Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul - December 22, 2020

Three Faithful Women Matthew 27:55–56 "There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him" (Matthew 27:55). Knowing that Jesus' death is not the last word about Him, it is hard to get a sense of the hopelessness the disciples felt as He hung on the cross. Even our Lord Himself experienced abandonment when He died, as seen in His cry in Matthew 27:46. Yet He did not lose hope in His Father altogether as He suffered divine judgment for the sins of His people. Scholars have long recognized that New Testament figures had in mind the entire context of the passages they cited, even if they did not quote them in full. Jesus' lament over His forsakenness is a quote from Psalm 22:1, which concludes with confidence that God will hear the psalmist's cry (Psalm 22:24, 26). Jesus' use of Psalm 22 reveals that though He had to suffer for a time, He knew that He would finally be vindicated. The pain Christ experienced on the cross would only have been heightened by the absence of His closest friends. His disciples left Him in His hour of need (Matt. 26:47–56), although John later changed His mind and returned to see His master die (John 19:25–27). Not all of Jesus' companions, however, deserted Him at the time of His death. As today's passage tells us, many women remained at the scene until the end, supporting Him from a distance because only the Roman soldiers could come right up to the cross (Matt. 27:55–56). We know little about these women except that there were many more of them than the three Matthew names. Mary Magdalene provided financial support to Jesus' ministry and had been demon possessed before she met Him (Luke 8:1–3). The "mother of James and Joseph" is likely Mary the mother of Jesus because His mother was there at the cross (John 19:25), and Christ had brothers named James and Joseph (Matt. 13:53–55). It also may be that the Salome we read of in Mark 15:40 is "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" in Matthew 27:55–56. This might make her Jesus' aunt, as John 19:25 says His mother's sister was also present at the cross, even if the fourth evangelist does not name her. Whatever the case may be, it is plain that the women who followed Jesus were those who were most faithful to Him. Their loyal love was rewarded when they were the first to hear of Christ's resurrection (Matt. 28:1–10). Coram deo: Living before the face of God John Calvin says the women's "eagerness for instruction led them to withdraw from their country, and constantly learn from the lips of Christ…they spared neither toil nor money, provided that they might enjoy his saving doctrine." How eager are we to learn from Jesus? If these women could travel from Galilee to be with Him, can we not devote some time each day to call upon Him in prayer and study His Word? For further study: Psalm 88 The Bible in a year: Hab. 3–Zephaniah 2

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Copyright Information INTO the WORD daily Bible studies from TableTalk Magazine, Matthew Studies. Copyright © 2008 by Ligonier Ministries. Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog by Bible Gateway, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA. This email is part of a devotional or newsletter that you signed up for on BibleGateway.com. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact us. *Manage all Bible Gateway subscriptions —  *Opt Out of all Bible Gateway communication *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally R C Sproul R.C. Sproul (Drs, Free University of Amsterdam) was the founder of Ligonier Ministries and general editor of The Reformation Study Bible. A prolific author, he wrote more than sixty books, including The Holiness of God, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Chosen by God, What Is Reformed Theology?, The Glory of Christ, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, and Getting the Gospel Right. Dr. Sproul was professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale until 2004 and, before that, taught at Reformed Theological Seminary. He served as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, Sanford, Florida, and taught on the national daily radio program Renewing Your Mind. Want to buy R. C. Sproul books on Alibris?