Mark 15:41

Mark 15:41, in plain English

These women had followed Jesus and taken care of His needs when He was in Galilee. Many other women who came with Him to Jerusalem were there too.

Why it's here

These women didn't just show up at the end. They had been supporting Jesus' ministry all along, providing for His daily needs. Their faithfulness was lifelong.

Who's speaking

Mark explains the women's longstanding relationship with Jesus.

Where it sits in the story

They had been there from the beginning, quietly serving and supporting Jesus when no one was watching. Now they're here at the end, faithful to the very last moment.

The scholarly reading

Mark notes these women had diekonoun (ministered to/served) Jesus in Galilee, and that many other women had also traveled with Him to Jerusalem.

Language and setting

The verb diakoneo indicates material and logistical support. Luke 8:2-3 elaborates that women like Joanna financially supported Jesus' ministry. Their presence at the cross completes their service.

Voice

The narrator provides background on these women's relationship to Jesus.

Significance

These women were not peripheral figures. They had actively supported and served Jesus throughout His Galilean ministry and followed Him faithfully to Jerusalem and now to the cross.

39When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how He had breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

40And there were also women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

41These women had followed Jesus and ministered to Him while He was in Galilee, and there were many other women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.

42Now it was already evening. Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Council member who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

Read all of Mark 15 — Pilate washes his hands, soldiers mock the King of Kings, and darkness covers the land. The curtain in the temple tears from top to bottom.