Women on Mission: Women at the Tomb

Easter Season

Looking at this time where we walk through understanding the horrific death that Jesus endured for us and celebrating his resurrection and the salvation that we are gifted.

I encourage you to come back Sunday morning so you can hear the gospel preached and truly understand the sacrifice our Savior made. For tonight I want to take a deeper look into the role of women during this time.

The accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are told in all four gospels. Many use the different gospel accounts to contradict the word of God, however, a better way to view it is four different reports of single events. Imagine you and three other friends are at an event and you each have to report your own account. There will be differences in how you tell the story, but overall the same story. (police report)

In Matthew 27-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24, and John 19-20 you will find the accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

To better understand the role of women during this time, you must understand that as Jesus lived his life, traveling and spreading the gospel with the 12 disciples, there were women reported to follow him as well. Women who he healed, who contributed to his mission, and women who obeyed his teachings.

In this account, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (also referred to as Mary wife of Clopas), Salome (the mother of the son’s of Zebedee), and Joanna is mentioned in Luke

We first see these women in their initial interactions with Jesus:

Jesus cast out 7 demons from Mary Magdalene. She then became a faithful follower.

Mary the mother of James was mainly mentioned in this passage.

Salome was the person who requested of Jesus Christ, that her two sons, James and John, might sit on his right and left hand when he should enter upon his kingdom when Jesus told her:

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 20

My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”

Joanna is mentioned as a followed of Christ and financial supporter (her husband was a wealthy and prominent man). it is said that she was present at the crucifixion, but wasnt mentioned at the tomb.

Now we have an understanding of why these women were such a vital part of this event.

We first see these women during the crucifixion. Watching from afar. They watched as their Teacher, Leader, Savior, was beaten and mocked. Once he uttered the words “Is it finished”, Jospeh brought him down, wrapped him up in linen and spices, and laid him in the unused tomb…all the while these women were watching. Watching where their Jesus was being laid.

Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Saturday was the Sabbath day. This was meant to be honored with rest. The women knew that they could not do anything until Sunday morning. In the midst of their grief and overwhelming emotion, they were being faithful. They were planning.

Jumping forward to Sunday, after Sabbath, the women were at the tomb at dawn with spices they had bought. In order to have the spices, you have to buy them. You cant make purchases on Sabbath. this means the women must have planned and hurried following the crucifixion to purchase spices. They knew their plans to honor their Savior. They knew they wanted to care for Him and anoint Him. They also still wanted to obey Him and honor the Sabbath even in their grief.

I look at this and think about the Proverbs 31 woman. She rises while it is still night (to get to the tomb at first light), girds herself up with strength (even in their grief, they found strength to go to the place where their Savior was laid and honor him), her lamp does not go out at night (they were prepared. they bought spices ahead of time to prepare), strength and dignity are her clothing

They did not know what was to come. They asked “who will roll away the stone for us?”. they knew it was being guarded. They knew that they could not roll the heavy stone away themselves.

But they didn’t know it was already gone. Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Anyone who is seeking to serve the Lord, take comfort from this verse. There surely will be stones in one’s way, and some of them may be large, but they will be rolled away in the Lord’s good time. If the effort needs the strength of an angel, then an angel will be sent from heaven for the purpose. There might have been no angel if there had been no stone—and we might have no revelation of the power of heaven to help us if we had not first had a revelation of our own weakness and inability to roll away the stone.”

another quote: And are there no others who, when advancing to duty in the face of appalling difficulties, find their stone also rolled away?

Their Savior was buried. Their hope was failing. They didn’t know how they were going to accomplish this great task of moving the stone. But God did.

They entered in the empty tomb and found an angel who said “He has risen; He is not here” Charles Spurgeon wrote: That is the epitaph inscribed on Christ’s tomb. On other people’s graves it is written, “Here lies so-and-so,” but on Christ’s tomb it is recorded, “He is not here.”

The CSB Spurgeon Study Bible: Notes Chapter 16

There was no reason in Christ’s resurrection for anything but delight, yet these dear women were overwhelmed, silenced, struck dumb by what made the angels sing.

They left with fear, joy, amazement, astonishment…silent: There was no reason in Christ’s resurrection for anything but delight, yet these dear women were overwhelmed, silenced, struck dumb by what made the angels sing.

Looking back at Proverbs 31: she fears the Lord. They felt the fear. Enough that they couldn’t even muster words to talk to one another. They could only be obedient and go tell Peter as the angel had instructed.

based on the timeline. The women ran and told the disciples, Peter and Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb so he could see. John reports her sitting outside the tomb weeping saying “they’ve taken my Lord”, Jesus appeared to her who she did not recognize, then he said “Mary!” and she knew…she knew her Savior’s voice. The voice that cast out demons from her. The voice she listened to and followed. She said “teacher!” and went to tell others what she had seen.

So, why were women the first ones to see the empty tomb. Why did Jesus reveal himself to a woman? We dont know. But, what we do know is

These women were faithful disciples with unwavering presence and steadfastness during these heart-wrenching turned joyful events.

One commentary states:

While social restrictions may have limited their public proclamation compared to male apostles…their presence at the cross demonstrated that following Jesus meant confessing him both in word and deed, putting one’s own life at risk even when observing from a distance.

Their presence carried considerable risk. The typical role of crucifixion spectators was to mock and jeer the victim, and showing support for someone executed as an enemy of the state would have made the authorities regard observers as suspects themselves.2 Yet the women remained with Jesus to the end, while the trained male leadership failed at the cross.2 Their courage in being present at all, combined with their faithful and devoted discipleship, stands out as remarkable.2

The historical significance of women as primary witnesses is striking. In both ancient Jewish and Roman cultures, women’s testimony were so worthless that they weren’t even allowed to serve as legal witnesses in a Jewish court of law. This cultural reality makes their role as first witnesses historically compelling. The fact that women are the first witnesses to the empty tomb is most plausibly explained by the reality that they were the discoverers of the empty tomb—showing that the Gospel writers faithfully recorded what happened, even if it was embarrassing.

No one in that culture would have invented a story that gave such a key role to women, making their prominence in the resurrection accounts strong evidence for historical authenticity rather than legendary invention. Jesus grants these women the first knowledge of his resurrection, which would become the heart of the gospel.

So, while we hear of this account and celebrate a Risen Savior, let’s look inward.

Do you believe that Jesus died and rose for you?

How do these women show us the reality of the crucifixion and resurrection?

How can we be more like these women in our dedication to Christ, our faithfulness, our strength, our steadfastness, even in uncertain times?