Joanna and Jesus

Luke Chapter 8 


Who was Joanna?  Luke mentions her as one of those who were "with him" as he went about his work. This question raises a larger issue: What is the significance of "the women" in the life of Jesus and in the testimony of the early church?  To address this exciting subject I am looking at Luke chapter 8 and Acts chapter 1. Here is the reference in Luke's Gospel:


Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Mag'dalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joan'na, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. 
Luke 8:1-3 (RSV) 


Discussing Joanna in chapter 5 of his book, Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels  (Eerdmans 2002)  Richard  Bauckham argues that Jesus  has two groups of close followers in the Gospel of Luke: the twelve and the women. 


Joanna  provided financial support for Jesus and the twelve.  Joanna was most likely from an elite Galilean Jewish family and married a Nabatean who held a very prominent position in Herod’s court.  See this book review  of  Gospel Women by Kenneth Litwak in   Review of Biblical Literature (Vol 6 2003).


Why do I find this exciting?  Because this is news to me.  I have never been taught that Jesus had two groups of close followers, the twelve and the women.  All we hear about is the twelve.  But this passage from Luke chapter 8 which ties the presence of the women to Jesus' "preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom" is a powerful statement showing that Bauckham is right to say that "the women" are Jesus' second group of close followers.  One of the interesting  aspects of the Gospels is the prominent place of women in it.  Countless books and articles speak to this, and I cannot discuss that here.  For now I am reflecting on just this passage from Luke chapter 8, and below I connect this passage with Acts chapter 1. 


Picturing the two groups who were closest to Jesus in this way, the women and the twelve, helps me to understand one of the beautiful features of Jesus himself, which is that Jesus is a person who is open to all.  Women in general in  NT times received little respect.  Jesus reached out to women and brought them into his circle. The women assisted him, and they also became leaders of the early church, by virtue of what they knew and could testify to.  Those who were with Jesus from the beginning became the revered  witnesses of the faith. 


Acts Chapter 1 

Being part of this circle with Jesus from the beginning was what apostleship was all about.  Look at this from Acts chapter 1:

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away; and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 1: 12-14 (RSV).

Here you see "in the upper room"  those who knew Jesus  from the beginning, the eleven, the women, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

And in the next event after this upper room account Luke quotes Peter  speaking before about 120 people:


In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said,  " ... So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,  beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us -- one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." 
Acts 1: 15, 21-22 (RSV).


Peter mentions that this replacement for Judas will be a man, which is no surprise, but more important is how this lines up with the previous three verses, Acts: 1:12-14 just quoted.  We see presence with Jesus from the beginning as the key element in both of these  scenes in Acts chapter 1.   In verses 12-14 Luke describes those who were with Jesus from the beginning, and then in verses 21-22 Peter, the leader of the church, refers to the same thing, presence with Jesus.  The replacement for Judas must be   "one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us ...."   Presence with Jesus is the qualification to become the replacement apostle.  (Yes, I know that this speech by Peter means that there actually were other candidates (close associates of Jesus)  besides the eleven and the women, but that would have to be for another post.)


As for Joanna, not only is she mentioned by name but Luke also identifies her husband and his position in Herod's court.  The reference to Herod's court is important, in part, because Joanna as the wife of a member of Herod's court  would have been able to provide testimony as to the important  facts involving Herod which we have in our NT.  Joanna had this  inside knowledge of Herod.  She was present with Jesus as described in Luke chapter 8.  Joanna was one of the most important early church witnesses.