the family tree of our
Lord's human heritage there are over 40 names of men, and only 4
women. Women are not equal in Scripture when it comes to the legal
and social role of preserving family names. Even in our culture it is
most often the man's name that is preserved, and so the family tree is
built on the blood line of the male's.
In this family tree of Jesus Matthew was inspired to include 4
women. Just as a beautiful flower can be found in the most barren
desert, so here we have a wilderness of dry names out of which
blossoms 4 roses. God inspired 4 men to write 4 lives of Christ, and
he inspired Matthew to record 4 women through whom the Christ of
the Gospels entered the stage of history. These 4 women make
beautiful music together because they reveal the good news of the
Gospel by their very presence in this blood line to the Savior. They
will one day be a part of that universal choir singing the new song of
the Lamb, who redeemed men and women out of every nation,
language, and tongue.
As we look at who these women were we can hear distinctly some
aspects of the song of salvation sounding forth from their lives. The
songs of this women's quartet dissolve all doubt about women's
equality with men as sinners and saints. Let's listen to two of the
songs which their lives sing to us.
I. THEIR SONG OF SOVEREIGNTY.
There has never been a quartet anywhere who has made the
message of God's sovereignty over history more clear and beautiful.
These women have stamped the message on the record of history that
God can bring good out of evil, and harmony out of chaos. None of
these women would have ever sung a decent note, or even added a
particle of beauty to the world apart from the grace and sovereignty
of God.
If ever there was a group of women able to demonstrate that Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, this is it. Three out of the four of
these women had such bad reputations that their names were stained
for all time. Tamar was involved in an incestuous affair with her
father-in-law. Rahab was a harlot, and Bathsheba was an adulteress.
Ruth, the 4th in the quartet hits higher notes in her life, and the result
is that her name is still popular, and used frequently by Christians.
They all, however, are equally involved in the blood line of the
Messiah. God has to use sinners in the blood line from the first to the
second Adam. There was no alternative, for all are sinners, and all
fall short of the glory of God. But there are distinctions even among
sinners, and one wonders about why God chose women of such bad
reputation to be represented in this line to the Redeemer.
Is it not obvious that God is saying to us all through this song of
these women that He is sovereign? Let no woman, or no man, look at
what sin has done to them, and say they are hopeless. God is saying
through
