He was gone. The grief welled up in her heart, threatening to spill over in a flood of tears. Nights of nursing, herbs and medicines, the best care she could possibly give . . . and still her brother died. Where was their beloved friend, teacher, Messiah? Why didn’t He come to Bethany? How could He let this happen?

Finally, He came. Understanding the wealth of pain and loss she felt, Jesus wept along with her. And then He spoke the earth-shattering words, “Lazarus, come forth.” Mary’s heart leapt as she witnessed the impossible. Her brother was alive (John 11:32–45)! And after her experience with Jesus, Mary of Bethany knew that her life would never be the same.

In kindness, Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, offering her salvation. With a single command, He delivered Mary Magdalene from seven tormenting demons. Moved by compassion, He offered forgiveness to the adulterous woman. With a simple touch, He healed the woman who had bled for many years. In shared sorrow, He comforted the women who stood by Him while He hung on the cross. Shattering cultural expectations, Jesus treated women with respect as worthy children of God, teaching them with His disciples, providing them with opportunities to serve, and even holding them up as examples in His parables.

Healed . . . respected . . . understood . . . comforted . . . delivered . . . forgiven. Every woman whose life was utterly transformed by her personal encounter with Jesus Christ responded with deep devotion and gratitude. Many followed Him, helping to provide for the physical and financial needs of Jesus and His disciples during His ministry (see Mark 15:40–41; Luke 8:1–3). They gave generously and served sacrificially out of love and thankfulness for the One who met their deepest needs with mercy and grace.

Less than a week before He was crucified, Jesus came to Bethany. While He was eating, Mary entered the dining room and knelt at His feet. Out of the depths of her grateful heart, she poured her life’s savings in perfume over Him, wiping His dusty feet with her hair (Matthew 26:6–13; John 12:1–8). What a daring, unconventional thing to do—a twenty-thousand-pound pedicure in public for an itinerant preacher! “What a waste!” Judas barked. But whether or not she fully understood the implications of what she was doing, Mary anointed the One who had come to die for her, preparing Him for burial. With this act of spontaneous, sacrificial love and worship, Mary mortgaged her future to comfort her Saviour. And Jesus smelled the fragrance of her gift as He hung on the cross.

How has Jesus touched your life? Have you been healed? Understood? Comforted? Delivered? Forgiven?How will you respond to Him?

Back