Lesson 6 | Standard edition | Women in the Ministry of Jesus | The Book of Luke | Sabbath School

46
Lesson 6 *May 2–8
Women in the Ministry
of Jesus
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 1:39–55; 2:36–38; 7:11–
17, 36–50; Rom. 10:17; Luke 8:1–3; 18:1–8.
Memory Text: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ
Jesus. . . . There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ
Jesus” (Galatians 3:26–28, NKJV).
L
uke’s Gospel is sometimes called “the Gospel of Women”because,
more than any other one, it makes special mention of how car-
ing Jesus was to the needs of women and also of how involved
women were in His ministry.
In the time of Jesus, as in some cultures today, women were deemed
of little worth. Some Jewish men in that time thanked God that they
were not created a slave, a Gentile, or a woman. Greek and Roman soci-
ety sometimes treated women even worse. Roman culture developed its
permissiveness to an almost unlimited licentiousness. A man often had
a wife only in order to produce legitimate children who would inherit
his property, and he had concubines for his own sinful pleasures.
Against such a backdrop of women being treated so badly, Jesus
brought the good news that women are, indeed, daughters of Abraham
(see Luke 13:16). How happy the women of those days must have been
to hear that, in Jesus, they are children of God and of equal worth with
men in the sight of God. The message today for women of all nations
remains the same: we are all, men and women, one in Christ Jesus.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 9.

47
May 3Sunday
Women Who Welcomed Jesus’ Advent
Only Luke records the reaction of these women to the wonder of
cosmic history: that the Son of God took human flesh in order to com-
plete the redemptive mission of the Father and to fulfill the Messianic
hopes of His people. Though these women didn’t fully understand what
was happening, their words and reactions to these astonishing events
revealed their faith and wonder at the works of God.
Read Luke 1:39–45, the encounter between Elizabeth and Mary.What
does Elizabeth say that reveals her understanding, however limited,
of the great events that were taking place?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
After Elizabeth spoke, Mary then followed with her own words (Luke
1:46–55). Often understood to be a song, these words are full of frag-
ments from the Old Testament, attesting that Mary was a devoted stu-
dent of Scripture and thus a fit mother for Jesus. Mary’s song is rooted
not only in Scripture but deep down in her relationship with God. An
identity emerges between her soul and her Lord, and between her faith
and Abraham’s hope.
Read Luke 2:36–38.What important truths are brought to light in the
story of Anna in the temple?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Expectant hope finds its radical fulfillment in Jesus. An old widow
recognizes the miracle, and from then on she made it her compulsive
mission to proclaim the Savior to all those who came to the temple. She
became the first woman evangelist of the gospel.
Try to imagine the wonder and astonishment of these women at
the events unfolding around them. What can we do to help keep
alive in our own hearts the wonder and astonishment of the great
truths that we have been called to proclaim?

48
May 4Monday
Women and Jesus’ Healing Ministry
Read Luke 7:11–17, the story about the miracle at Nain. This
woman, impoverished and widowed, now faced another trial, the death
of her only son. A large crowd of mourners was with her in the funeral
procession, expressing public grief and sympathy. The loss of her only
son coupled with the uncertain future of life alone turned the widow
into a picture of absolute sorrow and hopelessness.
But the funeral procession going out of the city met with another
procession entering into it. At the head of the outgoing procession was
death in a casket; at the head of the incoming procession was life in the
majesty of the Creator. As the processions met, Jesus saw the widow,
hopeless and full of grief. “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out
to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry’ ” (Luke 7:13, NIV). The plea not to cry
would have been meaningless had it not come from Jesus, the Lord of
life. For behind the command “Don’t cry!” was the power to remove the
reason for her crying: Jesus reached forward, touched the coffin, and
ordered the young man to arise. The touch was considered a ceremo-
nial defilement (Num. 19:11–13), but to Jesus, compassion was more
important than ceremonies. Meeting human needs was more urgent
than adhering to mere rituals.
The village of Nain not only witnessed a great miracle but also
received a marvelous message: in Jesus there is no difference between
the emotional pangs of men and those of women. And His presence
confronts and confounds the power of death.
Read also Luke 8:41, 42, 49–56. Jairus was an influential person—a
ruler of the synagogue, an officer in charge of the care and services of
the synagogue. Each Sabbath he would choose the person who would
lead in prayer, Scripture reading, and preaching. He was a person not
only of eminence and influence but also of wealth and power. He loved
his daughter and did not hesitate to approach Jesus for the healing of
his child.
In these stories, it was the power of Jesus’ words that brought a
dead son back to his mother and a dead daughter back to her
father. Think about how incredible these acts must have been
to those who saw them, especially to the parents. What do these
accounts tell us about the power of God? What do they tell us
about just how limited we are in understanding that power?
(After all, science at present doesn’t have a clue about how this
could happen.) Most important, though, what must we do in
order to learn to trust in this power and the goodness of the God
who wields it, regardless of our present circumstances?

