Today, we continue our study of Mark 15 where the events of the crucifixion of Christ are chronicled and the focus was placed on the women who were there. There were several different groups of people at Golgotha that day, some believers in Christ and some not. The group that the focus was put upon in today's passage was a group of devout women.
In v.40 of today's passage we read, "There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome."
One of the groups who believed in the Lord Jesus were the women who had gathered there that day. This was a group of women who had been with Him since the beginning of His Galilean ministry, at the start of His second year of ministry. These women were faithful and true, even though they struggled immensely to understand what was happening that day.
The first of these women was Mary Magdalene from the town of Magdala located on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The Jewish Talmud said that Magdala was infamous as a town for prostitution. We can't be sure, but many scholars believe that Mary from Magdala, before she came to Christ, was perhaps a prostitute. This has never been truly proven.
Mary's attraction to the Lord Jesus was born out of the forgiveness that He extended to her. He also had cast out of her seven demons. Mary was the most faithful to follow the Lord Jesus after her conversion. She was also the first to witness the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
The second Mary is mentioned was the Mother of James the Less and of Joses. A careful study of this Mary renders the discovery that she was Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus. In Mark 6 Mary is mentioned along with her sons and daughters, siblings of the Lord Jesus. When we compare the names mentioned in Mark 6 and Mark 15 we find that the two sons mentioned in Mark 15 are in the exact same order as the first two sons mentioned in Mark 6. The fact that "Joses" is another form of "Joseph" allows us to conclude this was a son of Joseph the husband of Mary, the carpenter of Galilee.
The next woman mentioned here was Salome who was the wife of Zebedee, the mother of the disciples James and John, the sons of thunder. This was the same Salome who came to the Lord requesting that her sons sit in places of honor in His kingdom.
In all four gospel accounts of the Gospel, there is a record of the presence of these women at the cross. Additionally, in each of the synoptic accounts, the detail of the women watching "from a distance" is noted. These same three women were together on the third day when they brought spices to Jesus’ tomb to anoint Him. When they encountered the angel, who told them that Jesus was risen, they ran to tell the disciples the good news. Mark’s Gospel is the only one that mentions Salome by name.
All of these women started out at the foot of the cross, hoping for some miracle that would make sense out of it all the events of that day. Then the Lord Jesus died, and they end up on the fringe, discouraged and devastated. These women were last at the cross and the first at the tomb.
In v.41 of today's passage we read, "who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem."
The cross always unveils what is going on in our hearts. These women who were gathered at the cross Jesus had been with the Lord Jesus during much of His earthly ministry. But, at this point of the narrative, theirs was a picture of hopelessness. As a result of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, they no longer had hope that God really was in control. In that moment of confusion, confusion reigned. Their faith was strong as long as everything went well, but when the bottom dropped out, their faith in Him appeared to disappear, as well.
It is in those moments of hopelessness that we discover that at the cross God whispered to us to come closer to the window of our souls. As we respond to His call, we discover that He does this because He wants to do more than just talk. He wants something far more, He wants intimacy. Such is the nature of our fellowship with the God of the Bible.
It is during these times that we truly get to know Him most intimately. These times when our hearts seem to be too broken that we wonder if we will be able to continue on in the faith. It is in these most desperate moments that we struggle with reality. But, that is a good thing. Because, sometimes the light shines its brightest through the cracks created by our brokenness.
It is in those moments of hopelessness that we discover that at the cross God whispered to us to come closer to the window of our souls. As we respond to His call, we discover that He does this because He wants to do more than just talk. He wants something far more, He wants intimacy. Such is the nature of our fellowship with the God of the Bible.
It is during these times that we truly get to know Him most intimately. These times when our hearts seem to be too broken that we wonder if we will be able to continue on in the faith. It is in these most desperate moments that we struggle with reality. But, that is a good thing. Because, sometimes the light shines its brightest through the cracks created by our brokenness.
