Mark 15:40-41: The Women Who Witnessed Jesus's Crucifixion. Mark 15:40-41 reports that there were women looking on from a distance as Jesus died on the cross. Mark identifies three of these faithful women as Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. These women had followed Jesus and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and Mark adds that many other women who came up with Jesus to Jerusalem were also present.
In Mark 15:40-41, Mark reports that manywomen who had faithfully followed Jesus and ministered to Him from Galileewere looking on from a distance as He died on the cross.
After recording the Roman centurion's remarkable confession that Jesus was the Son of God (Mark 15:39), Mark turns his attention to the faithful women who witnessed Jesus's crucifixion:
There were also some women looking on from a distance (v 40a).
Mark notes that there were women who were present as witnesses to Jesus's crucifixion.
These women were looking on from a distance (v 40) as Jesus hung on the cross, unlike the Roman centurion, "who was standing right in front of Him" (Mark 15:39).
The distance to which Mark refers was likely some sort of designated place where the Roman detachment overseeing Jesus’s crucifixion allowed onlookers to stand. It is also possible that the women moved closer to or farther from the cross at different points during the six hours of Jesus's crucifixion.
Mark does not specify how far this distance was between the women and the cross. It seems that at least some of the women were close enough at various points to hear the things Jesus said from the cross. For instance, the Gospel of John records that Jesus directly spoke to His mother and to His disciple John as He was being crucified (John 19:25-27).
The Gospel of Luke likewise records:
"And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things." (Luke 23:49)
It was loving and brave of these women to publicly identify with Jesus and be near Him as He was being crucified.
For one, it was horrible for them to witness their friend and Messiah suffer such a cruel death.
They perhaps could have lessened their own personal anguish if they had not watched Him die.
But these women chose to set their personal comfort aside and to be there for Jesus when so many others had abandoned Him.
A second reason their presence was bold was that by publicly coming to Jesus's execution, they potentially brought additional suspicion and scorn upon themselves from Jesus's powerful enemies.
When Jesus was arrested, His disciples had fled (Mark 14:50). Peter had denied that he even knew Jesus (Mark 14:66-72). But these women remained, despite their grief, fear, and confusion, they were present when Jesus drew His final breath.
Mark identifies three of the women who were looking on from a distance:
among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome (v 40b).
The phrase among whom indicates that there were additional women who were present, whom Mark did not specifically identify as looking on from a distance at the cross. In verse 40, Mark will say that there were many other women.
The three women Mark identifies as being present at the cross were:
Mary Magdalene
Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses
Salome
MARY MAGDALENE
The first woman Mark mentions who saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross was Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene is known for her devoted discipleship and significant role in Jesus's ministry.
She was likely from the city of Magdala, which is where she gets her surtitle--Magdalene. Magdala was located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, a few miles southwest of Capernaum where Jesus's Galilean ministry was headquartered.
Of all the backstories of Jesus's followers told to us by the Bible, it is difficult to imagine any more painful or disturbing than Mary Magdalene's. Before she encountered Jesus, MaryMagdalene was possessed by seven demons. Jesus miraculously healed her by casting these demons out of her (Luke 8:2). Jesus transformed her life.
MaryMagdalene became one of Jesus's most devoted followers and supporters, accompanying Him and His disciples on their journeys and supporting them with her resources (Luke 8:2-3).
Church tradition has sometimes identified Mary Magdalene as the woman who washed Jesus's feet with perfume and her tears and wiped them with her hair in the home of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:37-38). But Scripture does not explicitly identify this woman as MaryMagdalene.
Jesus commended this unnamed woman's devotion and love before He forgave her sins (Luke 7:44-50). Mary Magdalene's prominence in the Gospel accounts may partly reflect her significant role in supporting Jesus's earthly ministry.
She is first mentioned in Luke in a passage describing the group of women who provided material support for Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:1-3). Jesus taught that those who support His messengers share in their reward (Matthew 10:40-42). Mary Magdalene's dedication to Jesus continued beyond His death.
Mary Magadalene would observe where Jesus was buried (Mark 15:47).
After the Sabbath, she would return with spices to anoint His body (Mark 16:1).
And she would become one of the first witnesses to the empty tomb (Mark 16:1-8).
John's Gospel records that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection and personally revealed Himself to her (John 20:11-18).
