Women of the Bible
Lesson Seven
THE MINISTRY OF JESUS TO WOMEN
KEY VERSE:
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they
should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not
contain the book that should be written. (John 21:25)
INTRODUCTION
In the last chapter we studied the relationship of Jesus to women. Jesus had important
things to say to and about women. He taught on special subjects of interest to them and
included women in some of His parables. He also ministered in miraculous ways to
women during His earthly ministry. This chapter examines these aspects of Christ's
ministry to women.
PARABLES OF JESUS
Parables were a method of teaching Jesus used frequently during His earthly ministry. A
parable is "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning." A parable presents spiritual truths
in the form of a story which the listener can understand easily.
Jesus used four special parables about women to present some important spiritual truths.
Read each parable in your Bible before proceeding with the lesson. Each parable is
viewed in terms of:
The Person: Involved in the parable.
The Problem: The situation which confronted the people in the parable.
(The earthly story).
The Principle: The important truth Jesus was teaching.
(The heavenly meaning).
Now, study the parables:
THE LOST COIN:
Luke 15:8-10
The Person: A woman with ten pieces of silver.
The Problem: One piece was lost.
Principle: Jesus used this parable and two others to illustrate similar truths. Read the
parable of the lost sheep preceding the parable of the coin (Luke 15:3-7). Then read the
parable of the prodigal son which follows (Luke 15:11-32).
Christ's purpose in this series of parables was to answer an accusation of the Pharisees
that He was receiving sinners and eating with them which Jewish people were forbidden
to do (see verses 1-2).
Jesus was demonstrating the importance of reaching lost souls. It was necessary to
receive sinners and relate to them in order to reach them with the salvation message. He
used the illustrations of a lost sheep, a missing coin, and a wayward son to explain this
truth. Property, money, and family were things valued by the Pharisees and they could
relate to these illustrations.
Jesus used the example of a woman seeking for a lost coin as well as a man seeking a
lamb. Women have a specific role in reaching lost souls. Like the woman in the parable,
we need to light our spiritual lights and seek diligently for the lost. There is joy in the
presence of the angels as we bring those who are lost to the Savior. Have you been
seeking diligently for the lost?
THE PERSISTENT WIDOW:
Luke 18:1-8
Person: A widow woman who was seeking justice from a wicked judge who feared
neither God nor man.
Problem: She was seeking justice for her "adversary." The parable does not indicate who
the adversary was or what evil he had done to her. The wicked judge would do nothing
for the widow at first, but because she kept coming to him he decided to settle the case in
her favor so she would not continue to bother him.
Principle: Jesus was illustrating that perseverance brings a response from God. Jesus
used this example to encourage His followers to pray and not give up (verse 1). If an
unjust judge finally responds, so a just God responds to the perseverance of His people
and answers their requests:
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
(James 5:16b)
THE TEN VIRGINS:
Matthew 25:1-13
Persons: Five wise women, five foolish women, and an unknown person or group
warning of the approaching bridegroom.
Problem: Ten women were waiting for the arrival of a bridal party. Five women were
wise and brought vessels with extra oil for their lamps. Five women were foolish and
brought no extra oil.
All of the women fell asleep while they were waiting. Suddenly, a cry was given that the
bridegroom was coming and all the women awoke to turn up their lamps. The foolish
women discovered their oil was all used and their lamps were out. They tried to borrow
oil from the wise women who had oil, but were refused.
While the foolish women were gone trying to buy oil, the bridegroom came and the wise
women entered to the marriage feast with him. When the foolish women returned with
their oil, the door was shut and they could not get in. It was too late. They had waited
too long to prepare themselves.
Principle: This parable was presented by Jesus during a discussion with His disciples
concerning the end of the world. Read the beginning of the discussion in chapter 24.
Chapter 25 is a continuation of this discussion. Jesus told His disciples that in the last
days the spiritual situation would be similar to the parable of the virgins. Some people
will be prepared
to meet the Lord spiritually but will be "sleeping" and not alert to His returning. This is
the group described as the "wise virgins."
Although they are saved, they are doing nothing to warn people around them of the soon
coming of the bridegroom. Nevertheless, they experience a spiritual awakening right
before His return and are prepared to meet Him.
The foolish virgins illustrate another group of people who are also unaware of Christ's
coming. They are unprepared. They wait too late to fill their spiritual vessels and they do
not go with Christ on His return.
They try to get in on the basis of the preparations of the wise virgins, but this is not
possible. You cannot gain access to the Kingdom of God on the basis of someone else's
experience. You must make your own preparations to meet Him.
There is a third group of people in this parable. Although the virgins described as wise
and foolish all slept, someone was awake to give the cry that the bridegroom was
coming. There will be a group of God's people who will be alert to His soon return,
awake spiritually and watching for Him to come. They will be used to alert the people of
God who are sleeping and not aware of the short time before the return of Jesus.
To which category do you belong? Are you spiritually prepared to meet the Lord but not
really alert to the fact that He is coming soon? Are you sleeping spiritually instead of
sending out the cry to others to prepare for His return?
