Witness of Him -- Walk with Christ

Testimonials from women in Christ's life that I wrote for our Walk with Christ activity.

Elisabeth
I am Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist. Like Sarah of old, I longed for a child for many years and was beyond normal child-bearing years when the Lord finally blessed my husband Zacharias and I with a child. While I was carrying the baby, I learned that my cousin Mary was also with child. She decided to come visit for a time. When she arrived, she called out to me, and upon hearing her voice, my child leaped within me. My baby knew that she was the mother of our Lord. I was filled with the Spirit, and I told Mary that I knew her to be blessed among women, for she carried the Lord, my Savior, in her womb.


Anna
I am Anna, known as a prophetess. I was widowed at a young age, and have spent the years since that time serving in the temple. My time has been spent in fasting and prayer, studying the words of the prophets, and anxiously awaiting the coming of our Lord. One day a young mother and father brought their new son to the temple for ritual offerings. They didn't draw attention to themselves, but I noticed them immediately. I went over to congratulate them on their new child, but as soon as I saw the babe, I knew there was something special about him. I recognized him as the Messiah, finally come to earth. I gave thanks to the Lord for allowing me to live to see the Messiah, and told everyone I met what I had seen.

Woman of Samaria
I am a woman of Samaria. One afternoon, I went to draw water from the well and saw a man there. As I drew my water, the man asked me for a drink. I was surprised. Not only was it unusual for men and women who didn't know each other to converse, but he was clearly a Jew, and I was a Samaritan. Jews traditionally stayed far away from Samaritans. I said as much to the man, wondering why he would ask a drink of me. His answer surprised me even further. He said that if I knew who was it was that was asking for a drink, I would be asking a drink of him, and he would give me “living water,” and that if a person drank from it, they would never thirst again.

The man then said things about me no stranger would know – things I'm not proud of. I thought he must be a prophet of some kind, and told him so. I told him that I knew the Messiah was to come, and when he did, he would tell us all things.

The man then said to me, “I that speak unto thee am he.”

This man was not only the Jewish Messiah, but the Savior of the world! He had come! I went back to the village and witnessed to the people that the Messiah had come. Many believed on my words, and we have been followers of our Lord ever since.

Issue of blood (healed by faith)
I had been ill for many years. I spent all the money I had paying doctors in an attempt to be well, but it was all for naught. There was nothing they could do for me.

Word was spreading throughout the region of a man, Jesus of Nazareth, who could work miracles. He had healed others by the power of God, and I knew he could heal me, if I could just get to him. He was in my village one day, surrounded by a crowd people. I knew that it would be incredibly difficult to speak to him amidst the throng, so I decided to simply try to touch his robe. If I could just touch his robe, I knew I would be healed.

I pressed my way into the crowd, and touched the Healer's cloak. Immediately, I was whole. I could feel it. I was healed! But then the man turned around. He asked who it was who had touched him – he had felt power leave him. I was afraid to admit what I had done, but so grateful to be healed that I couldn't simply walk away. I confessed that I was the one who had touched him. I had been sick, and unclean, but now I was healed. Instead of being angry, he was kind and told me that it was by my faith that I had been healed. The master Healer had worked a miracle in my life.


Woman taken in adultery
My name was not recorded in the Bible. I am known only for a sin I committed – adultery. The reasons for doing what I did are not excusable, nor are they important. But the fact remains that it happened. I was caught in the act and the Pharisees brought me for a man named Jesus who was teaching in the temple. They told him what they had seen, and said that by the law of Moses I should be stoned to death. They asked what he thought should be done, trying to lay a trap for him. If he said I should die, then he was ignoring the laws by which the Romans governed us. But if he said I should live, then he was ignoring the law of Moses.

All I knew was that he held my life in his hands. And I was guilty. I was terrified.

The teacher from Nazareth took a moment to consider, writing something in the dirt, then said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her,” then stooped to write in the dirt again.

I stayed there, huddled on the floor, waiting for the stones to come. But none came. After a moment, I looked up to find that everyone had left but the man Jesus. He said to me, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?”

Still recovering from my shock, I simply replied, “No man, lord.” Then he said to me in a voice full of compassion, “Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and sin no more.”

He turned and walked away, I realized that while he didn't grant me forgiveness, he had shown mercy like I had never seen before. He had saved my life. He was, and is, my Savior.



Mary of Bethany
I am Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, and disciple of Jesus. I have always known the importance of his mission, though I have been criticized at times for my devotion. Once when the Lord had come to dine at my sister's house, he spent time before the meal teaching those who had gathered. The Master's teachings have always left me in awe, and I sat at His feet, listening to every word he said. I probably should've been helping my sister prepare for the meal, but I just couldn't pull myself away from Jesus. Martha got frustrated with me, but Jesus defended my choice, saying that I had chosen “the better part.”

Later, before Jesus went to Jerusalem for the last time, he was again in our home for supper. When the meal was over, I retrieved a flask of perfumed ointment I had been saving and began to anoint my Lord's feet. I even wiped them with my hair.

Some of the apostles criticized what was doing. They knew how much the ointment cost, and wondered if I should've sold it and given the money to the poor instead. Yet again, Jesus defended my actions. He told them that the poor would always be with us, but He would not always be with us. He knew why I had saved the ointment and exactly what I was doing: I was anointing him before his death.

