The Christmas Story: If It Wasn’t For The Women

First published at The Churched Feminist

Women are crucial figures in the history of Christianity. And if it wasn’t for the faith and obedience of women, the divine message of Christmas may never have been told. The way Jesus is introduced to us is different in every Gospel story. In the Gospel of Matthew, we receive an account of Jesus’ lineage, a genealogy that traces Jesus back to the patriarchs of Israel. The shortest Gospel, Mark, wastes no time and introduces Jesus to us through his baptism by John the Baptist. In the Gospel of John, we receive a prologue that is more like a Baptist anthem celebrating the entry of God into the world. However, it is Luke’s Gospel that most influences the Christmas celebrations in Western culture.

Christmas pageants in schools across the country owe a great debt to the Gospel of Luke, for it is only in this Gospel that we have the account of Jesus being ‘born in a manger’ (Luke 2:7). It is also only in Luke that we have the image of shepherds being present at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:8-20).

With regard to the women, it is only Luke’s Gospel that tells us about the moment Mary found out about God’s plan for her to carry the infant Jesus. It is impossible to tell the story of Jesus without acknowledging Mary and Elizabeth’s stories. Jesus’ birth narrative is told through the lens of a teenaged girl and a barren woman. The story of Jesus begins with both Mary and Elizabeth saying yes to God.

Read the rest here