Are you like the foolish virgins? Perhaps you have not yet prepared yourself spiritually
to meet Jesus. You have no oil in your vessel. You are asleep and empty spiritually.
Hear the cry of His soon return and prepare yourself now, before it is too late.
Are you one of the unnamed third group, those who were alert to the soon return of the
bridegroom and were warning and preparing others to meet Him? To which of these three
groups do you belong?
THE WOMAN WITH LEAVEN:
Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20-21
Person: An unnamed woman.
Problem: She is preparing bread and uses a little bit of leaven to leaven three measures of
meal. One "measure" was about a peck and a half of meal.
Principle: This parable is one of several Jesus used to illustrate truths regarding His
Kingdom to which He refers as "the Kingdom of Heaven."
Many times in the Bible leaven is used as an example of evil. It is used to show how a
little evil reproduces itself and increases into much evil just as leaven spreads throughout
a lump of dough. In this parable, however, leaven is used to illustrate that in God's
Kingdom, a little act can multiply to yield great results.
Just as a small bit of leaven spreads throughout the meal to prepare a great lump of dough
for baking, so the leaven of God's Word reproduces itself. This is a principle we refer to
as "leaven-like evangelism." Harvestime International Institute offers a course by this
title centering on an evangelistic approach which will reproduce itself throughout the
world.
This parable illustrates several important principles. First, you can have the leaven (the
Word) and the lump that needs the leaven (the world), but nothing will happen until the
Word (leaven) is placed in the hearts of the people of the world (the lump).
Second, the human instrument is the agent God uses to put the leaven in the lump. God
chooses people like you to bring the Word to the world.
Third, small things reproduce to become great in the economy of God's Kingdom. A
small attempt at leaven-like evangelism will continue to reproduce itself throughout the
lump of the world. As the prophet Zechariah said:
For who hath despised the day of small things? (Zechariah 4:10)
A SUMMARY OF THE PARABLES
Jesus used women to illustrate some great truths about His Kingdom. The widow
illustrates the importance of persevering in prayer that the Kingdom of Heaven will be set
in order, the enemy defeated, and God's people avenged. The woman with the leaven
demonstrates the importance of action in God's Kingdom. You must sow the leaven of
the Word in the lump of the world.
But sowing is not enough. You must also learn how to reap. This is illustrated by the
woman with the lost coin. She looked until she found the coin. You must not only sow
the leaven of the Word, but you must reap the harvest and reach lost men and women.
Finally, the parable of the virgins reveals that in the closing days of time, some will be
prepared to enter the Kingdom of God and others will not. The composite picture of
women Jesus portrays through these parables is one of women who are active in the
Kingdom of God, who will persevere in prayer, sow the seed of the Word, reap the lost,
and give the warning cry to those who are spiritually sleeping.
MIRACLES OF JESUS
Jesus performed several miracles which involved women during His earthly ministry.
You will record your own comments on this study. Review the pattern used in the study
of the parables and follow it as you study the miracles of Jesus involving women. Record
your study in terms of:
People: Involved in the miracle Jesus performed.
Problem: The need with which Jesus was confronted.
Performance: Jesus's response to that need. What was the miracle He
performed and how did He do it? What were the results of the miracle?
PETER'S MOTHER-IN-LAW:
Matthew 8:1-15; Mark 1:30-31; Luke 4:38-39.
People:
Problem:
Performance:
WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD:
Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-29; Luke 8:43-48.
People:
Problem:
Performance:
There are several other miracles involving women that we could look at, but for the
sake of time we will not.
These miracles would include...
CANAANITE WOMAN'S DAUGHTER:
DEFORMED WOMAN:
JARIUS' DAUGHTER:
WIDOW'S SON AT NAIN:
BROTHER OF MARY AND MARTHA:
A SUMMARY OF THE MIRACLES
The outstanding characteristic of Jesus evident in each miracle which He performed
involving women is compassion. Whether it was a short term illness like the fever of
Peter's mother-in-law or a long term disease like the issue of the blood and the woman
with the deformed back, He showed concern and compassion.
It is interesting to note that His miracles followed a progression. First He dealt with short
term illness such as fever. Then He dealt with long term disease such as the issue of
blood and the deformed back. Even the raising of the dead had a pattern. First He raised
the widow's son and Jarius' daughter, both of whom had been dead only a short time.
Then He raised Lazarus who had been dead and in the tomb for several days.
Jesus raised Jarius' daughter in the house right after her death. The widow's son was
resurrected to life on the way to the graveyard. Lazarus was resurrected from the grave
where he had been several days. It does not matter at what point Jesus enters the problems
of your life. His power is sufficient at any stage of your need.
WORDS OF JESUS TO AND ABOUT WOMEN
In addition to the parables and the miracles which involved women, Jesus had much to
say regarding topics of interest to women. These included instructions on the subjects of
marriage, adultery, children, etc. Jesus also talked directly with women on many
occasions.
Answer the questions below. If you miss a question, go back and study that portion of the class and then retake the test. Once you have received a 100% you may proceed to the next class. You DO NOT have to submit this test for grading. Only the final test will be submitted.