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| Introduction
It has been my privilege to write the studies for the coming year and I have loved this task. I am sure that you share with me a love of the word of God and your experiences are probably similar to mine; for when I begin to study his precious word, I invariably discover new and interesting truths even though I have read those passages many times before. You may recall that during the studies of women in the Old Testament we continually referred to God’s plan of salvation for mankind which began with man’s rebellion in Genesis. As we study the women of the New Testament we see how God is fulfilling his purposes through each of these women in distinct ways, often understood only in the light of the cross. We close the studies with a brief glimpse of the sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection. Let’s not forget that our dear Saviour has promised to return again, this time in all his glory as the Son of God. I have been very privileged to have recently taken a journey to the middle east, to Jordan, Egypt and Israel. In spite of a bout of food poisoning in Egypt, I have felt this holiday to have been an incredible personal reflection of my faith. What I saw and experienced has given these studies, for me, a deeper and more personal understanding of women who lived in the days of Jesus of Nazareth. I would like to share some of this with you as we think about the studies for 2008. Each of the four studies are reflections upon the lives of two women with whom Jesus had contact during his time on earth in different ways. We begin with Mary and Elizabeth, mother of Jesus and mother of John the Baptist therefore beginning at that point of history when Jesus becomes man and dwells among us. What an incredible moment it would have been when the angel Gabriel told Mary of God’s plans for her. She may have been as young as fifteen at the time. (Luke 1:39)
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