Note 11 at Mk. 15:40: Mary, the mother of the apostle James (see note 3 at Mk. 1:19, p. 65) and Joses, was one of the women that accompanied the Lord in His tours of Galilee (v. 41). She supported, from her substance, the work and ministry of the Lord (also v. 41 and Lk. 8:2-3). John mentioned a "Mary the wife of Cleophas" (Jn. 19:25) as standing at the cross during the crucifixion and it is possible that this is this same Mary that Matthew and Mark are referring to here.

The wording of John 19:25 has also led many to believe that "Mary the wife of Cleophas" was also the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. That is a possibility, but not a certainty. Mark mentions that there were many other women beholding the crucifixion (Mk. 15:41), and the punctuation of John 19:25 leaves some doubt that "Mary the wife of Cleophas" was the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus that John was speaking of. It would be unusual for sisters to be given identical names.

At any rate, this Mary the mother of James and Joses, was one of the women that went to the tomb early on the resurrection morning, saw the angels, and brought their announcement back to the disciples (Mt. 28:7-8; Mk. 16:7-8; Lk. 24:10). It is probable that this Mary was also one of the women present in the upper room after the ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:13-14).