Jesus, the Ultimate Ladies' Man

By Sarah Holley

An Encounter with Jesus

Come on a journey back in time and meet Jesus, the Ultimate Ladies' Man! This captivating book sheds light on ten powerful stories tha

• Language: English
• Publisher: House on a Rock Publishing
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988739814

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Jesus, the Ultimate Ladies’ Man

2023 © Sarah Holley

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact House on a Rock Publishing at [e-mail].

First Edition: 2023

ISBN: 979-8-9887398-0-7 (Paperback) ISBN: 979-8-9887398-1-4 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023913453

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version®. Public domain.

All emphasis in Scripture quotations is supplied by the author.

Editing by Vanessa May Co (excluding appendices and acknowledgments)

Cover and interior design by Becky’s Graphic Design®, LLC, www.BeckysGraphicDesign.com

Illustrations by Maggie Stone, Maggie Leigh Designs

To Bobby, Graham, Reeve, and Hannah

This is what God chose as best, this is where He first became one of us: God chose to make His entry point into the world through the holy space of a woman, to enfold Himself inside of a woman, to drink of a woman, be held and nourished and cared for by a woman—that’s the jolting truth of how God loves His daughters with His honor.

—Ann Voskamp*

*Scot McKnight, Ann Voskamp on Stanford, Patheos last modified June 8, 2016, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2016/06/08/ann-voskamp-on-stanford/.

Introduction

Just the mention of Jesus’ name evokes strong responses—reverence, fear, adoration, derision. It was no different when He lived on earth.

Many Jews hoped Jesus would deliver them from Roman oppression, while the religious leaders, fearing His influence over the masses and their own diminishing power, sought to kill Him. Cripples found healing, outcasts found acceptance, and sinners found salvation.

But what about women?

How did they perceive Jesus? Or more importantly, how did He view them? At first glance, it might appear that He didn’t value women’s input or friendship. After all, His twelve disciples were all men. Some were fishermen and some were tax collectors, but none worked for Mary Kay. Perhaps, He was merely establishing a good ole boys club.

Several years ago, I began studying Jesus’ view of women because I was asked to speak at my parents’ church for their annual Women’s Day service. As a corporate trainer and long-time Bible study teacher, the opportunity to teach excited me. However, when I learned I needed to speak about women’s issues, I was stumped. Previously, I had taught on marriage, parenting, and other biblical topics, but women’s issues were not my forte.

So, one morning, as I lay in bed pondering and praying about what my Women’s Day topic should be, it came to me quite clearly: I needed to speak about Jesus’ perception of women and how He related to them.

Instantly, I was fired up! My mind started spinning with stories I could talk about—the woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years, the sinful woman who boldly anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume, the two sisters whose brother Jesus brought back from the dead. The possibilities seemed endless as more and more stories flooded my mind.

As I prepared the talk over several months, I found myself relating to the women I was studying. Take the woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years (Mark 5:25–34). While I couldn’t identify with her specific physical malady, I glimpsed a tiny bit of her desperation for physical healing and her pain from social isolation. You see, while studying her story, I was being treated for thyroid cancer and a significant part of my healing process was a radioactive treatment requiring me to be in isolation for a week—removed from my family and friends. Not only did her faith inspire me to be bold in my request for healing, but I also saw the compassion Jesus had in the way He responded to this woman. He didn’t just respond to her physical needs. He . . . well, you’ll have to read the rest of her story in chapter 6, It’s All about the Blood. Period.

As I studied these stories, I began to see Jesus with fresh eyes. Over thirty-five years ago, I became a follower of Jesus, asking Him to be my Savior and Lord, but He seemed different to me as I read about His interactions with women and His graciousness towards them. Not once did Jesus speak in a condescending manner to any woman. Not once did He make a degrading or suggestive comment. His words and His manners spoke with the utmost respect and care.

Jesus was, in fact, a ladies’ man.

But not just any ladies’ man. Jesus is the Ultimate Ladies’ Man. Now, before you start throwing stones at me, let me explain. Yes, I realize it’s a provocative thing to say; some may even say such a title is disrespectful or demeaning to Jesus. After all, ladies’ men are often thought to be men who like women a little too much, perhaps even using women for their own pleasure. Stay with me, though. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ladies’ man this way: a man who shows a marked fondness for the company of women or is especially attentive to women.¹ That certainly defined Jesus. And more! He was the Ultimate Ladies’ Man because not only did He enjoy being in their presence and giving them attention, but He also knew how to treat women—with love and respect and dignity. He knew how to interact with women—with love and respect and dignity. In the purest sense of the term, yes, Jesus is the Ultimate Ladies’ Man.

