The Witnesses: Joanna
This morning, we’re going to look at a person from Scripture who had a great impact in the spreading of the Gospel, even though their circumstances at the time would be considered a hindrance to their service.
Turn to Luke chapter 8, that’s on page 588 of the pew Bible. We’re going to start in the first three verses of this chapter.
As Luke begins this part of his narrative, he opens with a summary of one of Jesus’ itinerant preaching circuits. While Jesus was on earth, a good portion of his ministry, of course, was going through the countryside, preaching that the kingdom of God had come and that forgiveness for sin and reconciliation with God was being made available through him.
But there is something odd going on with Jesus’ preaching tour; let’s read verses 1-3:
Luke 8:1–3 CSB
1 Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,
2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her);
3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.
In his narrative of Jesus’ preaching ministry, Luke includes the fact that several women were traveling with Jesus and the Twelve. In fact, he names three of the women, indicating that they were of no small importance to Jesus’ ministry.
This week and next, as we pick up from last year our series called The Characters of Easter, we’re going to look at two of these women who Luke tells us saw Jesus’ ministry and stayed with him until the very end.
Today, we’ll look at the second woman in Luke’s list, Joanna the wife of Chuza. And our big idea this morning is this: Jesus saves unlikely people from unlikely places.
Jesus saves unlikely people from unlikely places.
Joanna Provided for Jesus
Joanna came to Jesus from an unlikely place.
One one hand, that’s not surprising at all. Many of Jesus’ followers came from unlikely backgrounds: Matthew was a tax collector, nobody liked him. Simon the Zealot, a religious terrorist committed to kicking the Romans out of Israel. Most of the disciples were poor fisherman. Hardly the crew you would expect to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God.
However, Joanna’s inclusion is unlikely for the entirely opposite reason. We know that Jesus called the poor and the outcast. But Joanna wasn’t that. Joanna was wealthy and connected.
Luke says that she was the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward. Herod, of course, being the king of the region of Galilee and Peraea. This was the son of Herod the Great, who was king when Jesus was born. Chuza had a prominent role in the court of the king. Stewards were the high-ranking managers of the government. Think of, say, the cabinet members of the president of the United States. High-level advisors and executives.
But, all of her wealth and proximity to the elite of society couldn’t help with the trouble Joanna had. Luke says that these three women had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. We’re not given any insight as to which of these Joanna was healed from, but we can see that, though she probably had access to the finest health care available, it was ineffective for her ailments. She needed something more.
And she found healing in what might seem an unlikely place — a traveling carpenter turned rabbi. The Bible doesn’t describe the details of her healing other than that it happened. But we know that it was dramatic enough that Joanna’s life changed forever when she encountered Jesus. She came from an unlikely place, the household of a dysfunctional and corrupt government.
And that’s not the only unlikely part of Joanna’s story. It’s not just about where she came from, but who she was. And the key word is, “she.” Joanna was a woman.
It was not uncommon, in fact it was expected, that rabbis had an entourage as they traveled and preached in Israel. Jesus wasn’t doing anything strange by calling disciples. But, in a bold move against the patriarchy of his day, Jesus invites women into his entourage as disciples. An unlikely person, a woman, from an unlikely place, the cultural elite.
Luke also tells us that Joanna and this group of women were bankrolling Jesus’ ministry. She, and apparently some others who were following Jesus came from some wealth and wanted to show their gratitude by supplying Jesus and the Twelve with the money they needed to travel and preach. An unlikely person from and unlikely place providing for the needs to Jesus.
Joanna Persevered With Jesus
The next time Joanna is named specifically in Scripture is on Easter morning, but there is a reference to her, among others, in chapter 23, so turn there if you will. Luke 23, on page 602 of the pew Bible.
Jesus was tried and crucified on Friday of Passover weekend, and his body was removed from the cross and buried that evening.
Let’s read about his burial from verse 48:
Luke 23:48–56 CSB
48 All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests.
49 But all who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 There was a good and righteous man named Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin,
51 who had not agreed with their plan and action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God.
52 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body.
53 Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever been placed.
54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how his body was placed.
56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
We’ll see in just a moment for sure that Joanna is included in this group of women, but I want to cover things in chronological order, so just stick with me for now. Joanna is part of the group of women named in verses
49 and 55 that watched while Jesus died and went to the tomb was buried.
Joanna was there near the start of Jesus’ ministry when he healed her from some malady, and she was there at the end when he healer died. Luke means for us to understand, then, that Joanna was one of the few who persevered with Jesus as a disciple through the span of his ministry. Joanna provided for Jesus and she persevered with Jesus.
And this was unlikely, as well. There were, relatively speaking, very few who came to Jesus who also stayed with Jesus.
