55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. Matthew 27:55-56

Matthew named three prominent women (out of many) as following Jesus from a distance, but names no men who might have been in the group. As I have note through the years, the Bible elevates the status and therefore the importance of women, whereas historically speaking, women have been degraded, abused, demoralized, and denied rights and important leadership roles. The women in this passage will also have another large role in the crucifixion story but for now, they’re observing, praying, still trying to understand it all.

God bless the women of God who are reading this. If we could only multiply 10x your godliness and prayers for your loved ones, we could change the world for Christ. Keep fighting the fight and rescuing people from the gates of Hell.

As the angel said to Mary long ago, I say it to you, “You are highly valued among women.”