Pastor David's Sermons

7.11.09

Women in the Life of Jesus

 

 What we can learn from their experiences with Jesus:

 

1. Mary, the mother of Jesus

            John 7:15 “And the Jews marveled, saying, ‘How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

 

This question does not indicate that Jesus was unable to read, but that He had not received the traditional education of the Rabbis. What does this tell us about Mary, the mother of Jesus. It tells us that she was an independent thinker. She did not just do what everyone else was doing when it came to raising her son, and we don’t have to either. If we don’t want our children to grow up to be like the world, why would we raise them the way the rest of the world does?

 

“The Child Jesus did not receive instruction in the synagogue schools. His mother was His first human teacher.  From her  lips and from the scrolls of the prophets, He learned of heavenly things….His intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures shows how diligently His early years were given to the study of God’s word. And spread out before Him was the great library of God’s created works.”  Desire of Ages, 70

 

How different this is from how many children are typically raised today. In many households, a child is born. Mother takes a maternal leave of absence from work which a lot of times is only about six weeks.  Then when mother returns to work, the baby is left to be with someone else for the day. During this time, which is most of his waking hours, his mind is influenced by other adults, and especially peers who naturally have a negative impact on each other.

 

For most of the day, they are confined indoors except for some time here and there to have recess. At the end of the day, after the child is picked up a few tired hours remain for mother to cook, clean up, and prepare for the next day. At best, the child gets a couple of hours of quality time with parents if they aren’t cranky from being tired. But the reality is that this time is usually spent in front of the TV.

 

Family worship is seldom done if done at all. And the only Bible teaching the child gets is the one hour a week they get during Sabbath School, or maybe two hours if the parent’s have trained the child to pay attention to the sermon during church. In this typical scenario of a child’s life, how can we expect children to grow up to know the Lord. We can’t, unless we follow Mary’s example in the way she raised Jesus.

 

 

2. The widow of Nain

 Luke 7:15  “Now it happened the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was begin carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.”

 

After healing the centurion’s servant, Jesus turned His feet toward the town of Nain. His progress was slow because of all the people who came, longing for His words of love and pity and bringing their sick for Him to heal. As they drew near the mountain village, a funeral train is seen coming from the gates. In front was carried the body of the dead, and around it are the mourners, filling the air with their wailing cries.

 

It seems that all the people of the town have gathered to show their respect for the dead and their sympathy with the grieving. It was a very sad sight. The deceased was the only son of his mother, who was also a widow. The lonely lady was following to the grave her only earthly support and comfort.

 

As she moved, weeping, she didn’t notice Jesus. He came close beside her, and gently said, “Don’t cry.” Jesus was about to change her grief to joy. He came and touched the stand for the coffin. The people were shocked that He would do something like this, making Himself ceremonially unclean. But the thing about Jesus is, He is not about politics. He didn’t live to cater to the opinions of people. And to Him, even contact with the dead could impart no defilement.

 

The pallbearers stood still, and the loud crying stopped. The people gathered around hoping against hope. In their minds they are thinking, “He has banished disease and vanquished demons; could He also overcome death?”

 

In a clear, authoritative voice, Jesus says, “Young man, I say to you, Arise.” His voice pierces the ears of the dead. The young man opens his eyes. Jesus takes him by the hand and lifts him up. He looks around, then his gaze is fixed on her who had been weeping beside him, and mother and son unite in a long, clinging, joyous embrace.

 

He who stood beside the sorrowing mother at the gate of Nain, watches with every mourning person beside the coffin. He is touched with sympathy for our grief.  His heart that loved and pitied, is a heart of unchangeable tenderness.

 

His word, that called the dead to life, is no less effective now than when spoken to the young man of Nain. Satan cannot hold the dead in his grasp when the Son of God calls them to live. Also, he cannot hold in spiritual death one soul who in faith receives Christ’s word of power. God is saying to all who are dead in sin, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead.” Ephesians 5:14. As Christ’s word, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise,” gave life to the youth of Nain, so that word, “Arise from the dead,” is life to the soul that receives it. If we receive the word, we have deliverance.

