Day 195: Luke 24:9–12

Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things (v. 10).

If I may say with a chuckle, one possible reason God chose to reveal the resurrection first to women is because He can trust us to get the word out! Telling what we’ve been told is our specialty! However, nothing can deflate the spirits of an enthusiastic woman like an apprehensive audience. Luke 24:11 records that the apostles “did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.”

Sisters, don’t be insulted by this scene in Luke 24:11. Rather, be blessed that God was up to something awesome even in this seemingly insignificant detail. You see, “the witness of women was not [even] acceptable in that day.”41 They couldn’t testify as witnesses.

Now isn’t this just like our Jesus! He threatened the status quo in countless ways, not the least of which concerned women. He invited them into Bible class (see Luke 10:39) after they had spent centuries learning what little Scripture they could from their husbands. He honored their service during a time in which men were the only ones who ministered publicly (see Mark 15:41). He healed, forgave, delivered, and made whole the very ones society shunned. Women of ill repute.

Appointing these women as the first to share the news of Jesus’ resurrection was a definite “custom shaker.” Jesus knew the apostles wouldn’t believe them, but perhaps He felt that the pending discovery of their authenticity would breed a fresh respect. After all, at the first roll call in the post-ascension New Testament church, you’ll see women listed as part of the first New Testament cell group (see Acts 1:13–14).

For centuries the synagogue had kept men and women separate. Suddenly they would be working, praying, and worshiping shoulder-to-shoulder. Christ built His church on a foundation of mutual respect. Don’t misunderstand. Christ wasn’t prioritizing women over men. He simply took the ladder down to the basement where society had lowered women. And with His nail-scarred hands, He lifted them to a place of respect and credibility.

The last thing we women should want to do in the body of Christ is to take men’s places. They have far too much responsibility for my taste! But by all means, let’s take our places! We have also been called to be credible witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ.