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3 First-Century Women Who Impacted the Early Church

3 First-Century Women Who Impacted the Early Church

23rd Mar 2022

She is a fierce lover to those closest to her heart.

She is a carrier of grace and beauty to the world in need of mercy.

She is a wealth of knowledge and holds the keys to solution and resolve.

As we near the end of International Women’s Month, I can’t help but ponder how women have played a significant role in the first-century church and beyond.

Before Jesus entered the scene, women were not considered valuable or respectable assets to Jewish culture. They could not converse with men in public, let alone a religious leader. They were not allowed to study the Torah as the young boys and men did. And to add insult to their presence, their testimonies were considered unreliable.

However, with Jesus, everything changed.

The Woman at the Well

Can you imagine living with the shame of having not one but five past husbands?

What about the pain from the isolation that weighs heavy on you as a community of people – your personal community – ostracizes you from connection?

This woman, God’s beloved, was not only fetching her own water, but she was longing for the Living Water.

In John chapter 4, we see Jesus guiding her in reflecting on her own life, but he also invites her to ponder the life she wants to live. He met with her, on a hill, in the middle of the day, and sat with her. He sought her out and gave her a safe place as she shared what deep things had troubled her heart.

He saw her. He listened to her. And He invited her to take part in changing the course of Samaria.

John 4:28-29, in the NIV, says, “28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?’”

You see, God not only valued her as a woman, but He valued her testimony of hope as she reached an entire village and helped them believe in the true Messiah.

In these Bible verses, we see a beloved Daughter go from being considered unreliable to being a carrier of truth. And you, too, are a trustworthy source of the miracle-working God.

Mary of Bethany

Have you ever been so enamored with something that it captivates every ounce of your concentration?

Mary, the sister of both Lazarus and Martha of Bethany, knew this feeling all too well.

In Luke 10, we read about two sisters preparing for a visit from Jesus and his disciples. However, when Jesus arrives, one sister, Martha, is scrambling to finish the preparations, while Mary assumes a position, kneeling in front of Jesus, hanging on every word.

Martha tended to her role as a woman in first-century Bible times by caring for the home and the guests. Mary was gleaning every drop of Jesus’ teachings of God’s goodness and love.

What’s even more beautiful is that Jesus created space for this Jewish woman to listen, learn, and soak up every word that was spoken.

He provided a way for her to study God’s word as she listened with her ears, mind, and heart.

And I pray that the demands of your own world – in your caring for your home, tasks at work, and taking care of your family’s needs – are quieted as you seek the most important thing: Jesus.

Mary Magdalene

Jesus, while on earth, turned the world upside down. He taught things considered heresy, viewed others higher than the Jewish law, and encouraged and empowered women throughout his ministry.

And his resurrection was no different.

Up until this time, we read about women lifting their voices and stories of their testimonies of faith, as they are included in Jesus’ followers (Luke 8). However, Jesus’ resurrection not only included Mary Magdalene finding the empty tomb, but she also was the one entrusted with the announcement of a long-awaited prophecy.

Jesus loved people, and it didn’t matter if he was walking the earth or resurrected from the grave; he was constantly restoring things that had gone awry, culture’s relationship with women included.

How beautiful that Jesus would choose to reveal his resurrection to a woman! And not only that, but she would also be a Daughter with a scandalous past and who was healed and made whole by the One she put her complete faith in.

As a woman, are you struggling with finding your place in the kingdom?

Be encouraged; Jesus came to restore all that was broken, which encompasses the restoration and dignity of women.

There is a place for you at the table of the Most High, and your voice, work, and presence matter here.

Daughter, may you find abundant peace in His perfect calling as you impact those around you.