Matthew 27:56
If we are reading Scripture properly, we
should leave our studies with more questions than answers. The purpose of
Scripture is to draw us closer to Jesus Christ. It has never been the intention
of Scripture to answer all of our curious questions. Recently, a new believer
asked me if He chooses to send some people to hell. I explained that this was a
very deep and complex question and not easy to answer. I asked: “Why the
question?” I got multiple, long explanations. In the end, I asked: “Is it
because you are curious?” The answer was: “Yes.” There are men who feel compelled to answer curious questions. I
do not. There are too many more important questions that need answering.
When we come to our text, our curiosity
steps up a notch and asks: “Why were these women observing from a distance?
Were they afraid? Was their faith evaporating? Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, the
great biblical expositor who pastored London’s Westminster Chapel prior to Dr.
Martin Lloyd Jones, offers this eloquent guess: “Hopeless, disappointed,
bereaved, heartbroken; but the love He had created in those hearts for Himself
could not be quenched, even by His dying; could not be overcome, even though
the light of hope had gone out, and over the sea of their sorrow there was no
sighing wind that told of the dawn.” That is a beautiful attempt, but the
bottom line is that it is speculation. We cannot say for certain why they were
in the distance. The Bible record does not reveal this fact. It is unimportant
to us.
Instead of chasing the wind and
speculating things which cannot be known for sure, we shall spend our time
today looking at the role of these women in the ministry of our Lord; we shall
also spend some time looking at their station in life. They come to the text
from three categories: one is a wife, one is a mother and the third is a single
girl. Each one of those stations in life has unique opportunities and
responsibilities.
The role of women on this planet is under
serious attack. The Bible’s perspective is being viewed as out of date. Great
effort is being exerted against the role of women according to the Bible. No
one needs a course in anatomy to determine that the sexes are different. It
won’t do men much good to go on strike because women can give birth, and men
cannot. And once women give birth, they hold a unique position in the family
that cannot be replaced with a father alone.
The Bible gives the woman a unique job
description, and until she discovers it and operates within it, she shall not
find the joy and peace that God intended. God made the woman different from the
man not only physically but emotionally and psychologically as well. If we were to ask each of these ladies about
the uniqueness of the station they hold, they would have different stories to
tell … so let’s ask.
Seven elements evident
in the residue to the crowds
Matthew 27:56
The Principles
1. Mary #1
2. Salome
3. Mary #2
Their Story
1. Repentance
2. Service
3. Worship
4. Joy
5. Hope
6. Perseverance
7. Blessing