Matthew 27:55-56 meaning

The parallel gospel accounts of Matthew 27:55-56 are found in Mark 15:40-41 Luke 23:49, and John 19:25.

Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him (v 55).

Matthew notes that many women were there as witnesses to Jesus’s crucifixion. These women were looking on from a distance. Matthew does not specify how far this distance was between this place where they were looking from the cross—but it seems they were close enough to hear the things He said from the cross. Jesus’s third statement from the cross  was directed to one of these women—His mother (John 19:26-27).

The distance to which Matthew refers is likely some sort of designated place where the Roman detachment overseeing Jesus’s crucifixion allowed onlookers to stand.

These women had followed Jesus from Galilee.

Galilee was the district where Jesus’s ministry was headquartered. It was located about 90 miles north from where He was crucified in Jerusalem.

What Matthew probably means by pointing out how these women had followed Jesus from Galilee was that they were faithful followers of Jesus. These women had been following Jesus for a long time. They were with Jesus near the beginning of His Messianic ministry (when it began to take off in Galilee). And now these women were still with Jesus at what likely appeared to them to be the terrible end.

Mark’s Gospel adds “and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem” (Mark 15:41b) who had joined many women from Galilee to look on from a distance and minister to Him.

Matthew comments that these women were ministering to Jesus. By this, Matthew could mean that they had helped support Jesus’s ministry from its early days in Galilee. The Gospel of Luke mentions that there were women “who were contributing to their support [Jesus’s ministry] out of their private means” (Luke 8:2-3).

Matthew could also be saying that these women were tending to Jesus by helping to ease His agony as He died on the cross. Romans would sometimes allow family and friends of the crucified to provide something to drink to those who were being crucified. These efforts eased the immediate pain of crucifixion victims, but it could also prolong their agony.

Matthew’s expression may refer to both the ministry of support that the women had provided while Jesus was in Galilee and their attempts to alleviate His suffering while He was on the cross.

It was incredibly brave of these women to publicly come to witness Jesus’s execution. For one, it was likely horrible to witness their friend’s suffering and cruel death. They perhaps could have lessened their own personal anguish if they did not watch Him die. These women chose to set their personal comfort aside and to be there for Jesus when so many had abandoned Him.

A second reason their presence was bold was that by publicly coming to Jesus’s execution, they brought upon themselves additional suspicion and scorn from Jesus’s powerful enemies. Many others—including Jesus’s disciples (Matthew 26:56)—had run away from shame, fear, and/or confusion. But not these women. Despite all these things, they were with Jesus when He drew His final breath and commended His spirit to God (Matthew 27:50).

As mentioned above, Matthew writes that there were many women who were present looking on from a distance. He identifies some of them.

Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee (v 56).

Matthew names three of the women who were among these many.

The first woman Matthew mentions who saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross was Mary Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene is known for her devoted discipleship and significant role in Jesus’s ministry.

She was likely from the city of Magdala which is where she gets her surtitle—Magdalene. Magdala is located on the western point of the Sea of Galilee a few miles southwest of Capernaum where Jesus’s ministry was headquartered.

Of all of the backstories of Jesus’s followers told to us by the Bible, it is difficult to imagine any more painful or disturbing than Mary Magdalene’s. Before she encountered Jesus, Mary Magdalene was possessed by seven demons (Luke 8:2). Jesus miraculously healed her by casting these demons out of her (Luke 8:2). This transformed her life. And Mary Magdalene became one of Jesus’s most devoted followers and supporters, accompanying Him and His disciples on their journeys and supporting them with her resources (Luke 8:3).