           

 

3. Peter’s mother-in-law

Matthew 7:14-15 “Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.”

 

In this short and simple account of what happened to Peter’s mother-in-law, we can see a short and to-the-point example of what our experience should be. We are to receive healing from Jesus so that we may serve and nurture others. In many instances, we don’t receive healing, and are therefore not able to serve others. So when that happens, what went wrong?

 

My wife, as you know, is a nurse, and sometimes, she shares with me some of the experiences that she goes through while at work. One story she shared with me is about a certain woman. This woman had serious respiratory problems. Her lungs were so bad that there was only one position that she could be in to be able to breathe. She had to have her bedside table next to her bed so that she could put her arms up on it with her elbows stretched out to the side as she leans forward. This was the best position for her to get maximum ventilation, and even in this position, she was huffing and puffing.

 

Even at night, she had to be in this position, so she got very little sleep and was very tired. Of course, she had to wear oxygen, so she had these tubes that she had to deal with which can be very bothersome. She was what the nurses called a ‘frequent flyer’, which means that she was in the hospital often. At this admission, her lung disease had gotten to the point where the doctor had to put a chest tube in. Once she was more stable, the chest tube was taken out, but now, the hole that the chest tube had made in her back wouldn’t heal.

 

So here the lady is, in this uncomfortable position day and night, not getting proper rest, with a hole in her back, connected with tubes and huffing and puffing with every breath. And besides that, she would constantly moan and moan to the nurses and doctors for help. What my wife thought was interesting is that when this patient would moan and groan and complain, the nurses would do their best to comfort her, but would also say that she did this to herself because she did not want to follow the doctor’s advice. Every time she would come in to the hospital, the doctor would tell her, “You need to stop smoking!” But she wouldn’t.

 

This woman’s situation is very sad, but how can the doctor help her if she won’t listen to him. And my wife told me that when she heard the nurses talking this way, the thought came to her mind, “I wonder if this is how God feels?”

 

When God gives us so much light to live by regarding relationships, raising kids, church administration, health, finances, psychology, spirituality, and just about everything in life, and we don’t listen to Him, but pray over and over again to Him, “Help, help,” I wonder if He is thinking, “I’ve already told you what to do, but you don’t listen. If you don’t take My advice, how can I help you?”

 

It’s not for no reason that God, through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, has given us hundreds of pages of counsel and instruction. It was to give us the answers we need for the specific things we encounter in everyday life, so that we may have the intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual stamina that is needed to do the important work that we were meant to do.

 

4. Woman with issue

Matt 9:20-22 “And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, ‘If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well’. But Jesus turned around and when He say her He said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter, your faith has made you well’. And the woman was made well from that hour.”

 

Jesus values a faith that produces action. Because this woman believed that touching Jesus would heal her, she put forth effort to do it, in spite of her illness. Effort is very important to Jesus. He wants us to do our part to cooperate with Him in what He is trying to do in our lives. We do have a part. Life with Jesus is a partnership. We are to do our best, and His grace will provide for what we can’t do. His grace will not do for us what we already have the power to do.

 

“Herein is revealed the outworking of the divine principle of co-operation, without which no true success can be attained. Human effort avails nothing without divine power; and without human endeavor, divine effort is with many of no avail. To make God’s grace our own, we must act our part. His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort.”  Prophets and Kings, 486

 

In other words, when we do things we know we shouldn’t do, or go places we know we shouldn’t go, grace is not going to do us any good, because we aren’t doing our part to cooperate with God, but are instead, going against what God is trying to do.

 

5. Gentile woman

Mark 7:24-30 “From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus said to her, ‘Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’ And she answered and said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.’ Then He said to her, ‘For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.’ And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.”

