And there were there many women beholding from afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him,
Matthew turns from the crowd at the cross to a group of women watching from a distance — women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and paid for His needs. Two questions follow: where were His disciples, and what held these women there when everyone else had run?
The verse says these women had been ministering to Him. One writer weighs what it means that the Lord accepted their help:
These women gave to the Lord out of what they owned. The Lord of glory owns all creation, yet in lowly humility He made Himself dependent on the care of women. That is a blessed testimony to the grace of His heart. At the same time it gave them the chance to show what His grace meant to them — and God will reward that in full.
Another writer names some of them, and shows where their giving came from:
Some of them had been "healed of evil spirits and infirmities." Among them was Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out. She was not a woman of the streets, as people commonly suppose; her plight was worse than that. A sevenfold evil satanic power had enslaved her, and Jesus had set her free. With her were Joanna the wife of Herod's steward, Susanna, and many others. We are not told what particular evils they had been delivered from, but they joined the Magdalene in the happy, grateful service of giving to Him out of what they owned. They had something to give, and they gave it to Him with a willing and glad heart. Rich men cared for Him in His death, but these women of means cared for Him in His life (Luke 8:2-3).
Matthew names no disciple at the scene. One writer presses that silence:
"There were also many women there, looking on from a distance." But where were the disciples? What a withering condemnation of all their boasted courage! They had forsaken Jesus and fled. Yet here were these women, against their natural timidity, "out of weakness made strong," still watching, even from a distance... If apostles and disciples fled, God can, and does, raise up testimony for His name's sake.
John places Mary Magdalene beside the cross; Matthew places her at a distance. One writer reads these as two moments, not a contradiction:
So it is clear that Mary had now moved back from the place she held near the cross, and had joined the other women who had followed Jesus from Galilee. When the Lord entrusted His mother to the disciple He loved, we read that from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. If that means at once, it was likely what broke up that little devoted group... and what moved the Magdalene, with Mary the wife of Cleophas, back to where their companions from Galilee stood. That was far off — at a distance, and yet placed so that they could see what was happening.
But the distance was not fear. Another writer sees them drawing nearer later on:
But if disciples fail, there are others who do not. At first the women who had followed Him from Galilee are seen at a distance from that scene of horror, as we would expect. Later, it seems (John 20), they came as close as the spears of the Roman guard would allow. Faith may have died out of their hearts, but fear found no place there. Love is never stronger than when the one it loves is most in need, and that love marks these women. The Spirit of God describes their devotion in just those terms. They would watch by His body until the stone hid it from their sight.
One writer traces their courage to their devotion, and to their lowlier place:
Some poor women were standing near the cross, watching what was done to Him they loved. Devotion often gives them, on God's part, more courage than men have in their more responsible and busy positions.
These women understood little of what the cross was doing. One writer turns that back on us:
In love they had followed the Lord through His life of service. They clung to Him in His death on the cross. They watch as His body is laid in the grave. It is easy to dwell on how little they understood, while falling far behind them in devoted love.
- Given. Grace had healed them first; their money and their journey were a response to what He had done for them.
- Giving. He let them provide for Him — the possessor of all creation making Himself dependent on their care.
- Staying. When the men who boasted of courage fled, these women stayed, weak by nature yet made strong.
- Watching. Distance was still within sight: they saw Him die, saw where they laid Him, and stayed until the stone hid Him.
- Weighing. They understood little and loved much. Criticise their understanding, and you may still fall far behind their love.
among whom was Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Matthew names three of the "many" women who watched the crucifixion from a distance. Why were they still there when the men who had promised loyalty were gone?
The four Gospels do not give matching lists of these women.
All the Gospel writers tell us of a company of women who watched the scene of the cross from a distance. Matthew says that many women were there watching from far off, and he names some of them. Mark mentions the two Marys and a third called Salome. Luke mentions only the company. John tells us that standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.
They had not just arrived for the execution.
Then certain devoted women receive honourable mention. During His life on earth they had followed the Lord and supported Him from their own resources. In love they had followed the Lord in His life of service. They clung to Him in death on the cross. They watch when His body is laid in the grave. It is easy to dwell on their lack of understanding, while falling far short of their devoted love.
Older translations write this second name as "Joses." Commentators differ over who she is. Some read her as the mother of Jesus.
Notice carefully that the mother of our Lord is not named first in this list, but second. Nor is she described as our Lord's mother, but as the mother of James and Joses. The same order is kept in Mark 15:40. An uninspired writer would certainly have put the name of the Virgin Mary first, but Scripture does not, and for a good reason.
Others, comparing the same passages, reach a different conclusion about her.
Compare Matt. 27:56, 61; Matt. 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47; Mark 16:1; and Luke 24:10. It appears probable that "the other Mary" and "Mary the mother of James (or James the less) and Joses" refer to the same person. She may have been the wife of Clopas. In John 19:25 this Mary is called the sister of the Lord's mother, if we take the word "and" to separate the persons, which is the most obvious sense. That would give three Marys in that verse, and not four.
The third woman is named only as a mother. She has appeared once before in Matthew.
Compare Matt. 27:56 with Mark 15:40, and it appears that Salome was the wife of Zebedee. If so, she came with her two sons, James and John, when they asked to sit at the right hand and at the left of the Lord in His kingdom.
What she had asked for and what she now sees are not the same thing.
Her heart was clearly won by the Master her sons had followed. She knew He was a King, and was one day coming into His kingdom. Perhaps she knew still more, for she worshipped Him. But she did not know or realise that He was a rejected King, and that she was living in the time of His rejection.
The contrast with the disciples is hard to miss.
Some poor women were standing near the cross, watching what was done to Him whom they loved. Devotedness often gives such women, on God's part, more courage than it gives men in their more responsible and busy position.
They watched from a distance, yet distance was not the measure of their hearts.
But if disciples fail, there are others who do not. At first the women who followed Him from Galilee stand far off from that scene of horror. Later, it would appear, they draw as near as the spears of the Roman guard would allow. Faith may have died out of their hearts, but fear found no place there. Love — never stronger than when the one it loves is most in need — is what marks them.
Because they stayed, these same women could testify to what happened next.
The women stood by the cross when all the men who had declared their devotion to Him had fled away, except John. The women were the last at His tomb on the night of His death and the first there on the morning of His resurrection. He revealed Himself alive to them, before any of the men knew of His resurrection. And Mary Magdalene was chief among those women and the first to see Him.
- Followed — these women had come with Jesus from Galilee and supported His work. The cross was the end of a long road, not one brave day.
- Stayed — their love held them near when the men who had promised loyalty had gone, and fear found no place in them.
- Named — Matthew records three by name. Commentators differ over whether the second Mary is the Lord's mother or the wife of Clopas.
- Corrected — Salome had once asked for thrones for her two sons. She did not know she was living in the time of a rejected King. Now she watches Him die.
- Witnessed — they stayed to the end. So they were last at the tomb, first there on resurrection morning, and the first to see Him alive.