In John’s gospel, he makes it clear that many were following Jesus mostly for the free food and the spectacle. After Jesus fed the 5000 in the wilderness, this is from John 6, the very next day the crowd asked him, “What sign are you going to do that we may see and believe you?” He had literally the day before miraculously provided food for the thousands from two fish and five little barley rolls, and they’re telling him to do another miracle as proof.
Instead, Jesus tells them the story of Moses and God providing manna for their ancestors in the wilderness. Then he says, “I am the true bread that comes from God. Feast on me and live forever.” And verse 66 of chapter 6 says this:
John 6:66 CSB
66 From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him.
There were very few who persevered with Jesus when his teaching got tough. When they were called to fully put their trust in him, most of those who came decided that it was time to go home.
But Joanna stayed. She was there at the cross. She had come from Galilee to be with her healer when he was being put to death. And even in his death, she stayed and they prepared spices for his body that evening.
What disappointment Joanna and the others must have felt that night. I think that sometimes we forget that the disciples didn’t get it on Friday. The Bible is pretty insistent that they weren’t thinking about the possibility of a resurrection when Jesus died. When they saw him on cross, they weren’t thinking redemption; they were thinking failure. The one they had put their hope in, the one they thought was the Messiah, was dead, their hopes of Israel’s glory crucified and buried like a common criminal.
But even in the disappointment and heartache, Joanna persevered to care for Jesus’ body. An unlikely person from an unlikely place with an unlikely perseverance.
Joanna Proclaimed Jesus
But, we know that the story doesn’t end there, even if the disciples didn’t.
Read verses 1-10 of chapter 24 with me:
Luke 24:1 CSB
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared.
So, just so we’re following: verse 56 of chapter 23 says that a group of women at the cross went to the tomb, then went back home to prepare spices for the body. Now verse 1 tells us that these same women are going back to the tomb on Sunday morning. Follow?
Luke 24:2–8 CSB
2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes.
5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men.
6 “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee,
7 saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’
8 And they remembered his words.
Pause right here. Remember that I said the disciples didn’t “get it” on Friday? They still didn’t “get it” by Sunday morning. It wasn’t until the angels made them stop and think about Jesus’ words, “It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day,” that they got it. They had to hear someone tell them and explain it to them. That was the only way the good news of Jesus’ resurrection took root in their hearts.
Let’s keep going:
Luke 24:9–11 CSB
9 Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest.
10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things.
11 But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.
Not only did Joanna provide for Jesus and persevere with Jesus, she was one of the first to proclaim Jesus’ resurrection.
Now that seems unlikely. Women were funding Jesus’ preaching while he was alive? Mmm, OK. They were traveling with him as disciples? That’s a little more outside the cultural norm, but alright. But, God chose women to be the first to proclaim the greatest news the earth had ever heard?! That’s is beyond amazing!
Joanna provided for Jesus. She persevered with Jesus. And she was one of the first to proclaim that Jesus was alive.
Joanna was a really important figure in Luke’s gospel, even though we only see her name twice. She is a great example of what it looks like to be a disciple or follower of Jesus.
Gospel Observations
Now that we have kind of a biographical sketch of Joanna. I want to take just a few moments as we close to make a few observations and applications for us. How do we take some of these facts of what we know about Joanna’s life and apply them to our context and our lives.
Jesus is the Only Means of Healing our Sin Sickness
Joanna was wealthy. She probably had access to the best doctors of her time. She had money to travel and could afford rest, a real luxury in a world of daily wages. But all of that wasn’t able to heal her body and mind. It wasn’t until Jesus touched her that she became whole.
And the same is true of our ultimate malady — our sinfulness. You may be the nicest person. You may have the cleanest house and the most perfect manners. A church attender. A Bible reader. A deacon.
You may have had every privilege growing up: two parents in the home, a functional house, going to church regularly, regularly eating meals together, access to Bibles.
None of those things heal your soul. The only cure for sin sickness is the healing touch of Jesus, provided through his sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection. Access to a restored life is found only in believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and submitting to him as Lord. He is the only.
Luke Gives us an Unbroken Chain of Testimony to Jesus’ Resurrection
The fact that the same women who saw Jesus’ teaching ministry were also there at the cross when he died, at the tomb when he was buried, and at the empty tomb after he was resurrected ought to give us hope in the truthfulness of the story.
That’s what Luke is doing when he adds details like this. If you remember in Luke 1, the doctor gives the reason for his writing:
Luke 1:3–4 CSB
3 So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus,
4 so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.
Luke is careful to add details to add certainty to his account. If you’ve ever been on the fence about whether some of the details of Jesus’ death and resurrection are true, Luke is going out of his way to provide this testimony as proof. The same people saw him die, saw him buried, and then saw him resurrected later. We have good testimony as proof that Jesus actually died, actually was buried, and was actually resurrected. There is an unbroken chain of testimony to those facts.
