Many people who read the Bible accounts of Jesus' resurrection miss five things. First, only the women see the angels and meet Jesus, even though two men (Peter and John) also visit the tomb. And the women are the ones empowered to give initial eyewitness testimony about Jesus' resurrection and pass on God's messages to the other disciples. Secondly, the first message given by Jesus himself is for all his ‘brothers and sisters’, and is about God being their Father as well as his Father. Thirdly, Jesus' first appearance to ‘the Eleven’ (all men), in Luke's account, occurs immediately after a second male witness to the resurrection, Peter, has been named. Fourthly, Both Mark and Luke report that this primarily male group of disciples did not believe the testimony of either the women or the two returning from Emmaus—even though one of them, Cleopas, was a man. Finally, Mark tells how Jesus rebukes them for their ‘stubborn refusal to believe’ these witnesses (16:14 NIV).

The most likely explanation for their ‘hardheartedness’ is: that these Jewish men had been programmed by their culture to require the testimony of at least ‘two men’ to ‘establish’ anything (Jn.8:17 KJV; Mat.18:16), and that the unnamed person traveling to Emmaus with Cleopas was a woman—either his wife or his sister. Still today, in most cultures, many men are prone to dismiss any unusual testimony by women as ‘a wild story’. Jesus (and the angels) seem to be deliberately challenging such male-oriented social conventions: by waiting to appear to the Eleven till the moment when they finally have a second male witness, and by rebuking them for their failure to believe the testimony of the women. By doing so the following scripture text is also fulfilled: “The Lord gave the command; a great company of women brought the good news” (Ps.68:11 HCSB).[iii]

Earlier, Jesus had taught that the traditional gender hierarchy—of men doing the ‘marrying’ and women being ‘given in marriage’—would one day be abolished for those who are ‘sons of the resurrection’ (Lk.20:34-36). Yet his words to Mary Magdalene suggest that he wasn't talking only about the age to come. For following his resurrection, he represents himself taking a new place alongside all his ‘brothers and sisters’[ii] in relationship to God: as ‘my Father and YOUR Father’, as ‘my God and YOUR God’ (Med.#44). Now he will be more than just our ‘Teacher’, since we too become empowered by the Spirit to walk in a direct relationship with God as our Father just like he did (Med.#24)! For all baptized believers—regardless of gender, ethnicity or social position—become ‘heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ’ after receiving the ‘Spirit of placement as sons’ (Med.#4; Med.#5). And by giving these prophetic words to Mary Magdalene, Jesus anticipates that women prophesying alongside men after Pentecost (Med.#49) will now become the norm and not the exception.

True, we still live in ‘this age’, and the Spirit represents only ‘the deposit on our inheritance’ (Med.#8). So even though we now have ‘one foot’, as it were, in the age to come, we must still respect social conventions in our homes and in our social gatherings. Thus Paul says that a Christian woman must still respect her husband as the head of the family, and that—at least in some cultures—a woman prophesying in church should cover her head. Nevertheless, Christian men must expect God to deliver his Word through women as well as men (1 Cor.11:5; 14:3)[iv], and they must treat women as ‘co-heirs’ in the Father's family (Med.#46).

If you are a woman, Jesus speaks to you as your Eldest Brother, just as he did to Mary, saying: “My Father is your Father! If you have been baptized into my death and resurrection, you stand alongside me, and 'my brothers', as an adult daughter! Your Father knows your name. He acknowledges your emotions. Just as I did not belittle Mary for her tears, your Father will never tell you to calm down and act more rationally. Through me, he has empowered you to speak his words, even to men. So do not be discouraged when some brothers don't take you seriously. Pray instead that they too will receive a greater revelation of the Father, and of the power of my resurrection” (Med.#1).

God of our Lord Jesus Christ, glorious Father, enlighten the eyes of my understanding that I may know the exceeding greatness of your power for us, according to the working of your mighty power

which you exercised in the Messiah when you raised him from the dead and seated him at your right hand among the celestial ones, far above every primal chiefdom and authority, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. You have subjected all things under his feet, and have made him the head over all things to the church, which is his body—the fullness of him who in all things fills all things… And in Christ Jesus you have also raised us together, and seated us together among the celestial ones. (Eph.1:17-23; 2:6)

[i] The passage from John 16 is taken from J.K. Mellis, The Good News of the Messiah by the Four Witnesses, pp.275-278,280-281.

[ii] The Greek word, adelphous, here as a plural form, can refer to a mixed gender group of ‘brothers and sisters’.

[iii] In the Hebrew text of Ps.68:11, the witnesses are women. Many translations don't show this, though some indicate it in a footnote.

[iv] In their book, Why Not Women? A Biblical Study of Women in Missions, Ministry and Leadership (YWAM Publishing, 2000), David Hamilton and Loren Cunningham build a compelling biblical case for recognizing this new resurrection reality in the church.