Journey to Easter with the Women of the Resurrection
Women of the Resurrection ~ Week 2
Sharon W. Betters
Daily Treasure from MARKINC.org
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
John 12:15-19
Dear Friends,
The “Women of the Resurrection” faced similar turmoil in their personal lives, which we face today. Some of them were trapped in isolation, filled with fear, unable to change their circumstances. Then, Jesus. Though it became increasingly dangerous to be associated with Him, these women refused to stay away. Friends, there is more to worship than a live-streamed service. And in this broken world there are more critical needs that require the energy that too many are pouring into superficial, self-serving likes and dislikes. Jesus’s last prayer was that we would be one. He prayed for unity. Our theology compels us to die to self, to gather with other Christians, to meet needs within the context of corporate worship, and to experience the Lord’s touch through the hearts and hands of His people. This is a time where we, too, can experience the presence of Jesus in a new way that equips and enables us to walk by faith on this journey.
Over the next few weeks, we will visit with the woman caught in adultery and then with the women named in the Gospels who stood afar off at the cross and up close to the tomb. Then we will spend a few days reveling in the resurrection power that we experience at salvation and can experience every day of our lives. I hope each woman’s story moves you to love Jesus more and recognize the same tenderness He offered to them is ours as well.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
As we continue to journey to Easter, take some time to camp out in John 12. Walk with Jesus as He prepares to die on the Cross for each of His children. Keep your journal close by and note passages that jump out at you. If you don’t know where to start, watch for poignant moments where you get a new understanding of Jesus’ love by the way He interacts with His disciples, including the women.
PRAYER
Father, how grateful we are for this time to remember, to remember Palm Sunday when so many raised their voices in hallelujahs to welcome You, they thought, as the King. But, Father, we know that Jesus was coming as a Messiah and as a Lamb to be slaughtered. We thank You, Father, for the joy that we experience on Resurrection Day, and we pray, Father, that as we look at the lives of these women, as we think about Easter, that once more we would be renewed in understanding the depth of Your love for Your children, so much so that You sent Your only Son to die on the cross for our sins.
Are there other women in your life who could benefit from a daily dose of encouragement? Forward this email so they can click on this link to Subscribe to Daily Treasure to be better equipped to walk by faith on the pathway God has marked out for them.
Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.