Jesus of Nazareth was more than a teacher who revealed a higher law to us. He was more than a humble carpenter who could put Pharisees in their place. He was even more than a prophet who raised my brother from the dead. Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of the world.



Martha
I am Martha, Mary's older sister. I, too, have been a disciple of Jesus for a long time, but I've needed a few reminders of his divinity along the way. As Mary mentioned, there was one time when Jesus had decided to dine at our house. He had quite a few people traveling with him, and while I was happy to feed the Master, there was much work to be done to prepare food for so many. I expected that Mary would help me, but when I looked for her, I found her not preparing for supper, but sitting at Jesus' feet! I asked Jesus whether or not he cared that Mary had left me to serve our guests all by myself.

“Martha,” he gently said to me, “Martha. You are worried about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part.”

I was immediate chastened and humbled. The Messiah was teaching in my own home, and rather than listen to what he wanted to tell us, I was bustling about and getting angry with my own sister. I tried from that day forward to be more like her when it came to Jesus.

Some time later, our brother Lazarus fell ill. I sent word to Jesus right away, asking that he come and heal Lazarus. But days past with no sign of him, and Lazarus continued to worsen. By the time Jesus came to our town of Bethany, Lazarus had already died. When I saw our friend, I ran to him, weeping. I said that I knew if he had been here, my brother would not have died, but even then, whatever Jesus asked of God, God would grant. I had faith in Him and his power.

My master asked where Lazarus had been laid, and we took him to the sepulchre. With tears in his eyes, Jesus looked to heaven and thanked God that he had heard his prayers. He told us to remove the stone, then yelled for Lazarus to come forth.

My brother, who had been dead for four days, walked out of the tomb. Jesus of Nazareth is the resurrection and the life. Those who believe on him shall live and never die.



Mary Magdalene
I am Mary of Magdala. I had been troubled for many years by dark, depressing thoughts and tendencies, mostly definitely from the devil. I was not myself – surrounded by a dark cloud everyday that I couldn't break out of. Until Jesus of Nazareth came. He cast seven devils out of me, healing me completely. Once again, I was able to act freely, and make decision with a clear head and spirit. I became a devout disciple of Jesus.

I was present for much of his ministry and his last days in Jerusalem. I saw him nailed to cross, suffering in agony. I was there when they removed him from the cross, and laid him in the tomb. After the Sabbath was over, I went back with a few other women to complete the burial process for my lord, but he was not there. Then we saw two angels, which only added to our shock. They asked why we sought the living among the dead, then told us He was not there – He had risen.

Then we remembered what Jesus had said – that after he died, he would rise again on the third day. We went to tell the apostles what we had learned. But the apostles didn't believe us. When they doubted, I began to doubt, too, and went back to the tomb alone. I was heartbroken. Whether my Lord dead, or whether he had risen, I still didn't know where He was. I was weeping at the tomb when the angels appeared again and asked why I was crying. I told them that someone had taken away my Lord, and I didn't know where he was. I turned around and saw a man I didn't recognize, who I assumed to be the gardener. I begged him to tell me where they had laid Jesus, that I might tend to his body.

Then he said one word. “Mary,” I heard in the gentlest voice, the same voice that called the devils out of my soul. It was my Master, Jesus the Christ. He truly was risen!!


Mary his mother
I am Mary. When I was still a young woman, I was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter in my town of Nazareth. My life was taking the exact path I thought it would – I was betrothed to a good man, and in a few months, we would be married. We'd live in Nazareth and raise a family there. Yes, things were going just as I had planned.

Then one day, a man came to visit me. He was different from any man I had seen before. He was dressed in the most brilliant white robes, and his face was actually shining. To be honest, I was a little afraid. He told me I was highly favored and blessed among women, which further confused me. Who was this man, and what did he know about me?

Then he called me by name, and told me not to be afraid, for I had found favor with God.

He said that I would conceive a child and name him Jesus. He was to be Son of the highest.

I was confused – Joseph and I had not completed our betrothal yet. How was I to conceive a child? The angel told me that it would be by the power of the Holy Spirit. I began to understand what he was telling me, and the incredible thing that I was going to do. I said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” humbly accepting what the Lord was asking of me.

In time, I did, in fact, bring forth a son. Joseph and I named him Jesus. I watched him grow, amazed to be raising the Messiah. While Jesus was as much a little boy as my other sons were, there was a kindness and wisdom about him that I had never seen in a boy his age. He was always quick to help and obey. Jesus was eager to learn the words of the prophets, and often sat at Joseph's feet to do so. When he was just 12, we found him in the temple, expounding the words of the prophets to the teachers there. He told us he had been about his Father's business.

Jesus continued to grow and amaze me even further. As he became a man, I saw him perform miracle after miracle. He turned water to wine. He fed thousands of people with just a few loaves and fishes. He made the lame man walk, the dead man rise again. He did things only the Son of God could do.

Just as I was present at the beginning of his life, I was present for the end. I saw him accused, tortured, and nailed to the cross. My precious son, my Savior. I saw him die, knowing he did so because He loved us – he loved me. Even in those final moments of anguish, he made sure I was taken care of. Truly, no mother could ask for a better son.

Then on the third morning, the greatest miracle of all occurred. His tomb was empty. He had risen, our resurrected Lord! My son, the Son of the Highest, had overcome death that we all might live again.