Bible Explanations
6. Women at the Cross
The women who attended Christ at the cross were as follows:
Matthew 27:56 tells us there were:
- Mary
Magdalene,
- Mary the mother
of
James and Joses,
- The mother of
Zebedee's children.
Mark 15:40 tells us there were:
- Mary Magdalene,
- Mary the mother
of
James the less and Joses,
- Salome.
Luke 24:10 tells us there were:
- Mary Magdalene,
- Joanna,
- Mary the mother
of
Joses,
- Other women.
John 19:25 tells us there were:
- Mary the mother
of
Jesus Christ,
- Christ's mother's
sister,
- Mary the wife of
Cleopas,
- Mary Magdalene.
Therefore logical deduction tells us that:
(1.) Salome was Zebedee's wife (Matthew 27:56), and was Christ's
mother's
sister (John 19:25). Therefore when Christ committed His mother
to John, John was actually His cousin, and a believer, whereas Mary's
other children were not believers at this time (John 7:5), they came to
believe later (Acts 1:14).
(2.) Mary the mother of James and Joses
could
have been Christ's mother as He did have brethren with those names
(Matthew 13:55), but it would have been odd for the gospel writers
not to say she was the mother of Christ Himself. Alternatively
she could have been the wife of Cleopas.