Why was it so significant that several women who were close to Jesus remained by His side while He hung on the cross? Not only was it a gut-wrenching experience, it was also dangerous for their own safety. Liz Curtis Higgs explains,
“Right there stood his mother, his mother’s sister, another Mary called the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus is only lifted up about three feet from the ground, so they would have been able to see his face, see the blood, hear his anguish.”
Liz wonders at their ability to endure the horrific display of their beloved Savior suffering on the cross.
“Could you have been there? Many people admit that they could not have watched their own son be crucified and suffer. These women were there, which makes them my heroes forever. Think about it, if it were your son, your nephew, your Savior, your King, the one who delivered you. These women all had a very close relationship with Jesus, they weren’t just curious onlookers.”
Not only was it an awful sight to behold, it was also dangerous to be present. Anyone associating with Jesus during that time was in danger of meeting the same end as Him. Liz says we would do well to emulate the courage of these women in our own social situations.
“It happens to everyone, we’re put in an awkward position when someone asks, What do you do for a living? The truth is, sometimes I don’t tell them because I don’t know where the other person is coming from, I do this little dance. God has so convicted me. He says, I hung there, in public, willingly, on the cross. I did that for you, can you not stand on your own two feet and say without apology, this is my savior, right here.”
Even when it might be awkward or difficult, we are called to not shy away from associating ourselves with Jesus.
“Therefore, we are called even more to be there at the foot of the cross and identify with Him.”
Liz reminds us that Scripture tells us to identify with Jesus in His death, so that we will be able to identify with Him unto life eternal.
Liz Curtis Higgs is the author of more than 30 books, with 4.5 million copies in print. In her best-selling Bad Girls of the Bible series, Liz breathes new life into ancient tales about the most famous—and infamous—women in scriptural history, from Bathsheba to Mary Magdalene. Liz’s award-winning historical novels, which transport the stories of Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Dinah, Naomi, and Ruth to eighteenth-century Scotland, also invite readers to view biblical characters in a new light.
Key Scripture: John 19:25
Featured Songs: Were You There – Selah; We Fall Down – Steven Curtis Chapman; What a Beautiful Name – Hillsong
Women of Easter
