Jesus, What Did You Call Me?
Let me confess one of my sins (Pride). One of them is that I can become easily offended. I am a sensitive person, and I get my feelings hurt easily. I truly believe that the biggest lie Satan has ever had circling the planet is that “Sticks and Stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”
This is not true – Words are POWERFUL – God created the entire Cosmos with WORDS.
And since we are made in HIS image and likeness; what we say can create the world around us, as well.
Before I share what God gave to me and how much it encouraged me, let's look at some background scriptures and remember HIS character and nature so that we can all be on the same page.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Genesis 1:1-5
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 1:26-28
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam[f] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Genesis 2:18-25
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”
20 Adam[c] named his wife Eve,[d] because she would become the mother of all the living.
Genesis 3:17-20
Now that we have a foundation to build on, I will share that I have always felt a little funny when I read how Jesus spoke to some of the women around him. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful that he spoke to them at all. He gave attention to women when most in that day did and would not. But it always puzzled and slightly offended me that he would always refer to them as “Woman”.
This same Jesus who could read minds. The same Jesus who if we look in Luke 19:1-6…
9 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
Luke 19:1-6
This same Jesus saw a man up in a tree and called him out by his name. This was a man who he had never met or spoken to before because if he had Zacchaeus would not have had to climb a tree to “see who Jesus was”. This was their first encounter and Jesus called him by name. So then why in these next scriptures did Jesus call these ladies “Woman”
Who Jesus called "woman":
• The Canaanite Woman: Jesus addresses her directly as "woman" in Matthew 15:21–28 (v.28)
• The Bent-Over Woman: Jesus calls her "woman" in Luke 13:10–17 (v. 12 & v.16)
• Mary, his mother: Jesus calls her "woman" in John 2:4 and John 19:26–27 (v.4 & v.26 respectively)
• The Samaritan Woman: Jesus calls her "woman" in John 4:7–26 (v.21)
• The Woman Caught in Adultery: Jesus calls her "woman" in John 8:1-11 (v.10)
• Mary Magdalene: Jesus calls her "woman" in the Gospels in John 20:11-18 (v.15)
Seven instances in the Bible where Jesus referred to different females by the term “Woman” even though he knew their names. Okay, praise GOD cause here is where it gets good!
Romans 11:29 states “29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” If God gives you a gift or puts a “call” on your life (ordains you with a specific task) he does not take that away from you without you still doing the task. We might stumble, we might fall, we may be weak, and we may have sinned, but you will still do what God called you to do – ask Jonah, Saul, David, Moses, and Paul. They were called to do a task, and they had to do it no matter what they may have thought about that task at that time.
Now let’s look back at what Adam’s call was.
God told us in Genesis 2:19 “Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.”
So what did Adam call his suitable helper? “WOMAN”
I didn’t realize until just the other day, that Adam did not name his wife “Eve” until after the curse, until after sin came into the world.
20 Adam[c] named his wife Eve,[d] because she would become the mother of all the living.
Genesis 3:20
Well - what is Eve?
It is the beginning of darkness.
She is the mother of all the living (those living in the darkness). We know that from creation “God called the light “day’, and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning - the first day.” (Genesis 1:5)
“Evening” was the beginning of darkness (night) just as the “Morning” is the beginning of the light (day).
So what does this tell us?
Whatever Adam called his wife (the living creature) became her name.
“Eve”, is the beginning of those living in darkness.
Thank God though there is always hope.
The Bible says in Galatians 3:13-14
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Galatians 3:13:14
Christ redeems us from the curse of the law. The name “Eve” was a cursed name, but the name “Woman” was the name provided before the curse. When Jesus calls these females “Woman” he was redeeming them from the curse of the law!! Even before he went to the cross! He knew that he was going to the cross. He knew that he was going to sacrifice himself for these very women. He knew their hearts were the hearts of those who loved God. These women had the heart of the Original Woman – The suitable helper. He was doing what was stated in Romans 4: 17 (KJV).
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
He was calling those things which be not as though they were!
His use of the term “Woman” was not an insult! It was a redemption!
I am blessed that my name is Anna because it means “Grace” and since it is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, I am extremely happy and blessed.
But if HE decided to only call me “Woman” in the Lamb’s Book of Life wouldn’t I still be just as Blessed? Because that could mean that God would no longer be using my enslaved person's name but a free person’s name for me instead.
We can praise God for the light of Jesus, the beginning of a new day a day in which God calls me woman!
Scriptures used in this study:
John 1:1-5
Genesis 1:1-5
Genesis 1:26-28
Genesis 2:18-25
Genesis 3:17-20
Luke 19:1-6
Matthew 15:21–28 (v.28)
Luke 13:10–17 (v. 12 & v.16)
John 2:4 and John 19:26–27 (v.4 & v.26 respectively)
John 4:7–26 (v.21)
John 8:1-11 (v.10)
John 20:11-18 (v.15)
Romans 11:29
Genesis 3:20
Genesis 1:5
Galatians 3:13:14
Romans 4: 17 (KJV)
