The Myrrhbearers

Today in the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church we commemorate all those who beheld Christ’s Crucified and Risen Body: the Myrrhbearing Women; the Righteous Joseph of Arimathea and the Righteous Nicodemus: the Myrrhbearers (Slavonic: Жены́-мѷроно́сицы). These are the individuals mentioned in the New Testament who were directly involved in the burial or who discovered the empty tomb following the resurrection of Jesus. The term traditionally refers to the women with myrrh who came to the tomb of Christ early in the morning to find it empty. We can only imagine how difficult it must have been for them to associate with Christ at this time and to be witnesses of His Crucifixion and Resurrection:

At sunset on Holy Saturday, when the Pasch was over, she hastened to buy spices with which to anoint His body, and very early on Sunday morning, before it was light, she set out, with the other holy women, for His sepulchre. They reached the tomb of Jesus just as the sun rose. They had been worried as to how they would take away the heavy stone before the door of the sepulchre, but to their great astonishment, they found it already rolled back. They looked into the tomb, and fear fell upon them, for the body of Jesus was no longer there. Saint Mary Magdalen, beside herself with grief, ran back to tell Peter and John. “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre,” she cried, “and we know not where they have laid Him!”

Significantly, on the third day, the first Easter Sunday, the women, especially Mary Magdalene, discover the empty tomb. Both in the Synoptics and in John the women continue their place in the resurrection story. Whereas the men are the commanded, the women are the mourners, observers and messengers at the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb where he addressed her as “woman” (gunai),a term of endearment or respect when used in address (Jn. 20: l6).

The women followed Jesus during his earthly ministry in Galilee, providing for him and his followers out of their own means (Mark 15:41). They remained faithful to him even during the most dangerous time of his arrest and execution, and not only stood by the cross, but accompanied him to his burial, noticing where the tomb was located. Because of the impending Sabbath, it was necessary for the burial preparations to be brief. Jewish custom at the time dictated that mourners return to the tomb every day for three days. Once the Sabbath had passed, the women returned at the earliest possible moment, bringing myrrh to anoint the body. It was at this point that the Resurrection was revealed to them, and they were commissioned to go and tell the Apostles. They were, in effect, the apostles to the Apostles. For this reason, the myrrhbearing women, especially Mary Magdalene, are sometimes referred to as “Equal to the Apostles.”

Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly (John 19:38). He went to Pontius Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus and, together with Nicodemus, hurriedly prepared the body for burial. He donated his own new tomb for the burial. A native of Arimathea, he was apparently a man of wealth, and probably a member of the Sanhedrin (which is the way the biblical Greek, bouleutēs — literally, “counselor” — is often interpreted in Matthew 27:57 and Luke 23:50). Joseph was an “honourable counselor, who waited (or “was searching”) for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43). Luke describes him as “a good man, and just” (Luke 23:50).

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and also a member of the Sanhedrin, who is first mentioned early in the Gospel of John, when he visits Jesus to listen to his teachings, but he comes by night out of fear (John 3:1-21). He is mentioned again when he states the teaching of the Law of Moses concerning the arrest of Jesus during the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:45-51). He is last mentioned following the Crucifixion, when he and Joseph of Arimathea prepare the body of Jesus for burial (John 19:39-42). There is an apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus that purports to be written by him.

The Myrrhbearers are traditionally listed as:

Mary Magdalene

Mary, the mother of James and Joses

Mary, the wife of Cleopas

Martha of Bethany, Sister of Lazarus

Mary of Bethany, Sister of Lazarus

Joanna, the wife of Chuza the steward of Herod Antipas

Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee

Susanna

Joseph of Arimathea

Nicodemus

The myrrhbearers, who selflessly sacrificed all for precious myrrh with which to anoint and care for the Body of Christ, and then announced the Resurrection of the Crucified, when others hid for fear. And yet they loved Christ to such a degree that they feared not and they all revealed the Truth of His Crucifixion and Resurrection and suffered for it.

We continue to have new Myrrhbearers in today’s church, those who do a myriad of things which are so difficult because they require our sacrifice. For:

Those who sing in church are myrrhbearers.

Those who clean the church are myrrhbearers.

Those who prepare the flowers for the services are myrrhbearers.

Those who look after the garden are myrrhbearers.

Those who sew vestments and altar-coverings are myrrhbearers.

Those who bake prosphora are myrrhbearers.

Those who prepare tea or donate food or wash up are myrrhbearers.

Those who donate icons or make offerings of money are myrrhbearers.

Even those who simply come and pray for the salvation of all are myrrhbearers.

All those who work for the Body of Christ, the Church, in this world, but are not of this world, are myrrhbearers, because they show that they too selflessly love Christ.

And what is the reward of myrrhbearers?

It is to be the first to see and know the Crucified Body of Christ Risen, the first to hear the words of the Angel resplendent and whiter than snow: Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is Risen! This is our joy, not only to feel, but also to know that the Body of Christ, the Church, is Risen, for She is the place of the Resurrection, and we are witnesses of Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. Moreover, when we care for the Church, the Church cares for us, for we are risen with Her.

May we all always have and cherish this inner knowledge of the Truth of Christ, being myrrhbearing witnesses to His Crucifixion and His Resurrection

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