If you’re reading this introduction and you’re a man, thank you. This book is for you too. Yes, those of us who are women have much to learn about the extravagant love Jesus has for us, but guess what!? Jesus has so much to say to you as well. Our current culture has been sending mixed signals to men for years, telling you to act this way. No, that way. You can say this to a woman. Wait. No, you can’t. That’s sexist! It’s all rather confusing, I’m sure. Here’s where Jesus steps in and gives men a clear guide to dealing with women, women who are hurting, sick, wandering, sinful, and discouraged.

And that’s some of us in a single day!

(It’s okay. You can laugh at that one.)

Jesus really does show you how to deal with your mother, your sister, your girlfriend, your wife, and your daughter. As you read these stories, think about how you would respond, and then watch what Jesus does. How does He talk to them? How does He respond to their worries? What kinds of questions does He ask? I think you’ll find some surprising answers, men.

After I spoke at the Women’s Day service, I couldn’t let the topic go. I was captivated by these stories. My study had not been a purely intellectual pursuit; I began to feel as if I had been a witness to these events, a fly on the wall. So, I kept studying and kept writing, and Jesus, the Ultimate Ladies’ Man is the result.

I have chosen ten stories to examine, ten stories of women who had encounters with Jesus, the man who claimed to be the Son of God. I want you to be as captivated by these stories as I have been. My desire is to make these stories come alive, to stir you out of your twenty-first century comforts and crawl into the skin of these first-century Middle Easterners and see Jesus up close. I want you to be present in the stories, to think as they think, to feel as they feel and to see Him through their eyes.

To be the sinful woman.

The desperate parent.

The grief-stricken sibling.

I don’t consider myself radical when it comes to women’s rights, yet, the way Jesus treated women was radical. It was out of the ordinary for the first-century culture into which He was born. Perhaps our modern-day culture could learn a few things from a first-century Rabbi.

So, come hang out with me while we talk about this intriguing Man and the men and women who followed Him. Leave behind your preconceived notions and read these stories with fresh eyes. See if you don’t come away calling Jesus the Ultimate Ladies’ Man.

One

Creating the Backstory

Before we study these stories, we need to understand the world into which Jesus was born and how society viewed women at that time. When reading the Bible, we can’t fully embrace how drastically different Jesus treated women unless we understand the tapestry of His culture. It would be like a foreigner trying to understand American society from watching American TV shows and reading our social media. It’s a representation of the American society but not a detailed, or even accurate, one. So, let’s quickly review ancient culture to understand the history of women up until Jesus’ entrance into the world.

Quite frankly, during the 2,000 years of Jewish culture prior to Jesus’ appearance, the Old Testament reveals some variances in the status of women. While they did not appear to have the same rights as men, women were apparently treated with greater respect and protection in comparison to their heathen counterparts.² Several women in the Old Testament held positions of power and influence, while many others were praised for their godly character.

Sarah, the wife of the Jewish patriarch Abraham, is lauded for her belief in God’s faithfulness despite impossible circumstances. She’s the woman, you may recall, who gave birth to their son, Isaac, at age ninety! When she heard she would be conceiving in her old age, she laughed! (Well, wouldn’t you?!) Yet, the New Testament tells us that her belief in God was still strong (Heb. 11:11), even though she found her circumstances humorous. (And by the way, Isaac’s name means laughter. How appropriate!)

Then, there’s Miriam, the sister of Moses, who played a key role in saving her brother’s life. He, in turn, led the Jewish people out of Egyptian slavery. Later, as a prophetess, Miriam led the women of Israel in worship (Ex. 2:1–10; 15:20–21).

After they were freed from slavery, the Jewish people wandered in the wilderness for forty years because of their disobedience to God. Eventually, they made plans to spy on the city of Jericho, a land they hoped to conquer. Joshua sent two spies into Jericho. They eventually met up with a prostitute named Rahab, who hid them and helped them escape when things got dicey. She had heard of the Jewish people and the miracles God had performed on their behalf, so her assistance was motivated in part by her faith in the one true God in whom she had come to believe. Joshua and the Israelites rewarded her by protecting her and her family and allowing them to join the Jewish nation once the destruction of Jericho was complete (Josh. 2, 6). It was through this woman, Rahab—a foreigner and a former harlot, no less—that Jesus descended (Matt. 1:5).