 

There is something very special about this lady that really needs to be pointed out. Something is missing. Can you see what it is? It’s pride. We see evidence of this because she did not get offended at Jesus’ words. Although Jesus stepped out of character here to teach His disciples a lesson, this lady was willing to accept the status that Jesus supposedly claimed she was in and continued to plead for any ‘crumb’ that Jesus was willing to give her. She didn’t care about anything except for the fact that she needed Jesus desperately.

 

How would we have reacted to being called a dog?

These days, there is so much pride in people’s hearts, even among Christians. That meek and lowly spirit, of which Jesus spoke, is seldom seen. People go to church to be catered to and comforted, not corrected; for attention and affection, not admonition. And when pride gets ruffled, we simply decide to go to another church or just don’t go at all. What would have happened if this lady took offense to Jesus words? She would have missed out on such a blessing! The healing of her daughter from demon possession.

 

We also miss out when we let pride keep us from Jesus as represented by His body, the church. We must be careful of pride. It’s what initiated Lucifer’s downfall in heaven and we see the terrible effects of it all over the world. It’s one of the distinct characteristics of society in the last days.

 

“But know this that in the last days perilous times will come; For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, PROUD, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”  II Timothy 3:1-4

 

“There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all sins it is the most hopeless, the most incurable.”  Christ’s Object Lessons, 154

 

Beware of pride.

 

6. Woman at the well

John 4:3-30, 39 “He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink’. For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.  Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself as well as his sons and his livestock?’ Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have well said, I have no husband. For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’ And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, ‘What do You seek?’ or, ‘Why are You talking with her?’ The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’ Then they went out o the city and came to Him. …And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’”

 

Because Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies in those days, any social dealings with each other was strictly avoided. A Jew would not borrow from a Samaritan, nor receive a kindness, not even a morsel of bread or a cup of water. But Jesus did not care about this, He cared about this woman.

 

The hatred between Jews and Samaritans prevented the woman from offering a kindness to Jesus; but the Savior was seeking to find the key to this heart, and with tact born of divine love, He asked, not offered, a favor. If He had offered to do a kind deed for her, she could have easily rejected it, but trust awakens trust, so Jesus showed trust for her by asking from her, a token of kindness.

 

Startled by His words, she forgets to even give Him what He asked for and says, “How is it that you being a Jew, would ask a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” Then Jesus uses the topic at hand to tell this woman of living water, which is the love of Christ, that quenches the thirsty soul and will not fail to satisfy the way human love does. He abruptly turns the conversation toward her past and personal life.

 

She is nervous at this point because she sees that there can be no pretending with this man. A mysterious hand was turning the pages of her life history, exposing what she had hoped to keep forever hidden. Who is this person that could read the secrets of her life? Then she started thinking of eternity and future judgment, when all that is hidden will be revealed. Her conscience is awakened.

 

She couldn’t deny any of what He said, but she tried to evade the subject. She really did not want to go there. And Jesus, being the understanding and loving Friend that He is, allowed her to change the subject. But the thing is, she did not need to be afraid to be open with Jesus, and neither do we. Like this woman, we sometimes have the need to appear ‘better’ than we are. We are afraid to be real. But Jesus sees past all the pretense, right into our souls. But when He looks at us and our messed up lives, He looks at us with pity.

 

 “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:13-14

 

He knows all about us, our sins, our circumstances…everything. He also knows that life on this planet is hard. He knows there is a devil out there that is working hard to trap us into sin so he can destroy us. And when He looks at us, it is with love, and a desire to help.  

 

7. Martha

Luke 10:38-42 “Now it happened as they went, that He entered a certain village and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’ And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’

 

 

“We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ Psalm 46:10 Here alone can true rest be found. And this is the effectual preparation for all who labor for God. Amid the hurrying throng, and the strain of life’s intense activities, the soul that is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. The life will breathe out fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men’s hearts.”  Desire of Ages, 363

 

Do not neglect personal time with the Lord.

 

8. Woman caught in adultery

John 8:3-11 “Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one , Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you: go and sin no more.’”

