Women in the Genealogy of Jesus

Did you know that there are only 5 women listed in the genealogy of Jesus? Don't you think that is interesting? I mean, men cannot have babies, right? So, why did God choose those five women to include?

The first woman tricked a man named Judah into sleeping with her, and God gave her two babies out of the union. Her name was Tamar. When one of the babies is born, the midwife ties a scarlet thread on his wrist, and is the first time we see the scarlet thread in the Bible.

The second woman was a prostitute named Rahab in the city of Jericho. She hid two spies, and helped the people of God. Her household was saved through the process. We also see the scarlet cord in her story.

The third woman was an outsider named Ruth. She was a Moabite. They were wicked people, but she followed her mother-in-law to be with the people of God. God gave her a husband who was, amazingly, the son of Rahab. I wonder if Rahab and Ruth ever met??

There has been much controversy surrounding the fourth woman. She was married to an outsider. He was a Hittite, but he was part of David's army, and mighty men. My personal belief is it wasn't her fault. (The prophet Nathan backs me up.)  David took something that wasn't his, and thus an adulterous situation ensued. Bathsheba's name isn't even mentioned in many translations in Matthew's genealogy. It just says the wife of Uriah the Hittite. But God took their story, and redeemed it, and out of the union of David and Bathsheba came Solomon, who was also called Jedidiah, or loved by God.

The fifth woman was his mother Mary. Her name means bitter. She was a wonderful girl, out of whom came our Savior. But she was still in need of Him too. Grace comes along and redeems the bitterness.

So, back to my original question, why did Matthew, and the Holy Spirit choose to include just those women?

Wouldn't it be better to choose women who seemed upright, and didn't have any blemish on their record?

In reality those women just don't exist. I don't care how good you think you are, or how good other people think you are. We are all like these women.

These women are a picture of the church. They are in need of a savior. And when Jesus steps in, they are redeemed. We also need a Savior. Jesus redeems our stories too.

Many blessings ad you grow in grace and the knowledge of Him,
Beth

Women in the Life of Jesus: The Women at the Cross

All four writers of the Gospels mention the women at the Cross the day Jesus was crucified. Some give more details than others, but they all four mention that women were there.

Matthew’s Gospel says,

And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.-Matthew 27:55-56 (NKJV)

Mark says,

There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.-Mark 15:40-41(NKJV)

Luke gives the least amount of detail. His Gospel reads,

But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.-Luke 23:49 (NKJV)

John’s Gospel has the women up close.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple who He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ The He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.-John 19:25-27 (NKJV)

There were a lot of woman at the Cross the day Jesus was crucified, some of them named and some of the unnamed. One of the noticeable things about the women that day is many were named Mary. I don’t think there are any coincidences in the Bible, or with God, so this must be significant.

The Hebrew word for Mary means “obstinacy” or “rebellion.” I have also seen the definition “bitter.” So there was a lot of rebellion surrounding Jesus on the Cross that day.

In John’s Gospel, he describes a scene between Mary and John.

When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ The He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.-John 19:25-27 (NKJV)

I have always found this scenario very interesting. Why would Jesus tell John to care for His mother? He had at least 5 other siblings. Should they be responsible for the care of Mary? She was also not an old woman when this took place. Jesus was only 33 when He was crucified. She had him at a very young age. If she was 18 when Jesus was born, which scholars estimate she was much younger, she would still have only been 51 at Jesus’ death. I am 45 and do not need to be cared for. How could a woman so young, with other children, need to be cared for by John? 

I don’t think that was the point of this particular passage.

The name John means “Jehovah is gracious.” So Jesus asked a man whose name means “Jehovah is gracious” to care for a woman whose name means “bitterness, rebellion, and obstinacy.” John and Mary were a picture of what was happening in the spiritual realm.

There at the Cross that day grace came to care for rebellion. That is what happened with Jesus’ death. His grace came to care for our rebellion.


May you grow in the knowledge of His love,


Beth






To read more posts in this series, go here to Women in the Life of Jesus.

Women in the Life of Jesus: Mary the Mother of Jesus

 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.-Matthew 1:16 (NKJV)

Scripture where she is found: Matthew 1-3, Mark 6, Luke 1-2, 8, John 2, 19, & Acts 1

Her story:

Mary was the mother of Jesus and the 5th woman listed in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1.

She is mentioned throughout all four Gospels and in the book of Acts.

I have discussed her before, in John 2, when Jesus changed the water into wine.  You can find that post here.

What I want to share about today can found in Luke 1.

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible.”

 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

-Luke 1:26-38

My thoughts:

God gives us a lot of detail in this short passage of scripture. This is good, because this is a very important moment in His(story.)

God is the one who sends the angel, His messenger, to Mary.  The angel's name is Gabriel.  He is a male, and he just appears in her home.

The passage also tells us exactly who he goes to, who she was engaged to, and that she is a virgin.  All of these details believers might sometimes take for granted, but I believe God wanted to be very specific in what was included in scripture.  This is the most widely told story-it has been told over and over again for centuries because we celebrate Christmas, which is the celebration of Christ's birth.

Faith comes by hearing.  And so many people have heard this again and again, that they probably have no question that these details are just as God said they were.

