Disciple Making Moms
DISCIPLESHIP MATTER
Disciple Making Moms
John 20:1, Matthew 28:1–10, Luke 24:1-10, Romans 10:9–10
Jhn 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw the stone [already] removed from the [groove across the entrance of the] tomb.
Jhn 20:11 But Mary [who had returned] was standing outside the tomb sobbing; and so, as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb;
Jhn 20:12 and she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
Jhn 20:13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She told them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
Jhn 20:14 After saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
Jhn 20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? For whom are you looking?” Supposing that He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you are the one who has carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jhn 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
Luk 24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared [to finish anointing the body].
Luk 24:10 Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna [the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward] and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
After Jesus’ resurrection it says that he showed himself with infallible proofs over 40 days. This is important because he needed to reassure his followers, that he did rise from the dead, He showed up to encourage them, instruct them, direct them, comfort them and address their issues of fear and doubt. He also Broke bread with them and prayed for them during this time before His ascension to heaven. If we were following the calendar we would be in the 21st day after His resurrection.
However, I’d like to take you back to day 1. Over the next few weeks we will investigate Jesus’ post resurrection movement up to His ascension into heaven and the day of Pentecost. I’d like to focus on the first persons to see him risen, and the first people to carry the message of the risen Christ. It happens to be the women, mothers and the daughters….
“Before the apostles preached the gospel, the mothers proclaimed it.”
- 1. They Were Faithful at the Cross
John 19:25 – “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”
Mark 15:40–41 – “There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome…”
Where were the disciples? Hiding.
But the women—mothers and faithful followers—stood there.
They stood when others ran.
They didn’t leave even when staying meant danger, heartbreak, and trauma.
Mothers who are disciples of Jesus show up in faith for their children.
“When strength failed the strong, it was the mothers who stood firm at the cross.”
There’s something unshakable about a mother’s love and a faithful woman’s courage.
- They Prepared Jesus’ Body
John 19:40 – “They took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with spices, as is the burial custom.”
Luke 23:55–56 – “The women who had come with him from Galilee followed… and prepared spices and ointments.”
They didn’t have resurrection on their minds.
They simply came to serve Jesus in death the way they had in life.
They didn’t wait for someone to ask.
They brought spices out of devotion.
“They didn’t come for a miracle—they came because of love.”
- They Came to the Tomb in Faith
Mark 16:1–3 – “They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone?’”
They had no plan for the stone.- could have weighed up to 2 tons
No way to access the tomb.
But they walked forward anyway.
“Faith walks toward the tomb, even when the stone is still in the way.”
Mothers of faith don’t wait for all the answers.
They don’t let obstacles stop them.
They walk, pray, serve, and believe—even in the dark.
The women at the resurrection teach us that faithfulness, even in obscurity and sorrow, positions us for divine encounter, revelation, and assignment. Their story affirms and celebrates the enduring power of a mother’s faith.
- First to See the Risen Lord
Matthew 28:9–10 – “Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and worshiped him.”
John 20:14–16 – “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said, ‘Rabboni!’”
Mary Magdalene was the first to see Jesus alive.
Before Peter. Before John. Before the eleven.
And she knew Him not just by sight—but by voice.
The faithful hear God first. The faithful see God in every situation”
Worship unlocks revelation.
- First to Hear and Proclaim the Gospel
Luke 24:5–7 – “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
Matthew 28:7 – “Go quickly and tell His disciples…”
John 20:17–18 – “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord.’”
Mary and the women are given a divine mission: go and tell.
They become the apostles to the apostles.
And her message—“I have seen the Lord”—is the first post-resurrection sermon.
“Before the pulpit heard the news, the women heard the Word.”
“The empty tomb gave birth to the first commission—and it was a women who received it.”
Not just any women. For some of them it was their mothers….
Moms declare the Word to their children and inspire them to seek the Lord….
- They Were the First Believers under the New Covenant
Romans 10:9–10 – “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Mary Magdalene and the others did this—before Paul ever wrote it.
They believed in their hearts.
They confessed with their mouths.
That makes them not only the first witnesses… but arguably the first Christians under the New Covenant reality of resurrection faith.
- A Mother’s Faith Teaches Us Today
Let me summarize what these women of the resurrection show us—and what we celebrate today in the lives of faithful mothers and women of God.
- They were faithful when it wasn’t expedient. (Mark 15:40–41)
Faith is proven not in safety, but in sacrifice.
- They served Jesus without looking for a reward. (Mark 16:1)
They didn’t come to be blessed—they came to bless.
- They didn’t let a stone stop them. (Mark 16:3–4)
God rolls stones for those who walk in faith.
- God always shows up to the faithful. (Matthew 28:9)
Jesus meets those who refuse to give up.
- The faithful will always see God first. (John 20:14–16)
They knew His voice before they saw His face.
- The faithful hear from God. (Luke 24:5–7)
Revelation always follows devotion.
- The faithful receive divine assignments. (Matthew 28:7; John 20:17)
God doesn’t choose based on title—He calls based on trust.
Honoring the Mothers of the Faith
To every mother who has stood at the cross of family pain…
To every woman who has served even when no one noticed…
To every sister who has walked in the early morning darkness with nothing but faith…
To every grandmother who prayed while others slept…
To every daughter who still carries the Word of life…
You are walking in the footsteps of the first evangelists.
You are part of a legacy that heaven honored before history did.
“God rolled the stone not so Jesus could get out—but so the faithful could see in, and go out to tell the world.”