In today’s world it is mostly women who are victims of abuse, trafficking, rapes. Women have less rights, are often not allowed to speak their mind. They are seen as less valuable and sometimes have to completely cover themselves. She Rises is a movement that aims to empower and encourage women. Why would we want to do that? Because it’s Gods vision.
Where the first Adam blamed the woman for falling into sin, the last Adam, Jesus came to restore and let women know they are valuable.
Women and Jesus
Jesus came to us as the Son of God, born from Mary’s womb, the woman who found favor in God’s eyes. When He started His ministry He reached out to woman who needed restoration, healing, deliverance. Let’s take a look at some of these examples in the New Testament.
In John 4 you can read the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus chose to travel through Samaria. His disciples walked into town to get food, but Jesus stayed at the well to rest. But then at noon there came this Samaritan woman. This is a strange time of day to go to the well, it’s the warmest hour of the day, no time to do the heavy labor of getting water out of the well. Such tasks should be done in the morning with all the other women of town. But this woman had her
own reasons to wait untill everybody was gone and then go fetch her water. And there Jesus asks her to pour Him some water as well. Again this is very unusual, because Jesus is Jewish and Jews did not interfere with Samaritans. And Him being a man alone talking to this woman was against the status quo.
A message of life
But Jesus didn’t worry or care about the status quo. As He said before: “I only do what I see my Father doing.” So He was there with a reason. After Jesus told her He could give living water He asks her to call her husband. When she told Him she didn’t have one, Jesus replied by saying: “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
Despite her sins and faults, He offers her living water.
Jesus shows her that He knows who she is, that God really sees her, and despite her sins and faults, He offers her living water. Of all the women, God chose this woman from another community. Despised and rejected by other people, but Jesus offers her a new life, a new hope. He looks at her with love and without judgement. This personal encounter with Jesus, His acceptance changed her life. His message was a message of life, that made her an evangelist. She ran back to town and told everyone about Jesus. Many came to Him that afternoon.
Restoration of the rejected
Many other women were blessed by encounters with Jesus. They found restoration through His grace and love. Like the bleeding woman, who was unclean acoording tot the law and was not allowed to come near others. She dared to touch Jesus’ cloak but was not rejected for what she did. It is written: Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. Then He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” She was trembling, at fear for Jesus’ response, but His reaction was one filled with
love: He calls her “daughter”. When Jesus rose from the grave, He first appeared to women. Mary Magdalene, whom He freed from 7 demons, and Salome, one of the woman who followed Jesus wherever He went. He had a close friendship with Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha.
You are valuable
Against the culture and the traditions you maybe live in, Jesus shows Gods deep love for women. He sees them, He loves them, He delights in them. He tells you too today: “you are fearfully and wonderfully made, you are so valuable to me, so worthy, and I love you.” Find your restoration in Him.
Read also: To be really known or God is after your heart
