Jesus and the Value of Women

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Jesus and the Value of Women</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id609.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Does It Matter What We Believe?"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id612.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Can We Trust the New Testament?"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"Jesus and the Value of Women"</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, May 14, 2006 (Mother's Day)</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.stanbaker.org/audio/Sermon-2006-05-14-Stan_Baker.mp3" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.stanbaker.org/audio/Sermon-20"><U><B>audio</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div>      A stay-at-home mom would earn $134,121 if paid for her work, according to a study released last week by Waltham, Massachusetts-based compensation experts Salary.com. The survey calculated the projected pay figures by the earning power of 10 jobs respondents said most closely comprise a mother's role: housekeeper, day-care teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive and psychologist.</div> <div>      An estimated 5.6 million women in the United States are stay-at-home mothers with children under age 15. Some 26 million women with children under age 18 work in the nation's paid labor force.</div> <div>      Mothers can calculate what they could be paid, based on how many children they have, where they live and other factors, by going to http://www.mom.salary.com. The site will produce a printable document that looks like a paycheck, says Yahoo News. (Pastors Weekly Briefing, 5-12-06).</div> <div>      Mothers, and women who aspire to be mothers, we honor you today. You have a hugely important role in your family, in our church, and in our society. And your services and sacrifices are priceless. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.”</div> <div>      <I>The Da Vinci Code</I> makes some bold claims about what Christianity and the early church thinks of women. Lest we be deceived into thinking this is true, we must examine the Scriptures to discover what God thinks of women and mothers. While we address this, we shall also address the issue of, was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene and did they have children together? And we will look at some passages in Scripture that give the real story of the value of women in Christianity.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. According to </B><I><B>The Da Vinci Code</B></I><B>, what is early Christianity's view of women?</B></div> <div>      One of the supposedly knowledgeable men, Robert Langdon, in <I>The Da Vinci Code</I> says: “powerful men in the early Christian church 'conned' the world by propogating lies that devalued the female and tipped the scales in favor of the masculine.” That's what is described as "the Dark Con of Man" (<I>DVC</I>, 133).</div> <div>      Jesus supposedly left the leadership of the church in the hands of Mary, but Peter objected, and men took the church over from Mary and other women, contrary to Jesus intention to leave it under the leadership of Mary (p. 268).</div> <div>      Mary Magdalene was supposedly the wife of Jesus. And if the church were to find out that Jesus was married and a father, it would prove he was just a man and would ruin the Christian faith (p. 274).</div> <div>      The “Priory of Sion” is a secret organization charged with the responsibility of guarding the documents that prove Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that outline the descendants of Jesus and Mary. Leonardo Da Vinci was supposedly part of the organization, and he supposedly hid clues of Jesus and Mary in his paintings. The organization and the list of their grandmasters is, in reality, a total fraud, made up by Frenchman Pierre Plantard and some friends in the mid-1900s (even CBS' <I>60 Minutes</I> revealed this).</div> <div>      <I>The Da Vinci Code</I> suggests that the “sacred feminine” and womanhood itself is worthy of worship, by virtue of her ability to give life to her children (p. 258). And Mary Magdalene is a goddess (p. 275). How ironic that Jesus is a mere man, but Mary Magdalene is worthy of being worshiped as a goddess.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Is there any historical evidence that Jesus was married to Mary Magadelene, and that they had children together? </B></div> <div> <B>     </B>No. None at all. There is no mention of Jesus having a wife, when other family members were mentioned, like at his crucifixion, where one would expect such a reference. There was no cultural mandate in Judaism for Jesus to be married. Marriage was expected, but there were many exceptions to the rule, and Jesus was one of them. Mary Magdalene is never associated as the wife of Jesus, either in the NT or in other writings. </div> <div>      That she was called his “companion” in the Gnostic <I>Gospel of Philip</I> did <I>not</I> mean she was his spouse (it is Coptic, not Aramaic, <I>contra</I> Brown in <I>DVC</I>). The Gnostic gospel does not say on what part of her he often kissed her, and it is likely a reference to a spiritual relationship, and passing on secret knowledge, not physical intimacy. (The Gnostic gospels were all about special, “secret” knowledge, and do not deal in genuine history, anyway.)</div> <div>      And if Jesus <I>were</I> married, would it somehow prove he was just a mortal prophet and not God in the flesh? No, Jesus was both divine and human, and theoretically he could have been married and have still been God.</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. What does the Bible say about the value of women?</B></div> <div>      At various times in history, certainly the church and the world have failed to honor and value women. But what does the Bible say? Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Galatians 3:28-29 says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” In the original creation and in the new creation, men and women are on the same level before God, though they may have different roles and gifts.</div> <div>      Please turn to <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=John 4:1-27&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>John 4:1-27</U></A>. Jesus first proclaimed himself to be the Messiah to a woman, of Samaria, who was living with a man not her husband, after having five husbands. The disciples were surprised to see Jesus talking to a woman (vs. 27). But Jesus regarded her as important enough to share his message with.</div> <div>      There are five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus. Women were a part of Jesus' traveling entourage and ministry team (<A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Luke 8:1-3&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Luke 8</U></A>), including Mary Magdalene. Women were the first witnesses of Jesus' resurrection (<A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Luke 24:10&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Luke 24:10</U></A>). In that society, they would not have qualified to testify in court, but they were the first to give testimony that Jesus was alive. Paul commended Phoebe to the church at Rome as a servant or a deacon, and asked that the church welcome her and help her and support her in her work (<A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Romans 16:1-2&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Romans 16:1-2</U></A>). </div> <div>      That these things are in the New Testament would be unthinkable if the early Christian church was against women. If the early church and the NT had a campaign against women as being valuable and important, these things would not have been included in the record. </div> <bR> <div> <B>III. Men, honor the women in your life, your mother, your wife, your daughters.</B></div> <div>      Please turn to <A HREF="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=Eph 5:25-33&tniv=yes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch"><U>Ephesians 5:25-30</U></A>. Husband, love your wife <I>like Christ loves the church</I>. Ponder the meaning of that comparison for a few minutes.</div> <div>      1 Peter 3:7 says, “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”</div> <div>      <I>Ask her</I>, how can I show greater honor and value to you in our daily lives (not just on Mother's Day or your anniversary). </div> <div>      Speak to her and treat her with dignity, honor, kindness and respect. </div> <div>      Pay attention to her needs and interests, and look out for the things that matter to her.</div> <bR> <div>      Make it your goal to show honor and value to her every day, not just on Mother's Day. And watch her bless you in return, because she will.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2006, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>