As y'all know, it's Lent. For me, Lent is a time to go deeper in my relationship with God, and I do this in a few different ways. This year, I read The Women of Easter: Encounter the Savior with Mary of Bethany, Mary of Nazareth, and Mary Magdalene by Liz Curtis Higgs.
This book recounts the story of the days before and following Jesus' crucifixion, paying special attention to the roles played by not just the three Marys, but many women, some named, some not named. Ms. Higgs begins with the resurrection of Lazarus, and continues through Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, His last supper with his friends, the crucifixion, following through to the resurrection.
The book contains eight chapters, each prefaced by and titled based upon a snippet of a hymn. The book also has a brief introduction and a study guide for personal reflection or group discussion. In the book, the author walks the reader through the story, verse by verse, pulling in references from all four Gospels, and using many different translations for emphasis and elaboration. Ms. Higgs' writing style is straight-forward and easy to understand, and I found this to be a quick read.
I really liked this book. The story of Jesus' last few weeks is well documented and well known, but I think the roles that women played are often overlooked in the midst of the whole miraculous, grace-filled story. I appreciated this look specifically at the women who were there--the women who remained faithful, even as the men fell away--that's something that I don't often think about, and something that is not often mentioned. Ms. Higgs is adept at making the people of the Bible, who are usually just names to us, come to life in a real and personal way.
Bottom line: This easy to read book will give you a meaningful new perspective on the events that occurred surrounding Jesus' death and resurrection.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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