When Jesus Speaks to Women - Part 10

Hello and welcome to the Women’s Weekly Bible Challenge! I’m Lisa Ann Spencer.

Today is our final lesson in this series which began in the Old Testament with our study titled, When God Speaks to Women, and culminates in the Four Gospels with this series titled, When Jesus Speaks to Women.

When I began this series, I set out to consider every occurrence in Scripture of God speaking directly to women.  Though it has taken us 19 lessons to cover this topic thus far, the number of times God actually speaks to women is very few in number.

On my YouTube channel these videos are posted in two separate playlists, so if you wish to review this series in full or share it with friends, these playlists make it convenient to do so. Both are linked here:

• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXpoZtgoVv_GWbWPI7oBlI46RpZSOIJtC
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXpoZtgoVv_ElZfFHWm6QBsxJfLAFSJm4

We have only 2 passages that we have yet considered, but before I begin I would like to give a brief update to my subscribers and readers.

Some of you noticed that I took a long break from posting on YouTube and the Blog.  I really needed to step back and reevaluate the proper use of my time, and seek godly counsel as to being in the will of God as a women’s Bible teacher.

I came to the conclusion of something that must be true of all teachers.  There is none perfect, and everyone will make mistakes in their teaching.  No person is the authority, especially regarding the Bible; the Bible is the authority!  If every teacher decided to keep silent for fear of making an error, no one would ever share the word of God.  The Bible teaches that we who are saved are all AMBASSADORS for CHRIST, and that it is the duty of an ambassador to represent Christ to a lost world.  In order to do that we MUST SPEAK by whatever means the Lord presents. (Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.)  Therefore, I shall continue to SPEAK.  

I encourage you to be a student of the Bible for yourself.  My goal is NOT to get followers. My goals in teaching women have been:

• To share a clear gospel testimony so that woman can know how to be saved and how to have assurance of salvation. 
• To be an example of a godly mother, wife and a friend to women that may not have a godly woman to turn to for instruction.
• To help women come to understand doctrine through knowing how to study the Bible for themselves, so that they may then be able to apply that doctrine to their daily walk.

Now that I am back from my break, I am going to be posting less often. I will only post a video to my YouTube channel once per week.  At least one of those videos will be dedicated to Women's Bible study.  I will continue to post videos about my Organic Garden and cooking videos. I hope you may find those videos valuable.

I have a new Bible study planned, including When the Holy Spirit Speaks to Women. God the Father spoke in the Old Testament, God the Son spoke in the Four Gospels, and God the Holy Spirit speaks in the epistles that He inspired men to write.  In these epistles we find instructions spoken directly to women.  I also plan to do a single lesson, When God Speaks to Children, so I hope you’ll find these studies valuable.

It's time to finish our study.  

Grab a pencil and a journal, and turn in your Bible to John chapter 19.

JESUS SPEAKS TO HIS MOTHER FROM THE CROSS

Click here to Read John 19:25-27

The CONTEXT of this passage is from the cross, before Christ’s death.

John 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

The references to ‘The disciple whom Jesus loved’ are found only in the book of John.  (See John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20.) That disciple is never actually identified by name, but in John 21:24 we are told that that disciple is the one that wrote “these things”, these things being the book of John.  I have been told that all the existing copies of the manuscripts of the book of John attribute the authorship of this book to John. Some contest that it was Lazarus who wrote it, because the scripture plainly states that Jesus loved Lazarus. (See John11:3-5.)  Also, the incident of Peter enquiring of Jesus in John 21:21 “… what shall this man do?” makes more sense if the person in question had indeed been raised from the dead.  This is interesting to consider, but certainly not an issue that should cause contention among believers.

📔 Note: The WOMEN present at the crucifixion:  

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is mentioned in John 19:25 as STANDING BY the cross BEFORE His death. 

Compare this fact to the lists from the other gospel accounts which mention a group of women standing AFAR OFF after Christ’s death:

• Matthew 27:55-56 – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
•  Mark 15:40-41 – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and of Joses, and Salome.
• Luke 23:49 – the women that followed him from Galilee.

Then we read:

John 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

If you believe the exact words preserved for us, we can understand that that disciple took Mary to his house that very hour, which is why we do not see her mentioned in the other gospel accounts of the women which stood afar off AFTER His death.

THE RESURRECTED JESUS SPEAKS TO MARY AT THE SEPULCHRE

Click here to read John 20:1-18

CONTEXT:  Mary Magdalene is at the sepulchre on Sunday morning as we read in verse 1.  The other gospels inform us that she was not alone.  The other Mary, the mother of James and John, is with her, as is Salome (Matthew 27:61 and 28:1; Mark 16:1,9; Luke 24:10).  In John 20:2, Mary Magdalene says, “we” know not where they have laid him, which indicates to us that she was not alone.  This agrees with the other gospel accounts.

Mary Magdalene had the honor of being the first person to see Jesus after His resurrection (Mark 16:9).

Jesus speaks to her, but she thinks it is the gardener.

John 20:15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. ¹⁶ Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. ¹⁷ Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 

Mary, and the other women, told the disciples that they had seen Jesus and that He would meet them in Galilee as He had foretold them (Matthew 26:32; 28:7-10 and Mark 14:28; 16:7).  But they, as usual, did not believe (Matthew 28:10; Mark 16:10-11; Luke 24:9-11). 

Jesus of course appears to the 11 apostles, and they finally believe.  Jesus spends 40 days with them (Acts 1:3) opening their understanding of His fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures which were about His suffering, and about the promised Kingdom

Here we end our series, When God Speaks to Women.  

The majority of the women that we have covered in this series represent the nation of Israel.

The nation of Israel is symbolized throughout the scripture in many ways, including as a woman.  Their heritage is known as the Hebrews, being descendants of Abraham, the first man called a Hebrew.  Hebrew is also the language spoken by these people.  As a nation, they are the descendants of Abraham's grandson Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel.  Their land, which also bears the name Israel, is the land promised to them by God, which they have never fully possessed.  The Law of Moses was their national religion given to them by God.  They willingly entered into a covenant relationship with God, vowing they would keep His commandments faithfully as a wife vows to obey a husband. The Temple, the center of their religious activity, was built by the son of David in Jerusalem, the city where God chose to place His name. 

Israel was never a faithful wife and was often in bondage to Satan because of her sin.  Israel, to this day, has not attained to the righteousness of God by faith.  However, all of the promises that God made to Israel are sure.  All Israel shall be saved.  The harlot will be tried during the Great Tribulation, and come forth as a Virgin Bride.  The people of the Old Covenant will enter into a New Covenant with God (Jeremiah 31:31).  When they are completely purified and filled with the Spirit of God, they will be a perfectly obedient wife.

Today, in this dispensation, we are not the wife of God, or the Bride of Christ.  We are members of His BODY, a new creature.  There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile in this Dispensation of the Grace of God that was given to the Apostle Paul to give to us today.  After we are raptured out of this world to inherit heavenly places, God will continue to fulfill all His promises to Israel, giving them their promised Kingdom on Earth.

I hope this study has been edifying for you.  I hope it has given you an appetite to study the word of God for yourself.  If you have any questions or comments please drop them below, and I hope you will check back soon for a new series titled, When the Holy Spirit Speaks to Women.

The material covered in this Blog can be viewed on my YouTube channel.  Please consider subscribing!  Watch it here: