With International Women’s Day coming up, I wanted to share a book I’ve found both encouraging and thought-provoking: Jesus Through the Eyes of Women by Rebecca McLaughlin.

It’s one of those books that makes you slow down and look again at familiar Gospel stories. McLaughlin explores the women who met Jesus — the ones who spoke with Him, were healed by Him, followed Him, and witnessed who He really was. Through their stories, you start to see just how unusual Jesus was in the way He treated women.

In a culture where women were often sidelined or undervalued, Jesus consistently gave them dignity, attention, and theological depth. He spoke with them publicly. He healed them. He welcomed them as disciples. He entrusted them with truth.

Take Martha, for example. We often hear that it’s “better to be a Mary than a Martha.” But in John’s Gospel, it’s to Martha that Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” And her response — “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God” — is one of the clearest confessions of faith in the Gospels. It’s a remarkable moment, and one we sometimes overlook.

What I appreciate about this book is that it’s not exaggerated or agenda-driven. It’s careful, biblical, and fair. It simply lets the text speak — and what comes through is a clearer picture of who Jesus is.

I’d recommend it to both women and men. Seeing Jesus through the eyes of the women who encountered Him may well deepen your own faith — and leave you saying, with them, “I have seen the Lord.”

Currently you can download a free Ebook from TGC by following this link.

Michelle Gajus Read (Church Life Coordinator (lay position) | 5pm)