Joan is best known as the mother of Jesus. She was a young woman who had an encounter with God’s angel Gabriel, who told her that she would give birth to Jesus and that he would be the son of God.
In the Old Testament, there are many women who are mentioned as being important figures in God’s plan for his people. One example is Bathsheba, who married King David after he committed adultery with her. Some people believe that Bathsheba was also the mother of Solomon, one of David’s sons. Other women included Miriam (known as the sister of Moses), Deborah (who led Israelite armies into battle), Esther (who saved the Jewish people from genocide), Ruth (an ancestor of Jesus), and Rebekah (the wife of Isaac).
Right here on Churchgist, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on meaning of joan in the bible,what can we learn from joanna in the bible, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.
Joan of Arc was a French saint and warrior who led the French army to victory during the Hundred Years’ War. She is considered a national hero in France and a martyr of the Catholic Church.
Born in 1412, Joan’s parents were farmers. At the age of 13, she began hearing voices from God telling her to lead an army to drive out the English invaders from France. She became convinced that this was her mission, despite concerns from her parents and village priest. At age 17, she left home with two men who claimed they were sent by God to guide her to Charles VII of France (King Charles). They traveled through enemy territory and entered Paris unharmed, where they presented themselves before the king and his courtiers. After some initial skepticism on their part, Charles VII eventually believed Joan’s claim that she had been sent by God as well as her request for military support in order to drive out the English invaders from France.
Joan spent much time on horseback leading troops into battle against the English occupiers of France during what would come to be known as The Hundred Years’ War between England and France (1337-1453). She was wounded several times during these battles but continued fighting each day until finally succumbing.
Joan in the bible
Joanna (Koinē Greek: Ἰωάννα, romanized: Iōanna, also Greek: Ἰωάνα), the wife of Chuza (γυνὴ Χουζᾶ),[1] is a
woman mentioned in the gospels who was healed by Jesus and
later supported him and his disciples in their travels. She is one of the women
recorded in the Gospel of Luke as accompanying Jesus and the twelve
apostles and as a witness to Jesus’ resurrection. Her husband was
Chuza, who managed the household of Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee;
this is the origin of the distinguishing epithet commonly attached to
her name, differentiating her from other figures named Joanna or Joanne.
Her name is from Hebrew: יוֹחָנָה, romanized: Yôḥānāh (transl. ’Yahweh has
been gracious’).[2]: 143–145 [3] Although the name is
etymologically related to Anna,
sharing a common derivation (from the Hebrew: חַנָּהיוֹחָנָה, romanized: Ḥannāh, lit. ‘grace’), Joanna is not
a compound formation and originated as a separate, unitary derivation, directly
from the Hebrew male name Yôḥānān, ‘John’.[4][5]
She is recognised as a saint in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox,
and Catholic traditions.
Joanna in the Gospels[edit]
Joanna is shown as the wife of Chuza, steward to Herod Antipas while being
listed as one of the women who “had been cured of evil spirits and
infirmities” who accompanied Jesus and the Apostles, and “provided
for Him from their substance” in Luke 8:2–3.
Joanna is named among the women mentioned in Luke 24:10, who, along
with Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, took spices
to Jesus’ tomb and found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. The accounts
in the other synoptic gospels do not mention Joanna as one of the
group of women who observe Jesus’ burial and testify to his Resurrection.
Identification with Junia[edit]
Richard Bauckham argues for identifying Joanna, the wife of Chuza, with
the Junia mentioned in Paul’s letter to the Romans 16:7,
“Joanna” being her Jewish name, and “Junia” her Roman.
Joanna is mentioned as one of the members of the ministry of Jesus in the
Gospel of Luke, travelling with him among the other twelve and some other
women, city to city.[6]
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another,
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and
also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called
Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the
manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were
helping to support them out of their own means.
— Luke, 8:1-3
Joanna is also mentioned alongside Mary Magdalene and other women as those
who first visited the tomb and found it to be empty, and it is to this group of
women, including Joanna, that Jesus first appears and instructs to tell the
disciples to meet him in Galilee in Matthew 28:8-10. Bauckham notes that
Paul describes Junia as having been a member of the Christian community prior
to him, and given that Paul himself converted within three years of the death
of Jesus, that would require Junia to have been a member of the community from
a very early period. Whereas Joanna is a Hellenized,
Grecian, adaptation of a Hebrew name,[7] Junia is a Latin name.
Jews often adopted a second, Latin name that were nearly sound equivalents to
their original name. Joanna and Junia act as near sound equivalents in the
native languages, which Bauckham says is indicative of the identification
between the two. Finally, Paul describes Junia as being “prominent among
the apostles”. Given that Junia is described as an earliest member of the
community, and as one of the most prominent members, that she is not named
elsewhere is indicative, as Bauckham argues, that she and Joanna are the same
individual, given Joanna’s high prominence during the ministry of Jesus.[2]: 172–80
Holy Myrrhbearer traditions[edit]
See also: The Three Marys
In Orthodox tradition, she is honored as “Saint Joanna the
Myrrhbearer” (Greek: Αγία Ιωάννα η Μυροφόρος) and is commemorated
among the eight women who carried myrrh on the “Sunday of
the Myrrhbearers”, two Sundays after Pascha (Orthodox
Easter). From this commemoration, in the revised Calendar of Saints of
the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod she is commemorated as one of the
Holy Myrrhbearers on August 3, together with other women present at the tomb of
Jesus in New Testament accounts. These include Mary of Clopas (also
called Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joses) and Salome.[8]
Although not mentioned by name, Joanna is seen as one of the women who
joined the disciples and Mary, mother of Jesus, in the upper room in
prayer. She was believed to be among the group of 120 who chose Matthias
the Apostle to fill the vacancy that was left by Judas, as well as
being present on the Day of Pentecost.[9]