MARY THE MOTHER OF JAMES THE LESS AND JOSES
The second woman Mark identifies is Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses (v 40).
Mark's description helps distinguish this Mary from the otherwomen named Mary who were present at Jesus's crucifixion.
John records:
"But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene." (John 19:25)
The Gospel accounts therefore indicate that multiple women named Mary were present at Jesus's crucifixion. These "Marys" included:
Mary Magdalene.
Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Marythe mother of James the Less and Joses, who may also have been Mary the wife of Clopas.
Mark's identification of this woman as Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses most naturally distinguishes her from Marythe mother of Jesus.
Matthew's parallel account calls one of the women "Marythe mother of James and Joseph" (Matthew 27:56). Mark calls this Marythe mother of James the Less and Joses (v 40).
"Joses" is a form of the name Joseph. So these two accounts likely describe the same Mary.
John's account identifies "Mary the wife of Clopas" as present at the cross (John 19:25). It is therefore possible, and perhaps likely, that "Mary the wife of Clopas" and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses (v 40) were the same woman. This Mary may also be the woman Matthew later calls "the other Mary" (Matthew 27:61).
If so, the Gospel writers identify the same woman in different ways:
Mark calls her Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses (Mark 15:40).
John calls her "Mary the wife of Clopas" (John 19:25).
This Mary would remain a faithful witness after Jesus's death. Mark records that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses (v 40) observed where Jesus's body was laid (Mark 15:47).
After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, this Mary, and Salome would return to Jesus’s tomb with spices to anoint His body (Mark 16:1).
SALOME
The third woman Mark identifies is Salome.
Matthew's parallel account does not name her. Instead, Matthew identifies her as "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" (Matthew 27:56).
Taken together, Mark and Matthew indicate that Salome was the mother of James and John.
The sons of Zebedee were Jesus's disciples James and John. Zebedee was Salome's husband and the father of James and John (Mark 1:19-20). Zebedee was a fisherman in Galilee. Jesus called Zebedee’s sons, James and John, to follow Him while they were in the boat mending their nets (Mark 1:19-20).
Salome apparently supported her sons' decision to follow Jesus and was herself a devoted follower of Jesus from early in His ministry in Galilee. Matthew records that at one point the mother ofJames and John approached Jesus with an ambitious request for her sons:
"Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left." (Matthew 20:21)
Mark records the same request as coming directly from James and John (Mark 10:35-37).
These accounts are complementary.
James and John apparently desired and participated in the request, while their mother served as the person who approached Jesus and made the request on their behalf.
Jesus responded by teaching His disciples that greatness in His kingdom comes through service.
He concluded His lesson by explaining His own mission:
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
The man whom she once asked to give her sons positions of honor in His kingdom was hanging dead on a Roman cross--fulfilling His mission to "give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). And Salome was still there to witness it.
John 19:25 may indicate that Salome was the sister of Mary, Jesus's mother.
John writes that standing by the cross were "His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" (John 19:25).
Depending on how the list is punctuated and understood, John may be describing four women rather than three. If so, the unnamed sister of Jesus's mother may have been Salome.
This would mean that James and John were Jesus's cousins.
It may also help explain why Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to John (John 19:26-27).
John may have been the closest male relative present who believed in Jesus at that time.
Jesus's brothers did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry (John 7:5). One of Jesus's resurrection appearances was specifically to His brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7).
After identifying Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome (v 40) as being among the women present at the cross, Mark adds a detail that Matthew omits. Mark says:
and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem (v 41b).
Mark's expression many other women indicates that the three women he named were only a small representation of a much larger group of faithful female disciples.
These women had come up with Him to Jerusalem.
Traveling to Jerusalem was commonly described as going up because of the city's elevation and all the roads to it went up in elevation as they approached the city.
Among the other women who were present was Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know this because John records that she was present at her Son's crucifixion (John 19:25).
John also records a short conversation between Jesus and His mother from the cross:
"When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' From that hour the disciple took her into his own household." (John 19:26-27)
Mark likely omits this exchange for the sake of brevity and focus on the main action and transaction of the cross.
Mary's presence at the cross represented another moment in her long life of faithfulness to God and devotion to her Son.
The Gospels introduce Mary as a young Jewish virgin from Nazareth who was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of King David (Matthew 1:16-25,Luke 1:26-38, 3:23, 31). Mary was the virgin who miraculously conceived Jesus in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy that a virgin would bear a son called "Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14,Matthew 1:22-23).The Gospel of Luke recounts that the angel Gabriel visited her and announced that she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and that this child would be the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah (Luke 1:26-38).