49
May 5Tuesday
Women of Gratitude and Faith
In Luke 7:36–50, Jesus turned a meal into an event of spiritual mag-
nitude that offered dignity to a sinful woman. Simon, a leading citizen,
a Pharisee, invited Jesus for a meal. Invitees seated, there was a sudden
disruption: “a woman in the city who was a sinner” (vs. 37, NKJV)
rushed straight to Jesus, broke an alabaster box of very expensive
perfume, poured the ointment on Him, bowed down to His feet, and
washed them with her tears.
What lessons can we learn from the woman’s outpouring of gratitude
and Jesus’ acceptance of her act of faith?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
“When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in
Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character.
The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities,
and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized. Through His grace
she became a partaker of the divine nature. . . . Mary was first at the
tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen
Saviour.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 568.
In Luke 8:43–48, a case of supreme wretchedness becomes the object
of the Savior’s supreme regard. For so long, this woman had an incur-
able disease that ravaged her body and soul.Yet, in this 12-year tragedy,
a flicker of hope suddenly burst on the scene: “She heard about Jesus”
(Mark 5:27, NKJV).
What did she hear? A little or a lot, we do not know. But she knew that
Jesus cared for the poor; He embraced social outcasts; He touched lepers;
He turned water into wine; and above all, He cared for desperate people,
of which she was one. But hearing was not enough; hearing must lead
to faith (Rom. 10:17). And that faith led her to a simple act of touching
the edge of His garment. That touch was faith-driven, purposeful, effica-
cious, and Christ-focused. Only such a faith can receive the benediction
of the Life-Giver: “ ‘your faith has made you well’ ” (Luke 8:48, NKJV).
It’s so easy to look at people and judge them, isn’t it? Even if we
often don’t verbalize it, in our hearts we judge them, which is still
so wrong. How can we learn to stop judging others, even in our
thoughts,when who knows what we’d do were we in their situations?

50
May 6Wednesday
Some Women Who Followed Jesus
Read Luke 10:38–42. What important spiritual truths can we take
from this story (see also Luke 8:14) for ourselves?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
As the hostess, Martha “was distracted with much serving” (Luke
10:40, NKJV) and was busy in getting the best for the guests. But Mary
“sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” (vs. 39, NKJV). So much so
that Martha complained to Jesus that she alone was left to do the hard
work. While Jesus did not rebuke Martha for her preoccupation with
service, He pointed out the need for right priorities in life. Fellowship
with Jesus is the first essential in discipleship; potluck can come later.
“The cause of Christ needs careful, energetic workers. There is a
wide field for the Marthas, with their zeal in active religious work. But
let them first sit with Mary at the feet of Jesus. Let diligence, prompt-
ness, and energy be sanctified by the grace of Christ; then the life will
be an unconquerable power for good.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of
Ages, p. 525.
Read Luke 8:1–3; 23:55, 56; 24:1–12. What do these verses teach about
the role of women in Christ’s ministry?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
As His ministry expanded, Jesus “went through every city and vil-
lage, preaching” and teaching (Luke 8:1, NKJV), with the 12 disciples
accompanying Him. Luke also records the powerful testimonies of
certain women whom Jesus had healed, who were touched by His
preaching, and who were of wealth, also followed Him in His enlarged
ministry. Here are some whom Luke mentions: (1) certain women
healed of evil spirits, including Mary Magdalene; (2) Joanna, wife of
Chuza, business manager of Herod; (3) Susanna; and (4) “many others
who provided for Him” (vs. 3, NKJV).
When we understand that Jesus died for every human being, we can
better grasp the true equality of every person before God. How well
do we reflect this truth in our attitude toward others? That is, how
can you root out, if necessary, any attitude in which you might tend
to look down upon others as somehow less worthy than yourself?