Giving Is A Proper Response to Our Salvation
Luke records for us the legitimacy of Joanna’s faith. She was following Jesus and supporting his mission financially. James tells us in James 2 that our works will be proof of our faith. Our works don’t save us, but they will be proof of our salvation.
Joanna was healed, and then followed Jesus and provided for his ministry. Salvation had touched her body, her soul, her heart. The grace she was so undeservedly given she freely dispensed for the mission of Jesus.
One of the ways that we display our faith in Christ is to give to his ministry, namely the Church. Giving doesn’t buy salvation. Someone who gives 11% isn’t holier than someone who gives 10%.
But, a natural response to a life changed by the gospel, and Joanna is a great example of this, will be gratitude and a joyfulness at the opportunity to give in order that others can come to know Jesus.
We Must Persevere When Jesus’ Teachings Are Difficult
Women are Equal Members of Jesus’ Church
In Jesus’ day, Jewish rabbis outright refused to teach women and, if they allowed them a place of service, it was always in the most inferior roles. But, Jesus freely admits women into fellowship with him and calls them to serve alongside men.
In fact, he gave them a place of prominence. The first people ever to proclaim the gospel was a group of women.
And you know what happened? The eleven disciples didn’t believe them. They acted like male chauvinists toward the women and refused to believe them. And I’m not just making that up or being harsh, that’s what the Bible says:
Luke 24:11 CSB
11 But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.
The disciples reacted just like the world would have. In their day, women were considered to be intellectually inferior, overly emotional and given to hysteria. Sounds like a lot of attitudes toward women today, doesn’t it? Are we, as Christians, called to be different than the world? Then it’s time to start believing women and treating them as equals, especially in the Church.
We still have a long way to go in honoring women as full image-bearers of God and equal partners as servants of Christ. We still have a long way to go in believing women.
Guys, men, boys…I want you to listen to me. If you know a woman, that woman has been sexually harassed in her lifetime. Consistently, anytime there is a survey of harassment, nearly 85% of women say they have been harassed by someone. You want to know an even more horrifying reality? If you know a woman — your mother, your wife, your daughter — it is statistically likely that she has been sexually assaulted or abused at some time. In 2019, 45% of women reported that they had been sexually assaulted and it’s estimated that number climbs 2% each year. Which means, in 2022, 51% of women will have been sexually assaulted at some point. And yet we still don’t believe them.
For some reason, women are still relegated to the piano, the kitchen, and the nursery at church. Why is that? BTW, I still haven’t seen any men volunteer to serve in worship training with our kids on Sunday mornings. Is that because we think it’s woman’s work?
Jesus, preaching the good news of the gospel of the kingdom, embodies the gospel of the kingdom by raising the status of women, so often belittled and kept down by the sinful structures of the world. We must look different and we fail to do so because we fail to grasp the actual and radical transformative power of the gospel that gives men and women equal status in the kingdom.
God Saves Those We Think Are Unlikely
Joanna’s story reminds us that God seeks and saves in the least likely of places. God’s light shines in the most hideously dark places.
No one is beyond the gospel. No one has sinned to much. No one has been too damaged. No one is too far gone when it comes to Jesus.
And I am quite certain that nearly everyone in here would agree with that. Praise the Lord, no one is too far gone.
But, I do have a bit of a concern - and I’m just going to speak honestly. I do sometimes wonder if we are ready for God to do that saving of anyone.
We too easily write people off for their ideological positions, as if God only saves people who think like we do. We too easily write off people who have real and genuine struggles with visible sin, as if God only saves people who are nice and keep ourselves to “respectable” sin like we are.
Are we ready for the salvation of people who come, broken, and still smell like alcohol on the back pew from their Saturday night even after they have come to Christ?
Are we ready for the prostitutes who were working Saturday night to come in here looking for healing? Are we ready to let them stay at our house since they don’t have anywhere else? If you think there aren’t any in Gore Springs, you’re fooling yourself. And, by the way, if just me saying the name of their job is causing you stress right now, be honest with yourself about how you’re going to handle it when they show up.
Are we ready for God to save Democrats? Who then remain Democrats after they follow Jesus? That’s possible, you know. Are we ready for that?
I wonder how many of us who praise the fact that one day in heaven we will all gather to worship Jesus, a multitude from every tribe, ethnicity, and nation aren’t quite ready for our church to look that different just yet.
God is saving people in the homeless shelter and the halls of power, in prisons and palaces, under bridges and corporate boardrooms, in shanty towns and suburbs. Jesus saves the poor and the politicians. He saves presidents and prostitutes. He saves partyers and the pious. The resurrection power of Jesus is not limited and, even today, it breathes life into dead souls where we least expect it.
Joanna was an unlikely person who came from an unlikely place who felt the healing power of Jesus and it turned her into a committed follower who was with Jesus through his death and proclaimed the good news of his resurrection. God is still saving those unlikely people — and all of us are those unlikely people. What a glorious and merciful God we serve.