Despite her initial astonishment and the potential social consequences, Mary humbly accepted her role and submitted herself to God's plan.
Mary was present at many significant events in Jesus's earthly life:
Mary is also named as part of the early community of believers following Jesus's ascension (Acts 1:14).
Mary's heart must have been terribly wrenched at the sight of her Son's suffering on the cross.
She knew He was the promised Messiah, and she watched as He was violently rejected, tortured, and crucified.
Mary's suffering was prophesied when Jesus was an infant:
"And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed--and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.'" (Luke 2:34-35)
Despite being highly favored and chosen by God for the unique and honored role of giving birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:28-31), Mary's life was filled with difficulty, danger, and sorrow.
Throughout these trials, her faith and obedience to God's plan were beautifully displayed.
The Bible consistently presents Mary and her faith as a noble example to be admired and followed.
Even though Mark does not name every one of the manywomen who were there, he does describe their significant role in Jesus's ministry,
When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem (v 41).
The expression--when He was in Galilee (v 41)--refers to Jesus's Messianic ministry which was headquartered in the district of Galilee. The district of Galilee was located about ninety miles north of Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified.
Mark says these women used to follow Him and minister to Him (v 41).
That theyused to followHim meant that they too, were Jesus's disciples while He was alive. It means that they believed in Him. And they sought to learn from His teaching. And they obeyed what He asked them to do. They may have travelled with Jesus and the other disciples around Galilee.
They were with Jesus near the beginning of His Messianic ministry, when His public ministry began to expand throughout Galilee.
Mark also says they used tominister to Him.
The expression minister to Him means that these women served Jesus and supported His ministry. These women helped provide for the practical needs of Jesus's ministry, including financial support.
Luke provides additional insight into how these women ministered to Jesus:
"Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means." (Luke 8:2b-3)
These women apparently helped financially support Jesus and His disciples as they traveled throughout Israel proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Some of the women who faithfully followed Jesus from Galilee and stood at adistance as He died would soon become the first witnesses of the empty tomb.
Mark 15:40-41
40 There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.
41 When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.
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Mark 15:40-41 meaning
The parallel gospel accounts of Mark 15:40-41 are found in Matthew 27:55-56, Luke 23:49, and John 19:25.
In Mark 15:40-41, Mark reports that many women who had faithfully followed Jesus and ministered to Him from Galilee were looking on from a distance as He died on the cross.
After recording the Roman centurion's remarkable confession that Jesus was the Son of God (Mark 15:39), Mark turns his attention to the faithful women who witnessed Jesus's crucifixion:
There were also some women looking on from a distance (v 40a).
Mark notes that there were women who were present as witnesses to Jesus's crucifixion.
These women were looking on from a distance (v 40) as Jesus hung on the cross, unlike the Roman centurion, "who was standing right in front of Him" (Mark 15:39).
The distance to which Mark refers was likely some sort of designated place where the Roman detachment overseeing Jesus’s crucifixion allowed onlookers to stand. It is also possible that the women moved closer to or farther from the cross at different points during the six hours of Jesus's crucifixion.
Mark does not specify how far this distance was between the women and the cross. It seems that at least some of the women were close enough at various points to hear the things Jesus said from the cross. For instance, the Gospel of John records that Jesus directly spoke to His mother and to His disciple John as He was being crucified (John 19:25-27).
The Gospel of Luke likewise records:
"And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things."
(Luke 23:49)
It was loving and brave of these women to publicly identify with Jesus and be near Him as He was being crucified.
For one, it was horrible for them to witness their friend and Messiah suffer such a cruel death.
They perhaps could have lessened their own personal anguish if they had not watched Him die.
But these women chose to set their personal comfort aside and to be there for Jesus when so many others had abandoned Him.
A second reason their presence was bold was that by publicly coming to Jesus's execution, they potentially brought additional suspicion and scorn upon themselves from Jesus's powerful enemies.
When Jesus was arrested, His disciples had fled (Mark 14:50). Peter had denied that he even knew Jesus (Mark 14:66-72). But these women remained, despite their grief, fear, and confusion, they were present when Jesus drew His final breath.