51
May 7Thursday
Persistent in Prayer,
Sacrificial in Giving
Luke shows how Jesus turned to two widows in order to teach impor-
tant spiritual truths.
In the first case (Luke 18:1–8), Jesus pitied a poor and powerless
widow who was up against a wicked and powerful judge in her fight
for justice. She was a victim of injustice and fraud, and yet she believed
in the rule of the law and in justice. But the judge was anti-God and
anti-people, and so he obviously did not care to help the widow. Caring
for widows is a biblical requirement (Exod. 22:22–24, Ps. 68:5, Isa.
1:17), but the judge took delight in ignoring the law. However, the
widow had one weapon, perseverance, and with it she wore out the
judge and got her justice.
The parable teaches three important lessons: (1) always pray and
never get discouraged (Luke 18:1), (2) prayer changes things—even
the heart of an evil judge, and (3) persistent faith is a conquering faith.
True faith has eternal counsel to every Christian: never give up, even
if that means waiting for the final vindication when the “ ‘Son of Man
comes’ ” (vs. 8, NKJV).
In the second case (Luke 21:1–4, Mark 12:41–44), no sooner had
Jesus finished denouncing the religious hypocrisy and pretension of
the scribes and the leaders around the temple than He pointed out a
stark contrast to them: a poor widow who reveals the nature of gen-
uine religion.
Jesus described some of the religious leaders as those who “ ‘devour
widows’ houses’ ” (Luke 20:47, NKJV) and who violate the biblical
mandate to care for the widows and the poor. As today, many gave only
in order to look pious; and worse, what they gave, they gave out of their
own surplus wealth. Their giving really involved no personal sacrifice.
In contrast, Jesus asked His disciples to look to the widow as the model
of true religion, for she gave all that she had.
Show was the motive of the first group; sacrifice and the glory of
God was the motive of the widow. To acknowledge God’s ownership of
all that she had and to serve Him with all she had was the force that
propelled the widow to give her two mites. What counts before the
all-seeing eyes of the Creator is not what we give but why we give; not
how much we give but the measure of our sacrifice.
How much do you sacrifice of yourself for the good of others and
for the cause of God?

52
May 8Friday
Further Study: He “who remembered His mother when He was hang-
ing in agony upon the cross; who appeared to the weeping women and
made them His messengers to spread the first glad tidings of a risen
Saviour—He is woman’s best friend today and is ready to aid her in all
the relations of life.”—Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 204.
“The Lord has a work for women as well as for men. They may take
their places in His work at this crisis, and He will work through them.
If they are imbued with a sense of their duty, and labor under the influ-
ence of the Holy Spirit, they will have just the self-possession required
for this time. The Saviour will reflect upon these self-sacrificing
women the light of His countenance, and will give them a power that
exceeds that of men. They can do in families a work that men cannot
do, a work that reaches the inner life. They can come close to the hearts
of those whom men cannot reach. Their labor is needed.”—Ellen G.
White, Evangelism, pp. 464, 465.
Discussion Questions:
 One of the most interesting aspects of the Gospels, including
Luke, has to do with the role of women in regard to the resurrec-
tion of Jesus. All the Gospel stories have women as the first ones
to see the risen Christ and to proclaim His resurrection to others.
Biblical apologists have been able to use this fact to help affirm
the reality of the bodily resurrection of Jesus, which some people
deny or question. Why is the role of women here so important?
Because if, as some claim, the stories of Jesus’ resurrection were
fabricated by the authors, why would they have put women, who
weren’t highly regarded in that society, as the first ones to see and
to proclaim Jesus? If they were making up stories in order to try
to get people at that time to believe, why use women as opposed
to men? Discuss.
 In a society that didn’t always recognize the dignity of women,
Jesus recognized the status that belongs to them in God’s creative
order as children of God. Women as well as men are made in
God’s image and equal in His sight. At the same time, however
equal before God, men and women are not the same. How can we
affirm the equality of men and women before God and yet, at the
same time, affirm and acknowledge the differences?

