In some ways, they were just as ordinary as the men called by our Lord Jesus. They were housekeepers, tentmakers, merchants, seamstresses, servants. But in other ways, the female followers of the Savior were extraordinary. Sure, they had their share of failings, as we all do, questioning the Lord’s decisions and getting preoccupied and frustrated in their service for Him. Yet they had great moments when their testimony for Christ beamed.
Mary of Bethany received words of commendation from the Lord twice: once when she “chose the good part” of learning at His feet, the other when His feet and head received her gift of devotion – an act Jesus called “a beautiful thing,” an exceptional offering worth a year’s wages. And how must the Savior’s heart have filled with joy to see crowds coming to faith in Him from a Samaritan town because the woman He met at Jacob’s well boldly and enthusiastically bore witness of His saving power. Women were the last at Christ’s cross and the first at His tomb. Meanwhile, His male followers had abandoned Him, cowering in fear. They even scoffed at the resurrection report the women brought to them. We must not forget about Priscilla, who, along with her husband, risked her life for the apostle Paul and the gospel he preached (Rom 16:3-4). Yes, the record of Scripture shows the sterling commitment of these women called to follow and serve the Savior.
His first follower was the woman who gave birth to Him, as she knew from the beginning who He truly was – the Son of the Most High, the Son of God (Luk 1:32,35). As the years passed, she would come to learn increasingly to “do whatever he tells you” (Joh 2:5 ESV). Among His last followers mentioned in Scripture was another woman with that same servant heart – Phoebe, “a servant of the church at Cenchreae,” who, Paul says, had been a great help to many, including him. The New Testament is filled with the testimony of remarkable women of faith, and we must not overlook the example they are to both men and women, just as Priscilla (along with Aquila) was to the budding preacher Apollos.
The previous single-themed issue of Truth & Tidings was entitled “The Chosen,”1 where we explored the lives of the apostles who left an indelible mark upon our world. And although Jesus did not call women to be apostles, those who followed Him, whose stories are recorded for us in Scripture, continue to shape His Church and the world the Church is called to reach. The secret of their influence is the same as that of the men – not the power of their wealth, creativity, intelligence or even femininity, but the power of the Holy Spirit who filled them, led them and used them for the glory of the One who saved them. We invite you to read on and learn lasting lessons from these female followers of our Lord, some who accompanied Him during His earthly ministry, others who came to know Him as the gospel reached their cities and towns. May their number continue to increase for His name’s sake.
1 See the September 2024 edition.