Mark identifies three of the women who were looking on from a distance:
among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome (v 40b).
The phrase among whom indicates that there were additional women who were present, whom Mark did not specifically identify as looking on from a distance at the cross. In verse 40, Mark will say that there were many other women.
The three women Mark identifies as being present at the cross were:
MARY MAGDALENE
The first woman Mark mentions who saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross was Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene is known for her devoted discipleship and significant role in Jesus's ministry.
She was likely from the city of Magdala, which is where she gets her surtitle--Magdalene. Magdala was located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, a few miles southwest of Capernaum where Jesus's Galilean ministry was headquartered.
Of all the backstories of Jesus's followers told to us by the Bible, it is difficult to imagine any more painful or disturbing than Mary Magdalene's. Before she encountered Jesus, Mary Magdalene was possessed by seven demons. Jesus miraculously healed her by casting these demons out of her (Luke 8:2). Jesus transformed her life.
Mary Magdalene became one of Jesus's most devoted followers and supporters, accompanying Him and His disciples on their journeys and supporting them with her resources (Luke 8:2-3).
Church tradition has sometimes identified Mary Magdalene as the woman who washed Jesus's feet with perfume and her tears and wiped them with her hair in the home of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:37-38). But Scripture does not explicitly identify this woman as Mary Magdalene.
Jesus commended this unnamed woman's devotion and love before He forgave her sins (Luke 7:44-50). Mary Magdalene's prominence in the Gospel accounts may partly reflect her significant role in supporting Jesus's earthly ministry.
She is first mentioned in Luke in a passage describing the group of women who provided material support for Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:1-3). Jesus taught that those who support His messengers share in their reward (Matthew 10:40-42). Mary Magdalene's dedication to Jesus continued beyond His death.
Mary Magadalene would observe where Jesus was buried (Mark 15:47).
After the Sabbath, she would return with spices to anoint His body (Mark 16:1).
And she would become one of the first witnesses to the empty tomb (Mark 16:1-8).
John's Gospel records that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection and personally revealed Himself to her (John 20:11-18).
MARY THE MOTHER OF JAMES THE LESS AND JOSES
The second woman Mark identifies is Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses (v 40).
Mark's description helps distinguish this Mary from the other women named Mary who were present at Jesus's crucifixion.
John records:
"But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."
(John 19:25)
The Gospel accounts therefore indicate that multiple women named Mary were present at Jesus's crucifixion. These "Marys" included:
Mark's identification of this woman as Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses most naturally distinguishes her from Mary the mother of Jesus.
Matthew's parallel account calls one of the women "Mary the mother of James and Joseph" (Matthew 27:56). Mark calls this Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses (v 40).
"Joses" is a form of the name Joseph. So these two accounts likely describe the same Mary.
John's account identifies "Mary the wife of Clopas" as present at the cross (John 19:25). It is therefore possible, and perhaps likely, that "Mary the wife of Clopas" and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses (v 40) were the same woman. This Mary may also be the woman Matthew later calls "the other Mary" (Matthew 27:61).
If so, the Gospel writers identify the same woman in different ways:
This Mary would remain a faithful witness after Jesus's death. Mark records that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses (v 40) observed where Jesus's body was laid (Mark 15:47).
After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, this Mary, and Salome would return to Jesus’s tomb with spices to anoint His body (Mark 16:1).
SALOME
The third woman Mark identifies is Salome.
Matthew's parallel account does not name her. Instead, Matthew identifies her as "the mother of the sons of Zebedee"
(Matthew 27:56).
Taken together, Mark and Matthew indicate that Salome was the mother of James and John.
The sons of Zebedee were Jesus's disciples James and John. Zebedee was Salome's husband and the father of James and John (Mark 1:19-20). Zebedee was a fisherman in Galilee. Jesus called Zebedee’s sons, James and John, to follow Him while they were in the boat mending their nets (Mark 1:19-20).
Salome apparently supported her sons' decision to follow Jesus and was herself a devoted follower of Jesus from early in His ministry in Galilee. Matthew records that at one point the mother of James and John approached Jesus with an ambitious request for her sons:
"Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left."
(Matthew 20:21)
Mark records the same request as coming directly from James and John (Mark 10:35-37).
These accounts are complementary.
James and John apparently desired and participated in the request, while their mother served as the person who approached Jesus and made the request on their behalf.
