Written by Koekoes van As, the Prayer Coordinator for the Africa Area. Koekoes and her husband EJ recently moved back to their homeland in South Africa after spending a decade in Botswana where Koekoes was the National Director for the YFC Botswana ministry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Position

With Easter that is still in the back of our minds, I was thinking on the position of women in ministry.

On the Sunday when the Lord was no longer in the grave, first the angel and then the Lord Jesus Himself said to the women to go and tell the disciples that he rose from the dead.

• Mat 28:7 – And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead. And, behold, He goes before you into Galilee. There you shall see Him. Lo, I have told you.
• Mat 28:8 – And they quickly departed from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
• Mat 28:9 – But as they were going to report to His disciples, behold, Jesus also met them, saying, Hail! And they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
• Mat 28:10 – Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid; go tell My brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see Me.

What a very important message our Lord entrusted to women!

Sin came to the world in part through a woman BUT the Saviour of the world [the Plan for the sin] came into life through a woman. Here at the grave the Lord gave a very important message to women.

I am just thinking that if a woman was not supposed to be in ministry why did our Lord give the message to a female? If women were not allowed according to Him, He would have said that the women needed to go and call a man but He didn’t.

This action of Jesus assured me once again that I, as a female, matter to Him and that I have a ministry/calling to fulfil.

My position in Him is what 1 Pet 2:9 says:
But you are:

• a chosen generation,
• a royal priesthood,
• a holy nation,
• a people for possession,

so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Also in Rev 1:6:
and made us

• kings and
• priests

to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

This comes also out of the Old Testament in Ex 9:6:

And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Nowhere did the authors of these books put it out there that it is only for males. Therefore I can go forth as a chosen one, a priest, a king to proclaim that He has risen to the youth of our world today.

Stand strong fellow sisters!

~ Koekoes van As                                                              Back to Top
koekoes.vanas@yfci.org