Church tradition holds that Mary Magdalene was the woman who washed Jesus’s feet with perfume and her tears and wiped them with her hair in the home of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:37-38). Jesus commended this woman’s devotion and love before He forgave her sins (Luke 7:44-50). If Mary Magdalene was this woman, then she had a reputation of being “a sinner” (Luke 7:39), which in this context meant that Mary had the reputation for being a prostitute—before Jesus redeemed her life. Mary Magdalene may have been one of the prostitutes Jesus had in mind when He told the religious leaders:

“Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.”
(Matthew 7:32)

It is interesting that the first person whom Matthew (a former tax-collector) mentioned among Jesus’s supporters and friends who were with Him at His crucifixion was Mary Magdalene (a former demoniac and likely former prostitute).

Part of the reason for Mary Magdalene’s prominence could be her significant role in financing Jesus’s earthly ministry. She is first mentioned in a passage about the group of women that provided the funding for Jesus’s ministry (Luke 8:1-3). Jesus taught that those who financially support a prophet get the reward of the prophet (Matthew 10:40-42). It might be that scripture here is elevating the important role of ministry donors.

Mary Magdalene’s dedication to Jesus continued past His death. She helped prepare His body for burial (Matthew 27:61, Mark 16:1). And Jesus seems to have rewarded her faith and devotion by allowing Mary Magdalene to be the first person to see Him arisen from the dead (John 20:11-18).

The second woman Matthew mentions who saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross was Mary the mother of James and Joseph.

While it is not completely certain who this second Mary was, there are several strong indications that she was Mary the mother of Jesus.

• Mary was the name of Jesus’s mother (Matthew 1:24-25, Luke 1:26-38, 2:4-7.)

• John’s Gospel explicitly states that Jesus’s mother was present at the cross (John 19:25). And John records a short conversation between Jesus and His mother from the cross (John 19:26-27). Given that Jesus’s mother was present at the cross, it would have been odd for Matthew to name other women, but not the Messiah’s own mother.

• Matthew has already informed us that Jesus’s mother had sons who were named James and Joseph (Matthew 13:55). James and Joseph were Jesus’s half-brothers.

• Describing Mary as: Mary the mother of James and Joseph instead of “Mary the mother of Jesus” would have been in keeping with the Jewish custom of referring to women by their closest surviving male relationship. (The primary audience of Matthew’s Gospel were Jews). Mary’s husband Joseph seems to already be deceased; and Jesus had just died. Therefore, according to this Jewish custom, Mary would no longer be known as “Mary, mother of Jesus,” but rather Mary, mother of her oldest surviving sons—James and Joseph.

Church tradition holds that the Book of James was written by Jesus’s half-brother—James, and that it was this half-brother who became the leader of the Christian church in Jerusalem and was the same James mentioned in Act 15 at the council of Jerusalem, and referred to by Paul in Galatians 2:9, 12.

Again, if this second Mary was Jesus’s mother, then her son Joseph likely was named for his father who was also named Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25).

Another less likely possibility for who this second Mary could be is Mary the wife of Clopas who is identified by John among the women who were present at Jesus’s crucifixion (John 19:25). This Mary may have been the sister of Jesus’s mother (John 19:25).

It is likely that Mary the wife of Clopas who is identified by John (John 19:25) is the same person who is referred to by Matthew as “the other Mary” who saw where Jesus was buried (Matthew 27:61). This would be the third woman named Mary who is mentioned by the Gospels who was present at the cross.

The first Mary was Mary Magdalene.

The second Mary was (likely) Jesus’s mother.

The third Mary seems to have been referred to in different ways by different Gospels:

• Matthew referred to her as: “the other Mary” (Matthew 27:61).
• Mark referred to her as: “Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses” (Mark 15:40).
• John referred to her as: “Mary the wife of Clopas” (John 19:25).

This third Mary was with Mary Magdalene at the tomb when the angel announced Jesus’s resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1).

There is a remote possibility that this third Mary mentioned by Matthew was someone else altogether and was a fourth Mary who was among the women looking on from a distance.

But once again, the contextual evidence of Matthew supported by the claims of John’s crucifixion account strongly suggests that Mary the mother of James and Joseph was Jesus’s mother.

