Easter: From a Woman's Point of View

As a woman following Christ, I frequently look in the Bible for female examples to follow. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that women can only learn from the women of the Bible.  I find myself connecting greatly with Joseph and Peter all the time. However, it is natural that women want to see specifically how Jesus interacted with the women of His time to give us a clearer picture of how our God in heaven sees us and relates to us.  This Easter weekend, I decided to look at the women in the Easter story.  The women who loved Christ, followed Him faithfully, and stood and watched the horror that was His death.  The women who are named as witnesses of the crucifixion even when many of His faithful disciples ran and hid.  The women who tended to the bloody and broken body when Jesus was brought down from the cross.  The women who were the first to see the resurrected Christ because they were going to tend to Him even in death.  
    
This reminded me that as women we are not better than men, just different.  God has given us specific roles to play in His Kingdom knowing that He has specially equipped us to handle certain situations in ways that men are not equipped by Him.  Our empathy, our compassion, our grasp of our emotions, and our ability to stand strong with those we love through their worst moments are gifts from God.  These are gifts we should embrace, encourage in one another, and take every opportunity to put to use for His glory.  The roles we have been given to play as daughter, sisters, wives, mothers, and friends all call upon these gifts at different times.  As women we are caretakers, comforters, encouragers, nurturers, and confidantes.  He has given us compassion, discernment, and strength wrapped in graceD.   It is how He designed us, and it is how we must live.  In doing so, we position ourselves to see His will more clearly and demonstrate His love to others.  We position ourselves to recognize His presence and hear His commands.   We position ourselves to be like those women who first encountered Christ on that Easter Sunday morning so long ago. 


So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”  Matthew 28:8-10