Where is Jesus? Filling Our Hearts at Easter
Where is Jesus?
Is your heart an aching, empty tomb?
Or a glowing ember, warming all who meet you?
Filling our hearts at Easter with the joy of His rising.
Where is Jesus?
Joanna’s Journey to the Tomb
The women hurried along, their sandals’ crunch on the sandy path and the murmured twitters of sleepy birds in the acacias the only sounds disturbing the early morning stillness.
Joanna felt a difference in the air this morning. The brooding heaviness of the day before was gone. The sun shone, glistening the grass like diamonds.
Still, this wasn’t the usual walk with her friends anticipating Jesus’ teachings of the day.
To thrill at a healing He might perform.
Or to rejoice with another soul who saw the Light this amazing Teacher spread wherever He went.
No.
The dawning dimness of this morning had a certain anticipation, yet also a dread. What would life be like after this final errand for their Lord, after this last honoring of His broken body with expensive spices and oils? How could they continue?
Joanna had walked this path before.
She had seen the tomb in the rocky hillside, and knew it belonged to one of the rich men of Galilee. But she didn’t know who he was. He didn’t come to the worship gatherings that seemed to pop up wherever Jesus went. She would never have known he secretly believed or that he would be the one to offer his family tomb for the burial of their crucified Savior.
She thought she, Mary, Susannah, and some of the other rich women who understood the power of Jesus’ ministry would donate the money for His burial. Then this man, and another secret disciple, stepped up and respectfully gave Jesus a burial worthy of a highly esteemed official.
“I believe the tomb is just around this next bend.” Susannah spoke in the hushed tones of someone about to enter a temple.
Joanna switched the heavy vessel of scented oil from one arm to the other. She nodded acknowledgment to Susannah.
The women picked up the pace, drawn by a silent beckoning.
They rounded the bend.
Joanna gasped, her free hand thrust out to keep from stumbling into Susannah. “What is it? Why are you stopping?” she demanded, still hushed, heart pounding from her friend’s unexpected action.
“The stone! L-l-look!” Susannah stuttered.
Now all could see. The stone they’d worried about, wondering how they could move it to enter the tomb, was rolled aside of a gaping opening.
The soldiers Herod dispatched to quiet the yammering Jewish elders, to keep Jesus’ body safe, were lying on the ground.
“Are the soldiers sleeping?” Joanna hissed, incredulous. “Have they allowed thieves into the tomb?” Her husband would hear about this lack of responsibility. He must report it to Herod and demand the solders’ punishment for not protecting Jesus’ tomb.
“Oh, surely not!” Mary hurried forward, fearless, peering into the dark cave.
“No!” she wailed, and the others crowded through the opening with her.
“Where is Jesus?
What happened to His body?” Joanna and Susannah spoke together.
They stood in the gloom, eyes filling with tears, hands reaching for each other.
Then, they felt a Presence fill the room. Two beings appeared from the shadows, bringing with them a pulsating glow.
“Don’t cry!”
It was angels!
“Don’t be afraid,” a comforting voice continued. “Jesus has risen, just as He said He would. No one has stolen His body. He was crucified, He died and was buried, but now He has gone forth. Risen from the dead. It is a miracle. You must go and tell the men. The disciples need to hear about this.”
Joanna’s heart filled with joy as the truth dawned. “Yes!” she exulted to the women. “Jesus arose, like He told us! We must tell the men!” Then,
“Come, let’s go!”
And all the women,
except Mary,
hurried along with Joanna to tell the disciples the joyous news.
Where Joanna is mentioned in the Bible:
And Joanna
the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward,
and Susanna, and many others,
which ministered unto him of their substance.
Luke 8:3
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning,
the women came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this,
suddenly two men in radiant apparel stood beside them.
As the women bowed their faces to the ground in terror,
the two men asked them,
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; He has risen!
Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee:
‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,
and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”
Then they remembered His words.
And when they returned from the tomb,
they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James,
and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.
Luke 24:1-10
What we know about Joanna.
Joanna is mentioned exactly twice in the Bible, and womeninscripture.com sums up what we can discern from study:
Joanna: 1) was married to King Herod’s steward; 2) was healed by Jesus either from an evil spirit or disease; 3) personally financed Jesus’ missions; 4) was present when Jesus’ tomb is rolled away after the crucifixion; and 5) served as a witness to the 12 apostles upon Jesus’ resurrection. And even though she is included in only two lines in the New Testament, Joanna becomes a huge force in Jesus’ ministry. To glean who she was as a person and what constituted a major portion of her life, we must first study her through the reflective mirror of the men that encompassed her life: King Herod, her husband Cuza, and Jesus Christ.
Joanna, Mary of Magdala and Susannah, 3 of the women who visited the tomb, were enthused supporters of Jesus’ mission. Their hearts grasped the wonder of His message, plus they were in a position to support Him financially. Jesus and the men who traveled with him didn’t require much besides clothing and food, so a little went a long way. Also, this financial support left them free to preach and teach.
