M3 + S Women at the
Cross & Tomb of Jesus
John 19 and 20
Mary, Mary, Mary and Salome
John 19: 25
“Near the cross of Jesus stood
His mother, His mother’s sister,
Mary –the wife of Clopas, and
Mary Magdalene.”
Mary –the Mother of Jesus
Introduced to her in the synoptic gospels
as ‘one who has found favor with God’
Holy Spirit came upon her and as a virgin,
God created life in her –the Word
became flesh - Jesus
Luke 2: “But Mary treasured all these
things and pondered them in her heart
and thought about them often.”
Pondered: to weigh events/thoughts in her mind,
giving each circumstance its importance, and
anxiously seeking what it might mean for her child
Luke’s use of the word ‘pondered’ identifies a delicate and
beautiful expression of the feelings of a mother. A mother
does not forget…everything a child does, suffers and things
said about them were treasured in the heart and mind of
Mary. She would often think of those things and anxiously
awaited what these things meant for her firstborn…
Things she pondered: Gabriel’s greeting, Elizabeth’s
pregnancy, Gabriel’s conversation with Joseph (Matt1:20 says
Joseph pondered also) …collecting 33+ years of events she
witnessed…
Salome – Jesus’ mother’s sister
Unnamed in John, Matthew
tells us she was Salome
The wife of Zebedee and
mother of James and John
Mary’s sister – Jesus’ earthly
aunt
What a marvelous sister –
stayed with Mary through the
crucifixion, death, and burial
Was among the first to
discover Jesus’ resurrection
Mary –wife of Clopas (Alpheus)
Matthew 10:3
The wife of Clopas or Alpheus
The mother of ‘James the Lesser’ and Jose
History tells us that Clopas/Alpheus was
Joseph’s brother; making James ‘the
Lesser’ and Jose Jesus’ cousins
She was among the first to discover Jesus
was risen from the dead
Mary Magdalene
Magdala –a town near Tiberias,
Magdalene = from the town
named Magdala…she may have
come from a wealthy family
In Luke, Jesus healed her of demon
possession (7 demons casted out)
Luke 7: 37, researchers identify her
as the woman who washed Jesus’
feet with expensive oil and her hair
1st to see the risen Jesus at tomb
Lived a repentant life until she died
in Ephesus –living near/with Mary –
Jesus’ mother and John
4 Women, share same, what?
They dedicated their lives to serving Jesus with all their
heart
3 of the 4 (Mary, Salome, and Mary-wife of Alpheus)
were mothers who understood what it meant to
ponder the lives of the children they carried within their
wombs…they understood the ‘task’ of carrying their
children in their hearts – their adult children…Jesus,
James and John, James the Lesser…
All 4 sacrifices their lives for the care and love for the
people Jesus brought into their lives…
They demonstrated the nurturing heart of God…
BDA Ladies –be the heart
of God to a hurting and
lost world!
