Joanna
“Jehovah is gracious”
Summary
A woman of means who was healed by Jesus and became one of His devoted followers, ministering to Him and His disciples from her substance as the wife of Chuza, steward to Herod Antipas.
☩Identity and Background
Joanna was the wife of Chuza, the steward (epitropos) of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. Her name is the feminine form of the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning 'Jehovah is gracious.' As the wife of a high-ranking official in Herod's household, she occupied a position of considerable social standing and financial means. Some scholars have suggested that Chuza may be identical with the 'nobleman' or 'king's officer' whose son Jesus healed at Capernaum, which could explain how Joanna first came into contact with Jesus. Her connection to Herod's court is noteworthy, as it meant that news of Jesus and His ministry would have been discussed among Herod's servants, possibly explaining how Herod came to hear so much about Jesus.
☩Ministry to Jesus
Joanna was among 'certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities' who accompanied Jesus and His disciples during His Galilean ministry. The customs of that time and place allowed women who had received benefits from a teacher to minister to his needs without reproach. Along with Mary Magdalene, Susanna, and others, Joanna supported Jesus and His disciples 'out of their substance,' providing for their material needs during their itinerant ministry. Her presence in this group demonstrates that Jesus' followers came from various social strata, including those connected to the ruling powers.
☩Witness to the Resurrection
Joanna was among the faithful women who accompanied Jesus on His final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem and witnessed where His body was laid in the sepulchre. She was among those who prepared spices and ointments, who found the tomb empty on the first day of the week, and who 'told these things unto the apostles.' Her testimony as a witness to the resurrection, along with the other women, was initially met with disbelief by the apostles, yet her faithful witness contributed to the foundational testimony of the early church.
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Joanna," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.John McClintock and James Strong, "Joanna," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Joanna," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Joanna," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).