What did women see in our Savior? In Jesus Through the Eyes of Women, Rebecca McLaughlin writes on how the first female disciples help us know and love the Lord. In six chapters and just under 200 pages, McLaughlin shows aspects of Jesus through those whom you may have overlooked—the many women who interacted with and were personally impacted by Jesus.
Women Who Risk it All
Chapter 1 looks at Prophecy and the important roles that Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna play in the Christmas story. McLaughlin hits hard, stating that like Mary looking for Jesus in the temple, we often forget who Jesus actually is. We fail to recognize his rightful place of worship in our lives, and his rightful rule on the throne in our hearts. But like he cared for his mother until the end, Christ never leaves us forgotten.
What I was most pleased to see was how Jesus enters the world of women from all different types of backgrounds. Whether Jewish or Samaritan, rich or poor, virgins or prostitutes—Jesus does not discriminate. In Chapter 2, McLaughlin explains how “Joanna, the wife of Chuz, Herod’s household manager” becomes a disciple of our Lord. She was a member of Herod’s court—the same Herod who beheaded John the Baptist. She left her high social status to become a friend of the enemy. I resolved to risk it all for Christ as well.
Women Who Find Forgiveness and Freedom
Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 speak of Christ’s nourishment and healing, respectively. We see that Jesus is the one who truly satisfies, and he is the only one who can make us whole again. The book includes many discussion prompts at the end of every chapter, as well as Bible study questions to help you go deeper in the text. In this way, this book would be perfect for a small group or Sunday school class.
I was most moved in Chapter 5, seeing the radical forgiveness of Jesus. McLaughlin is a gifted writer, and she helped me better understand why prostitutes in the kingdom of God was such a scandalous thought. These women were not valued, “seen as almost literally worthless.” Jesus loved and cared for them in a way that shifted the entire society. And with the woman caught in adultery, McLaughlin makes an incredible statement that many Asian Americans can relate to: “In the 21st-century West, we tend to see guilt as an unhealthy feeling to be shed, and forgiving ourselves as more important than seeking forgiveness from others. But Jesus does not minimize our guilt. He takes it from us.”
Women Who Witness the Resurrected Christ
This fascinating and inspiring book closes with a look at how the first eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection were women. After seeing Jesus through the eyes of women, I am left with a bigger and clearer picture of my King. I am eager to re-read their stories with open eyes. And I have a fuller heart, both for how Jesus sees women—and how they help me see Him.
I received a media copy of Jesus Through the Eyes of Women, and this is my honest review.