The Gospels introduce Mary the mother of Jesus when she was a young Jewish virgin from Nazareth, who was betrothed to Joseph, who was descendant of King David (Matthew 1:16-25, Luke 1:26-38, 3:23, 31). Mary was the virgin who miraculously conceived Jesus in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that a virgin will bear a son called “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:22-23). The Gospel of Luke recounts that an angel named Gabriel visited her, announcing that she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and that this child would be the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah (Luke 1:26-38). Despite her initial astonishment and the potential social repercussions, Mary humbly accepted her role, expressing her willingness to serve God's plan.

Mary was present at many significant events in Jesus's life. These significant events included:

• Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem
  (Luke 2:4-20)
• Jesus’s naming ceremony
  (Luke 2:21-38)
• Jesus’s upbringing, first in Egypt and later Nazareth
  (Matthew 2:13-15, 2:19-23, Luke 2:39-40)
• Jesus’s first miracle at Cana
  (John 2:1-12)
• Mary was likely present when Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah at the synagogue in Nazareth and was rejected by His own people
  (Luke 4:14-30)
• Some of Jesus’s public teachings
  (Matthew 13:54-58)
• Jesus’s crucifixion
  (Matthew 27:55-56, John 19:25-27)

Mary is also mentioned by name as being part of the early Christian community in Acts (Acts 1:14).

Mary’s heart was terribly wrenched at the sight of her Son’s suffering on the cross. She knew He was the promised Messiah who came to redeem Israel, and she watched her people violently reject and torture Him. Mary’s suffering was prophesied when Jesus was only eight days old:

“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’”
(Luke 2:34-35)

Despite being highly favored and chosen by God for the unique and honored role of giving birth the Messiah (Luke 1:28-31), Mary’s life was filled with difficulty, danger, and sorrow.

Throughout these many trials, her incredible faith and obedience to God’s plan for her life were beautifully displayed. The Bible consistently presents Mary and her faith as a noble example to be admired and followed.

The third woman Matthew mentions who saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross was the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

The sons of Zebedee were Jesus’s disciples—James and John. Zebedee was this woman’s husband, and he was the father of James and John (Matthew 4:21). Zebedee was a fisherman in Galilee and Jesus called his sons James and John to follow Him while they were mending their nets in the boat with their father (Matthew 4:21-22).

Their mother supported her sons’ decision to follow Jesus, and apparently she was herself an ardent follower of Jesus from early on in His ministry in Galilee.

At one point later in Jesus’s ministry, James and John’s mother asked Jesus to “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left” (Matthew 20:21). Jesus replied to her that she did not know what she was asking for before teaching the disciples how to be great in His kingdom (Matthew 20:22-28).

According to Mark 15:40, when harmonized with Matthew 27:56, the name of this woman appears to be Salome. Moreover, John 19:25 indicates that Salome may have been the sister of Mary, Jesus’s mother (John 19:25). This would mean that the disciples James and John were blood-relatives and cousins of Jesus.

Perhaps the reason why Jesus entrusted His mother into John’s care (John (19:25-27) was because John was the closest male relative who was a believer at that time. Jesus’s brothers, James and Joseph, did not, it seems, believe in Him until sometime after His resurrection (John 7:5). One of Jesus’s resurrection appearances was specifically to His brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7). It seems that this encounter was instrumental in James’s conversion and growth in becoming the eventual leader of the church in Jerusalem.

Mark’s parallel account appears to mention the same women that Matthew’s does:

“There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.”
(Mark 15:47).

Luke’s parallel account does not directly name any of the women who watched on from a distance. He simply refers to them as “the women who accompanied Him from Galilee” (Luke 23:49).

John’s parallel account also seems to mention the same women:

“But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
(John 19:25b)

Some (if not all) of these same women who were there looking on from a distance at Jesus’s crucifixion would also be among those who were the first to witness His resurrection from the dead three days later (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-9, Luke 24:11).