 

“While Jesus does not palliate (excuse) sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save….It is not Christ’s follower that, with averted eyes, turns from the erring, leaving them unhindered to pursue their downward course….Christian love is slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein.” Desire of Ages, 462

 

But what ‘Christian love’ often looks like today is very different. People excuse sin. People lessen the sinner’s sense of guilt so they will feel better, and instead of encouraging others to go down a holy path, people are often enabled in their path of destruction they are already in. This is not true Christian love.

 

Here’s an example that happened a few years ago, right here in our own church.  A young person one Sabbath had a sports competition they wanted to go to. They had their outfit on, and right when Sabbath School was over, this person was on his way out the door. And as this young person was walking out, one of the women of the church says to him, “Good luck!”  

 

Now, the question is, when that woman said that to the young person, do you think it caused the young person to feel sorry about what he was doing, and do you think he was encouraged to want to turn to go down the right path?  Or did it encourage him to keep breaking the Sabbath, and do it with more gusto?

 

Jesus corrects us, and this is part of the function of His body, the church—to correct. And think about this, will God want to bring new believers to a church that will steer them down the wrong way? We need to follow Jesus’ example to not condemn, but also to not condone.

 

 Now, the passage in John doesn’t mention the name of this woman who was caught in adultery, but from other passages, we as Christians have enough information to know that this woman is Mary Magdalene, who is also known as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Let’s go to another place in the Bible where we see this woman.

 

Luke 7:36-47

³⁶ Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. ³⁷ And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, ³⁸ and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. ³⁹ Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
⁴⁰ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
⁴¹ “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” ⁴⁴ Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. ⁴⁵ You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. ⁴⁷ Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

“Jesus and His friends had been invited to Simon’s feast. At the table, the Saviour sat with Simon, whom He had cured of leprosy on one side, and Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead, on the other. Martha served at the table, but Mary was listening to every word from the lips of Jesus. In His mercy, Jesus had pardoned her sins, He had called forth her beloved brother from the grave, and Mary’s heart was filled with gratitude. She had heard Jesus speak of His approaching death, and in her deep love and sorrow she had longed to show Him honor. At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of "ointment of spikenard, very costly," with which to anoint His body. But now many were declaring that He was about to be crowned king. Her grief was turned to joy, and she was eager to be first in honoring her Lord. Breaking her box of ointment, she poured its contents upon the head and feet of Jesus; then, as she knelt weeping, moistening them with her tears, she wiped His feet with her long, flowing hair.”  Desire of Ages, 558

 

She tried to be discreet, but the smell of the perfume filled the room and gave her away to all that was there. Then the murmuring began. Judas, pretending to sympathize with the poor, spread the complaint that the money wasted in buying this perfume could have been used to help them instead. Mary heard the words of criticism. Her heart trembled inside her. She feared that Martha would have strong words for her and maybe even Jesus may have been displeased. She was about to shrink away, when the voice of her Lord was heard. And instead of rebuking her, Jesus rebuked Judas.

 

Simon, the host, was influenced by the criticism of Judas upon Mary’s gift, and was surprised at the way Jesus acted. He said to himself, “If this Man were a real prophet, He would know what kind of woman is touching Him, because she is a sinner!” Then Jesus, having read Simon’s mind, and not wanting to embarrass Simon, taught him a lesson through a story.

 

The principle taught in this story is so true.  He who has been forgiven much, loves much.  And it follows, that he who loves much obeys much.

 

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.”  I John 5:3

 

“Mary had been looked upon as a great sinner, but Christ knew the circumstances that had shaped her life. He might have extinguished every spark of hope in her soul, but He did not. It was He who had lifted her from despair and ruin. Seven times she had heard His rebuke of the demons that controlled her heart and mind. She had heard His strong cries to the Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive is sin to His unsullied purity, and in His strength she had overcome.   Amazing Grace, 118

 

When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized. Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature. The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour.” Amazing Grace, 118

 

Because Mary experienced forgiveness in such a mighty way, she loved Jesus in a mighty way, and as a result of that love, she was one of Jesus most devoted followers. We can have this experience too.

 

“Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. . . . He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration. . . .”  Amazing Grace, 118