Afterward, he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her); 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.
Luke 8:1-3
Joanna, Healed by Jesus
At NorthStar, we are in the third week of a sermon series called ECHOES: Stories Worth Retelling, where we look at characters in Scripture who played a role in God's redemptive plan! This week, we are going to dig deeper into the life of Joanna as recorded in Luke 8:1-3 and Luke 24:9-10.Joanna's name is mentioned twice in the Library of Scripture, both times in Luke's gospel. There are five things that we know about Joanna from the testimony of Scripture:
- Joanna was healed of evil spirits or sickness by Jesus (Luke 8:2)
- Joanna helped fund Jesus' ministry (Luke 8:3)
- Joanna assisted in the burial of Jesus (Luke 23:55-56)
- Joanna witnessed Jesus' empty tomb (Luke 24:1-5)
- Joanna was one of the first ever to proclaim Jesus' resurrection from the dead. (Luke 24:9-10)
This week we are going to look at all five of these details about Joanna's life and dig a little bit deeper.First, Joanna was healed of evil spirits or sickness by Jesus (Luke 8:2). The text tells us that as Jesus traveled from town to town preaching the good news (lit. gospel) of the Kingdom that he was accompanied by the 12 disciples and a group of women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. Luke goes on to list three of the women, including our person of interest this week, Joanna. This insight tells us something important about Joanna: Her commitment to following Jesus is personal. Joanna has first-hand experience with the life-changing power of the gospel. She has first-hand experience with the mercy of God. She has first-hand experience with the good news of the Kingdom of God. She is following Jesus and funding his ministry on the basis of personal transformation.Joanna's first-hand experience with the transforming power of the Gospel is significant for us because it reminds us that our relationship with Jesus Christ is not meant to be lived or understood through a parent, a friend, or a pastor. It is meant to be experienced personally. Now this does not mean that our faith is individualistic or separated from the community, but it does mean that we are meant to taste and see that the Lord is good for ourselves.Think about it this way: The restaurant 1885 in downtown Acworth has KILLER bread pudding. I am typically not a bread pudding guy, but it is life-changing. Its warmth, consistency, candied cinnamon pecans, and the cinnamon ice cream on top; it is amazing!!! Now, you may believe me that this bread pudding is good. You might even be able to explain why it's good and why someone else should get it, but there is nothing like taking a bite for yourself. In the same way, we might know about Jesus, believe the right things about Jesus, and hang out with people who love Jesus, but there is nothing like knowing Jesus in a real and personal way for ourselves. Psalm 34:8 states, "Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in Him" Today, may we have first-hand experience with Jesus. Today may we make our faith our own and taste and see that the Lord is good.
