Title: Joanna
Speaker: Jacob Riggs
Date: 9th June 2026
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Summary:
She only gets two mentions in the entire Bible, but dig a little deeper and Joanna’s story is remarkable. This episode takes a close look at a woman named in Luke 8 and Luke 24 who travelled with Jesus throughout Galilee, supported his ministry out of her own wealth, and was among the very first to encounter the risen Christ.
Joanna was the wife of Chuza, the personal steward of Herod Antipas. That placed her in a world of money, influence, and social standing. Choosing to travel with Jesus and fund his work was no small thing. She was putting her husband’s career and her family’s reputation at risk. Yet she went anyway, serving faithfully and generously across at least a year and a half of Jesus’s ministry. In a sense, Herod unknowingly helped fund it all.
From the crucifixion to the empty tomb, and very likely through to the Day of Pentecost, Joanna’s presence is woven through the most critical moments of the Gospels. Her story raises a direct challenge: when we recognise how precious Jesus truly is, are we willing to count the cost the way she did?
Key Points:
- Joanna came from wealth and high social standing as the wife of Herod’s steward, yet she chose to follow and financially support Jesus at real personal and professional risk
- She was one of the first people to encounter the risen Jesus, and he told her and the other women to go and tell his disciples
- Two lasting lessons from her life: she valued Jesus above status and comfort, and she served with genuine humility, using what she had for the benefit of others
Reference Scriptures:
- Luke 8:1-3
- Luke 24:1-12
- Luke 23:46-56
- Matthew 28:1-10
- Matthew 13:45-46
- Acts 1:13-14
- Acts 2:1-4
- Romans 16:7
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
- 1 Peter 4:10
- Revelation 21:27