In the days before Israel had kings, God would appoint judges or tribal/military leaders to deliver His people from the oppression of their enemies. Deborah was one of those judges, ruling for forty years (Judg. 4–5). Now, to our modern ears, that may not seem significant. However, this was a patriarchal society, so for a woman to be the ruling authority is no small matter. And as Israel’s judge, she and a man named Barak led the Israelites in a successful military campaign against the Canaanites, who had been harassing them for years.

The judges ruled for about 350 years and near the end of that time, we learn of another God-fearing woman who not only loved her grief-stricken mother-in-law but even agreed to move to a foreign country with her! That’s Ruth, a Moabite widow, who followed Naomi back to her native home of Bethlehem, Israel. There, she eventually met up with a distant relative of her late husband, married him, and became the grandmother of David, the greatest of Israel’s kings . . . oh, and also a great, great, great (many times over) grandmother of Jesus (Matt. 1:5).

King Lemuel, one of the writers of the book of Proverbs, described the kind of woman his own mother taught him to pursue—the Proverbs 31 woman—a woman who is physically strong, financially smart, and business savvy. The Proverbs 31 woman is praised by her husband and children and respected by the community. Again, for a largely patriarchal society, it’s surprising to see such a strong and independent woman praised.

Now, fast-forward about 700 years (around 480 BC), and we find a number of Israelites living in the Medo-Persian Empire. A young Jewish woman named Esther became queen of Persia through a global beauty pageant. Not long thereafter, one of the king’s advisors developed a dislike of a certain Jew and decided to destroy all the Jews. When Esther heard this, she risked her life by approaching King Xerxes—who didn’t know she was a Jew—and her courageous act eventually resulted in the salvation of the Jews (Est. 1–10). Even to this day, Jews celebrate this story on their holiday known as Purim, one of the most joyous days on their calendar.

During the approximately 400-year intertestamental period, the time between the Old and New Testaments, some scholars noted the status of women began to slip. In his book, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth Bailey points to the writings of Ben Sirach, an aristocratic scholar in Jerusalem, as evidence of this deterioration. Ben Sirach seemed skeptical of the nature of women and saw daughters as a constant potential source of shame.³ At the same time, however, the Book of Judith, another historical book written during this period, highlights the bravery and courage of a Jewish woman who saves her people.

Perhaps the influence of other empires also impacted the status of women during the intertestamental period. About 400 years before Jesus’ birth, Israel was conquered by Alexander the Great and thus began the Greek (or Hellenistic) influence on Jewish culture. A Greek woman had few rights. She was not allowed to speak in public, leave her home without her husband’s permission, and essentially had the same social standing as a slave. In fact, since female infanticide was rampant, she only earned slave status if she survived long enough.⁴

Around sixty to seventy years before Jesus, the Romans conquered Israel, thus setting up the Roman occupation that characterized life in Israel during Jesus’ time. The Roman influence on the Jewish culture was equally profound. Similar to the Greeks, Roman girls were viewed as expendable since most Roman babies killed at birth were female. While Roman women had more rights than their Greek counterparts, they were still under their husband’s complete control and not even allowed to eat with his dinner guests. Neither Roman nor Greek women had any property rights, and they were not allowed to speak in public.⁵

Perhaps it was the impact of the Greek and Roman beliefs that caused this shift in the treatment of women in Israel. The writings of the Talmud, the Jewish rabbinic teaching, stated that Hebrew women were also forbidden to speak in public, just like Greek and Roman women. In fact, it was considered shameful for a Jewish rabbi to even talk to a woman in public. Women were denied participation in Jewish religious ceremonies with men, creating a deeper, more profound segregation between men and women.⁶ Frank Viola summarizes many of the teachings from the Talmud in this way: Women are sexually seductive, mentally inferior, socially embarrassing, and spiritually separated from the law of Moses; therefore, let them be silent.⁷

Into this hostile-to-women world, Jesus entered . . . through a woman, no less! A poor, unremarkable young woman named Mary. Not exactly a splashy entrance to mark the appearance of the Almighty.

Two

The Best Wedding Guest Ever

When you think of God, do you imagine Him being a killjoy, intent on removing any hope of pleasure from your life? Do you see