Jesus responded by teaching His disciples that greatness in His kingdom comes through service.
He concluded His lesson by explaining His own mission:
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
(Mark 10:45)
The man whom she once asked to give her sons positions of honor in His kingdom was hanging dead on a Roman cross--fulfilling His mission to "give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). And Salome was still there to witness it.
John 19:25 may indicate that Salome was the sister of Mary, Jesus's mother.
John writes that standing by the cross were "His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" (John 19:25).
Depending on how the list is punctuated and understood, John may be describing four women rather than three. If so, the unnamed sister of Jesus's mother may have been Salome.
This would mean that James and John were Jesus's cousins.
It may also help explain why Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to John (John 19:26-27).
John may have been the closest male relative present who believed in Jesus at that time.
Jesus's brothers did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry (John 7:5). One of Jesus's resurrection appearances was specifically to His brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7).
James later became a leader of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13, Galatians 2:9).
MANY OTHER WOMEN
After identifying Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome (v 40) as being among the women present at the cross, Mark adds a detail that Matthew omits. Mark says:
and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem (v 41b).
Mark's expression many other women indicates that the three women he named were only a small representation of a much larger group of faithful female disciples.
These women had come up with Him to Jerusalem.
Traveling to Jerusalem was commonly described as going up because of the city's elevation and all the roads to it went up in elevation as they approached the city.
Among the other women who were present was Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know this because John records that she was present at her Son's crucifixion (John 19:25).
John also records a short conversation between Jesus and His mother from the cross:
"When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' From that hour the disciple took her into his own household."
(John 19:26-27)
Mark likely omits this exchange for the sake of brevity and focus on the main action and transaction of the cross.
Mary's presence at the cross represented another moment in her long life of faithfulness to God and devotion to her Son.
The Gospels introduce Mary as a young Jewish virgin from Nazareth who was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of King David (Matthew 1:16-25, Luke 1:26-38, 3:23, 31). Mary was the virgin who miraculously conceived Jesus in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy that a virgin would bear a son called "Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:22-23).The Gospel of Luke recounts that the angel Gabriel visited her and announced that she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and that this child would be the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah (Luke 1:26-38).
Despite her initial astonishment and the potential social consequences, Mary humbly accepted her role and submitted herself to God's plan.
Mary was present at many significant events in Jesus's earthly life:
(Luke 2:4-20)
(Luke 2:21-38)
(Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23, Luke 2:39-40)
(John 2:1-12)
(Mark 3:31-35)
(John 19:25-27)
Mary is also named as part of the early community of believers following Jesus's ascension (Acts 1:14).
Mary's heart must have been terribly wrenched at the sight of her Son's suffering on the cross.
She knew He was the promised Messiah, and she watched as He was violently rejected, tortured, and crucified.
Mary's suffering was prophesied when Jesus was an infant:
"And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed--and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.'"
(Luke 2:34-35)
Despite being highly favored and chosen by God for the unique and honored role of giving birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:28-31), Mary's life was filled with difficulty, danger, and sorrow.
Throughout these trials, her faith and obedience to God's plan were beautifully displayed.
The Bible consistently presents Mary and her faith as a noble example to be admired and followed.
Even though Mark does not name every one of the many women who were there, he does describe their significant role in Jesus's ministry,
When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem (v 41).
The expression--when He was in Galilee (v 41)--refers to Jesus's Messianic ministry which was headquartered in the district of Galilee. The district of Galilee was located about ninety miles north of Jerusalem, where Jesus was crucified.
Mark says these women used to follow Him and minister to Him (v 41).
That they used to follow Him meant that they too, were Jesus's disciples while He was alive. It means that they believed in Him. And they sought to learn from His teaching. And they obeyed what He asked them to do. They may have travelled with Jesus and the other disciples around Galilee.
They were with Jesus near the beginning of His Messianic ministry, when His public ministry began to expand throughout Galilee.
Mark also says they used to minister to Him.
The expression minister to Him means that these women served Jesus and supported His ministry. These women helped provide for the practical needs of Jesus's ministry, including financial support.
Luke provides additional insight into how these women ministered to Jesus:
"Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means."
(Luke 8:2b-3)
These women apparently helped financially support Jesus and His disciples as they traveled throughout Israel proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Some of the women who faithfully followed Jesus from Galilee and stood at a distance as He died would soon become the first witnesses of the empty tomb.