A Weakness in the Resurrection Story—Women?

Skeptics of Christianity must argue successfully that Jesus Christ, the Author of the Christian faith, was not who He claimed to be--“God in human flesh (John 1: 14; 4: 24-26).”  Like most readers of this article, you probably have at least given much thought to the character, words, and reported miracles of Jesus Christ.  You may also have grappled with whether or not to believe that Jesus bodily rose from the dead as the Bible claims.  Whether or not you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, do you realize that within the four Gospel accounts--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-- you can discover men and women in various stages of disbelief and belief?

Resurrection of Christ three days after His body was sealed in a tomb that had been hewn out of rock is one major event that must be addressed to establish (or refute) His claims to deity.  Skeptics claim that the four New Testament accounts are fictitious.  However, if they are fictitious, the authors missed a major opportunity to fabricate a stronger argument for Christ’s resurrection.  As Pastor Tim Keller explains in his sermon, ”Encountering the Risen King,” all four accounts err in placing too much weight on the supposed eyewitness reports from women. 

Women as eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection?  Yes, women of all people!  Couldn’t the writers have rested the resurrection story on the witness of men of stature and trustworthiness?  A Lutheran blogger writes, “The cultural attitudes toward women in Jesus’ day were deplorable. There were no such thing as equal rights.  Women were treated as second class citizens.” But surprisingly, we read that three women, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome were the first to discover that the tomb was empty (Matthew 27: 56: 38: 1; Mark 15: 40; 16: 1; Luke 24: 10).  

If it were not enough that Christ’s resurrection account depended in large part upon the witness of women, consider the unsavory reputation of one of the women.  Mary Magdalene was one of several women who had followed Jesus and His disciples since the time that Jesus had healed them of evil spirits.  Luke reports that Mary had been possessed by seven demons until Jesus cast them out (Luke 8: 1-2).  We can only imagine the inner struggle, social behavior, and reputation Mary had earned in the town of Magdala and surrounding community.  Yet, according to all four Gospel accounts, this formerly despised and rejected woman was the first person to whom the resurrected Christ appeared!

Modern day skeptics of Christ’s resurrection should not be surprised that the female eyewitnesses already faced doubters as soon as they reported what they had seen and heard.  In Mark 16, we read that when Mary Magdalene reported to those who had been with Him [Jesus], while they were mourning and weeping…they refused to believe it (16: 11).  Luke records that their words …appeared to them as nonsense, and they refused to believe them (Luke 24: 11).

So far, the Gospel accounts of Christ’s resurrection appear to present the skeptic with three strong arguments for disbelief.  First, because the witnesses were women, they were of questionable value.  Second, one of the women had a shady past; and third, even the close companions of the women doubted their reports that Christ had arisen.   These points would seem to deal a damaging blow to the case for Christ’s resurrection.  However, if the emphasis on the role of women here seems unusual, any unusualness should face away when we consider the complete Gospel accounts of the Life of Christ. 

Women gained a place of honor in Christ’s earthly ministry.  Details of the character and conversations of both Elizabeth and Mary, the mothers of John the Baptist and Jesus, respectively, are featured prominently and with high regard in the Gospel of Luke.  The Gospel of John reports on the intimate personal conversations of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman (John 4); and with another woman named Mary and her sister, Martha (John 11).  Numerous miracles of Jesus involved healing of women, some of whom, like Mary Magdalene, were in great need.  Jesus’s dealings with women beginning when he was a boy of twelve (Luke 2: 39-52) and lasting into His adulthood show that He held them in high regard.

The accounts of how Jesus related to women and the subsequent teachings of the Apostles Paul (e.g. Ephesians 5) and Peter (1 Peter 3) are responsible for the role of Christianity in the elevation of women to a status of great respect.  According to Jack Wellman ¹, Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas, “In many of the world’s religions, women are suppressed and not even allowed to speak or appear in public without the husband’s permission. For those that do, the ramifications can be deadly, but Christianity has elevated the status of women because there is no distinction or respect between the free and slaves, Jew and Greek, women and men, because you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28).

Wellman explains how the change in the status of women came about in the first century: “Jesus’ treatment of women in the New Testament is radically different from the way the Jews, the Greeks, and the Romans (indeed, nearly all societies) treated women.  Women couldn’t be a witness in a court or sit on any council or be seen in public apart from the will of her husband. In short, they treated their wives as so many cattle.  A wife could be easily gained and easily disposed of, but this was not so from the beginning.”  Jesus made this clear as recorded in Matthew 19: 8.  Mistreatment of women was not an acceptable part of God’s created order. [While we may argue that women in Christian churches today are treated unequally with respect to leadership roles, that is a topic for another article—and for local church leadership to consider.]

If it is plausible that Jesus was inaugurating a first-century counterculture in which women were given high regard, then we could make the case that the eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection, both women and men, were both authentic and representative of those who were present in Jerusalem on that first Resurrection Sunday.  Indeed, the account might be more suspect and less meaningful to women in general if the eyewitnesses of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection had not included women.

The spread of the Gospel message began with women.  According to John’s account (John 20: 11-18), after the women, and Peter and John, had witnessed the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene lingered outside the open tomb, weeping:

…as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” 

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”  Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

I think this encounter of Mary Magdalene with the Risen Lord Jesus may be the most intimate and powerful expression of God’s love for women and for all mankind in all the Bible.  The Risen Lord Jesus, the Everlasting God, having claimed victory over death, chooses to reveal Himself in His resurrection body to Mary as the first human being to see and talk with Him.  Although hundreds of people would see the Risen Christ during the 40 days following His resurrection, Mary’s encounter has special significance for us.  For it is in this encounter that a “witness” of questionable background comes face to face with the only One Who could “witness back to her” about who she really is in the eyes of Her Creator.

If you are now like I once was, skeptical of the Resurrection and Life of Jesus Christ, humbly take time to look at the Gospel accounts.  Consider the ‘nothing special’ character and ability of the witnesses, and read their reactions.  More importantly, read how gracious and merciful the Risen Christ is toward the confused, grieving, witnesses; and, how He comes to them, comforts them, and raises them up to become bold and complete in His power.

Timothy Keller has spoken of the special significance of Christ’s Resurrection and I would highly recommend that you listen to his message, “Encountering the Risen King.”  But, in case you’d rather read and ponder Keller’s words (paraphrased in places), I have included the most relevant part of his message on the adjacent graphic.  My prayer for myself and for you is that we will witness anew the power of Christ’s resurrection.  And, in so doing, may we allow our encounter with the Risen Lord to witness to us about who we are in Him.  Your “Comments” and questions are always welcome.
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¹ Emanuel Lutheran Church Blog Article. 2014.  Jesus Gives Women Honor, Value, Dignity and Respect.   New London, WI
² Wellman, Jack.  2016.  How Does Christianity Affect Gender Roles?   Patheos (online)