SPECIAL TOPIC: WOMEN WHO TRAVELED WITH JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES

Following are the notes on these women from my commentary on Mark 15:40-41:

"There were also some women looking on from a distance."  The apostolic group was ministered to both financially and physically by several women (i.e., cooking, washing, etc., cf. Mark 15:41; Matt. 27:55; Luke 8:3).

"Mary Magdalene."  Magdala was a small city on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, three miles north of Tiberias.  Mary followed Jesus from Galilee after He had delivered her from several demons (cf. Luke 8:2).  She has unfairly been labeled as a prostitute but there is no NT evidence of this.

"Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joses."  In Matt. 27:56 she is called "the mother of James and Joseph."  In Matt. 28:1 she is called "the other Mary."  The real question is, to whom was she married?  In John 19:25 possibly she was married to Clopas, yet her son James, was said to be the "son of Alphaeus" (cf. Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15).

"Salome."  This was the mother of James and John, who were part of the inner circle of Jesus' disciples, and the wife of Zebedee (cf. Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1-2).

Following are my the notes on these women from my commentary on John 19:25:

"standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" There is much discussion about whether there are four names here or three names.

It is probable that there are four names because there would not be two sisters named Mary. Mary's sister, Salome, is named in Mark 15:40 and Matt. 27:56. If this is true, then it would mean James, John, and Jesus were cousins. A second-century tradition (Hegesippus) says that Clopas was Joseph's brother. Mary of Magdala was the one out of whom Jesus cast seven devils, and the first one to whom He chose to appear after His resurrection (cf. John 20:1-2; 11-18; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1-10).

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