And many women were there
At the cross of Christ, at some little distance from it; but
where was Peter, who had declared he would never be offended,
though all men were; and would die with Christ, rather than deny
him? and where were the rest of the disciples, who said the same
things? None were present excepting John, as can be learnt from
the evangelists; but many women, those of the weaker sex, were
there, which was a rebuke of the former vanity and confidence of
the disciples, and of their present pusillanimity and cowardice:
beholding afar off;
Christ upon the cross, in all his agonies, the chief priests and
people mocking him, the darkness upon the earth, the quaking of
it, and the rending of the rocks: they were witnesses of all
this, being at some little distance, by reason of the crowd of
people and soldiers about the cross; and they beheld with an eye
of faith, their bleeding, dying Lord, as crucified for them, and
as bearing and taking away their sins: a sight which at once
stirred up their affection and love to Christ, their concern for
him, and sorrow for sin; and yet joy and peace, in believing in
him:
which followed Jesus from Galilee:
where they had seen his miracles, heard his doctrines, and had
been savingly converted by him; and therefore followed him
wherever he went, though an hundred miles or more, and through
many difficulties and discouragements: they attended him in his
triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and now at his cross; nor did
they leave him when dead, and in his grave:
ministering unto him:
not now, for he stood in no need of their assistance, nor could
they give him any; but this respects what they had done
heretofore, in their journey with him from Galilee to Jerusalem;
when they ministered to him of their worldly substance, as a
token of their affection for him; and which expresses the low
estate and mean condition he was in, and is an instruction to his
followers, how to behave towards the faithful preachers of his
Gospel; see ( Luke 8:3 ) .