Storyi n s i d e
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.
Web site: www.AdventistMission.org 53
More Precious Than Money
Ruth, Japan
Ruth was born and raised in Ecuador without knowing God. She sensed
that something was missing in her life and visited many churches, but none
satisfied.Then she visited a Seventh-dayAdventist church and found that “the
people were kind, and the pastor treated people equally.”
Ruth received a DVD—The Last Hope, featuring presentations on
Revelation by Pastor Luis Gonçalves. Not sure what it was about, Ruth set the
DVD aside and forgot about it.
Sometime later Ruth and her husband moved to Japan, where they obtained
work in manufacturing. Although successful at her job, Ruth still wasn’t
satisfied. One day, she noticed an advertisement in a free newspaper, invit-
ing people to the Seventh-day Adventist church. Remembering her friendly
encounter in Ecuador, Ruth decided to visit. While there, she was delighted
to meet Diana, the head elder’s wife, who was Brazilian. Diana offered to
study the Bible with Ruth. When the two met for their first Bible study, Diana
brought a DVD by Pastor Luis Gonçalves! Ruth realized that it was the same
DVD she had received in Ecuador. Convinced that this was more than just a
coincidence, Ruth watched the DVD. As she continued studying, Ruth was
convicted that she had found the truth.
When she learned that the seventh day was God’s holy day, Ruth quickly
decided to quit working on Sabbath. “Are you crazy?” her coworkers asked.
“You get paid a higher rate on Saturdays. Why don’t you earn the money and
give it to your church?”
“There’s something more precious than money,” Ruth replied. “Such as
going to church each Sabbath and learning new things.”
Soon Ruth was ready to make a full commitment and was baptized. When
her coworkers realized that Ruth was serious about her newfound faith, they
turned against her. “You’ve changed,” some told her. “I can’t work with you,”
said another. But her supervisor still valued Ruth and allowed her to take every
Saturday off.
“Many things have changed in my life,” Ruth explains. “The way I think,
my habits, my relationships with people, everything. Before, I had a hard
heart, but now I’m rich in emotion and can empathize with others.”
Ruth is one of the many South American immigrants in Japan. Members
of the Seventh-day Adventist international church in Japan are actively
seeking to reach others like Ruth. One of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath
Offering projects is to help build an international evangelistic center in
Japan. For more stories either in print or video, visit www.adventistmission
.org. Did you know that you don’t have to wait for the end of the quarter to
give to theThirteenth Sabbath Offering projects?You can give any time on our
secure Web site at giving.adventistmission.org.

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When Mrs. Shin’s
13-year-old
daughter, Bo Hwa,
was lonely because
there were no teens
at church, Mrs. Shin
knew what to do.
Getting up before
dawn, she handcrafted
2,000 hotok (Korean
pancakes) and sold
them every morning to
hungry students near
the local high school.
As she befriended her
young customers, the
young people soon
went to the Shins’
home and learned
about Jesus. Over the
past 16 years, more
than 400 young people
have been baptized as
a direct result of the
Shins’ ministry. Meeting in a
makeshift building, the young
members are delighted that
their church plant has been
chosen to receive part of this
quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath
Offering. Read more of the
story in the youth and adult
Mission magazine at
www.adventistmission
.org/resources. Please plan
to give generously to
this quarter’s Thirteenth
Sabbath Offering.
Hint: Did you know that
you don’t have to wait
to give your Thirteenth
Sabbath Offering? Just go
to our secure Web site,
giving.adventistmission.org.
Planting a Church
With Pancakes
15-2-ABSG Regular Ad.indd 1 8/28/14 4:03 PM

Lesson 6 | Standard edition | Women in the Ministry of Jesus | The Book of Luke | Sabbath School

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Lesson 6 | Standard edition | Women in the Ministry of Jesus | The Book of Luke | Sabbath School