Mark 16:1

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body.

As soon as the Sabbath came to an end, these three women started their preparations for anointing the body of Jesus. The Sabbath ends about 40 minutes after sunset, as soon as three stars are seen in the sky. That was probably between 5:30 and 6:00pm. They knew that they wouldn’t have time to do the anointing – that would need to wait till the Sunday morning – but they had enough time to go out to the market to purchase the spices they needed.

The women’s minds must have been in absolute turmoil. Jesus, their master and friend, had been taken away from them in the most violent and disturbing manner. The disciples all seemed to have gone into hiding, but the women knew what needed to be done and were determined to do it. They were incredibly courageous – the Romans would have been unhappy to see them giving attention to Jesus’ body, but they knew they could and should. Like the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany only a few days before, they did what they could.

The following morning, these women would be the first to witness the empty tomb. They had the front seats for the resurrection. It would have astonished any Jewish observer that women should have the key role. There was a Jewish saying that ran: “Happy is he whose children are male, and alas for him whose children are female,” and in the Jewish morning service, one of the prayers was: “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has not made me a woman.” They prayed this after similarly thanking God that they were not heathens or slaves. Clearly, with the death and resurrection of Jesus, a completely new chapter had opened up.

Question

What impresses you about the willingness of the women to anoint the body of Jesus?

Prayer

Loving Father, help me to be willing to serve You, however difficult it might be. Amen