When she saw the angel, she doesn't seem to be troubled by him, as much as what he is saying to her.  In fact, she seems to have some spiritual understand already and knowledge of the things of God. She doesn't seem upset by the appearance of the angel himself. She just keeps having a conversation with him.

He tells her not to be afraid. Does that mean of him, or what he is about to tell her?  I think maybe the message.  

He goes on to tell her she has found "favor with God."  What would cause that?  Again, I think she had some knowledge of God.  I think she was familiar with the scriptures, and that coupled with her character, allowed God to trust her.  This was a big deal, to carry the Son of God in her womb.

She then asks the angel another question.  She is a virgin, so she doesn't understand how this can come to pass.  He then explains to her about the Holy Spirit.  

The Holy Spirit was involved in creation in Genesis.  He hovered "over the face of the waters."  Then God started speaking and things came into being.  This is how the Son of God was going to come into the world.

And then in Luke 1:38, we see a greater glimpse of why He chose her.  She says,
Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.

And then the angel leaves.

Her character and her knowledge of the things of God are why I believe He chose her.  He could trust her and she was already prepared to handle what was to come, because it was to be no easy task.  I am so thankful for her and for the birth of Jesus.

For further reading about Mary, check out The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs, or this children's biography, Get to Know Mary by Nancy I Sanders.

To read more posts in this series, go here to Women in the Life of Jesus.

Called by God-Mary the Mother of Jesus

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'They have no wine.' Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.

His mother said to the servants, 'Whatever He says to you, do it.'

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.

Jesus said to them, 'Fill the waterpots with water.' And they filled them up to the brim.

And He said to them, 'Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.' And they took it.

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bride-groom.

And he said to him, 'Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.-John 2:1-11



I love the role Mary plays in this account. She is a primary person of faith in regards to the miracle Jesus performs. She says one of my favorites lines in Scripture,

"Whatever He says to you, do it."

How would she know to say that to the servants?

We would probably have to take a look back at her life to determine the answer to that question.

She was a young Jewish woman when the angel visited her and told her she was to be the mother of Jesus, who would be the Savior of the world.

In Luke 1:30, the angel tells her, "You have found favor with God."

She doesn't seem extremely alarmed when the angel visits her. He explains to her how that miracle will take place, and she has faith in what he tells her, and says,

"Let it be to me according to your word."

She possibly could had learned the Scriptures as a young girl. She most likely knew the Old Testament stories.

Her faith in the Scriptures, plus her own experience with the miracle power of the Holy Spirit, gave her basis for faith in Jesus. She knew what He was capable of doing.

Up until that point, He had done no miracles. But as soon as He was baptized in the Holy Spirit, He was ready.

When Jesus says to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour is not yet come," He is not chiding her. The term "woman" as used in this particular passage was a term of endearment.

Mary kind of bypasses what He says, and gives the servants instructions anyway. Maybe it also had something to do with the fact that she was His mom. Mothers have a way of encouraging, that no one else does.

But Mary's faith in Him facilitates the miracle.

So, what was the outcome?

Jesus turns the water into wine. This was His first miracle. The Bible calls it, "This beginning of signs."

He also "manifested His glory" and "His disciples believed in Him."

Mary was there at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, fulfilling her purpose, and called by God. She continued to be there throughout His ministry, during His death, burial, and resurrection.

What is your purpose? What is God calling you to do? We should also follow Mary's request to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it. It will produce fruit and miracles in the lives of others.

The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs

"As David once wrote, 'The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng.' Amen to that!  Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna are among that mighty throng who've heard God's truth and gladly given him the glory."

-excerpt, Chapter 8, Women of Christmas

I love Christmas.  Each year it seems like I want to start celebrating earlier and earlier.  Reading Christmas literature is something I like to do to deepen the meaning of the season for me.  This year I started with The Women of Christmas by author Liz Curtis Higgs.

The Women of Christmas is a a detailed commentary of the story of Christmas as pertaining to three women, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and Anna, the prophetess who worshiped God day and night in the temple.  The book contains 8 chapters with a devotional/study guide at the back of the book for each chapter.

One of the first things I noticed about this book was the incredible amount of research the author has done.  It was amazing!  There are a lot of footnotes in this book, which I like.  I like to read a book and take away information about the Bible that I didn't know before.  In The Women of Christmas, Liz discusses things like the age of Elizabeth when she became pregnant with John the Baptist, the theory behind the possibility that Zechariah was also deaf along with being mute, and the very important encounter of Mary with the angel Gabriel. 

I really enjoyed this book.  I loved the research that was put into this.  That was the biggest thing for me.  I like it when an author does their homework.  I was a little disappointed with the book cover.  The dust jacket which serves as the cover is beautiful, but the book itself is plain and did not include the beauty you see on the dust jacket.  Also, I was a little confused about why the author chose to include information about Simeon in the book, other than to segue into her information about Anna. 

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to delve deeper into the Christmas story.  This book is a great one for study.  It would also be a great book for a Women's Bible study around Christmastime.

Many blessings to you as we make our way toward the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.,

Beth

Disclosure:  I received this book free as part of a free books for bloggers program at Waterbrook Multnomah.  I was not required to give a positive review.  The thoughts and opinions here are entirely my own.