Service and Sacrifce - Joanna

image credit: www.womeninthebible.net

The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had

been cured of evil spirits and diseases...Joanna the wife of

Cuza, the manager of Herod's household...

Luke 8:2-3

I am guilty sometimes of quickly skimming over lists of names in the Bible.  Unless I'm looking for a particular name, or one jumps out at me, or if it's a name I know, the list could just be Tom, Dick, and Harry - got it - people - moving on...

But I also love to cross reference and find out more - I'm a nerd - got it - moving on...

In Luke 8, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and "many others" are mentioned along with The Twelve.  Their role at this point in Jesus' ministry was to support Him financially.

Now, fast-forward through Luke to chapter 24.  You will find another list of names.  Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and "the others" are now mentioned as witnesses that Jesus had been resurrected!

WHAAAAT!?!?!?!?!

Luke 8 tells us that Joanna had been healed of something - either evil spirits or a disease.  Whatever Jesus had done for her left a lasting impression on Joanna - her encounter with Jesus forever changed the trajectory of her life!  She did not go back to "life as usual" after she met Jesus.  Instead, she packed up and walked alongside Him, serving Him, sacrificially giving to Him, and even proclaiming that He was alive!

I often times let my imagination wander, wondering what my life would look like if I had just walked away after I encountered Jesus.  I don't know all the details, but I know it would look drastically different than it does today.

Serving Jesus requires sacrifice, but it's totally worth it!  By serving Jesus, Joanna got to be one of the very first people to see the Living Christ!

You can read more about Joanna's story at She Reads Truth.  Also read Luke 8:1 - 3; Luke 23:50 - 24:12.