SEVEN STATEMENTS FROM THE CROSS
“WOMAN BEHOLD THEY SON…BEHOLD THEY MOTHER” (JOHN 19:25-27)
WHEN GOD IS NOT ENOUGH!
You have no doubt already noticed that the statements from the cross are scattered through out all four gospels. One gospel will mention one statement and one another. As I’ve said before, I don’t think we can positively know for sure in which order they were made or if it actually matters. I thought it might benefit us to look a little closer at the differences in the gospel writers. This might help us understand why there are “differences” in the list and order of the statements.
MATTHEW: Was a Jewish disciple. He was a trained tax collector. His rendering of the gospel is most likely the earliest written. It is thought to have been written about 50 A.D. (Perhaps as late as 85 A.D.) His gospel was written predominately to the Jews for their understanding of the life and times of Jesus Christ. Because it was written to the Jews it includes more genealogy and reference to Jewish laws and customs than the other books.
MARK: Mark was NOT a disciple of Jesus. He was a young friend and companion of Paul and Barnabus. His gospel was written to the Gentiles, Greek speaking people of that time. That is why he explains Jewish customs and interprets words not readily understood by the Greek speaking people. It is believed that Mark’s understanding of the life of Christ came from the preaching and teaching of Peter. Mark describes more action than theology. Mark was born about 6 A.D. and his gospel was written about 65-70 A.D. in Rome.
LUKE: Luke was a Greek-Syrian physician who lived in the Greek city of Antioch. Luke died at the age of 84 or 85 in AD 84 so he was about the same age as Jesus Christ. He was NOT a disciple of Jesus but instead a disciple of Paul and one of his traveling companions. As we learned in Sunday School a few weeks ago, Luke was the only Gentile writer in the New Testament. His gospel was written in the early 60’s-70 A.D.
JOHN: I stated a few weeks back that it was my thinking that John was a teen-ager when he begin to follow Jesus as a disciple. However I was wrong. John was born about 6 A.D., which would have made him about 23-24 years old when he begin following Jesus. John was the brother of James. Their father was Zebedee and their mother was Salome. James and John followed in their father’s occupation until they started following Jesus. John died about A.D. 100 at the age of 94. He is the only disciple to die of natural causes. His gospel was written about 90-95 A.D. He wrote the Gospel of John, I, II and III John and Revelations. He was one of Jesus’ three closest friends and followers. He along with Peter and James were there to see the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the time in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was John along with some faithful woman who stood at the foot of the cross as Jesus died. He refers to himself not by name but “the disciple that Jesus loved”.
From this short bit of information you can see why there might have been differences in how these men related the events of Jesus’ life and the words that He spoke from the cross. These were four very different men, writing to very different audiences across a time span of 45-50 year.
So just because one writer mentions one set of statements and another mentions a different set of statements should not lead us to believe that one was right and the other wrong. They were just reporting the things they heard and saw in the way it was important to them.
I. NOW THERE STOOD BY THE CROSS: I’ve sat in a hospital waiting room for hours as a loved one went through surgery or a church member neared death. I know you have experience times like this yourself. These can be long, grueling times. In my mind, although I know it was much more traumatic and gruesome, this was the scene going on at the foot of the cross. Let’s look at who was there.
Mary: The sweet kind mother of Jesus was there. If anyone had been faithful, it was Mary. Through the pregnancy, birth, and early years, through the beginning of His ministry and in times when His other family members thought He was crazy, Mary had been there. Now here she stood, at the foot of the cross, waiting for Him to die.
Mary’s sister: This lady would be Jesus’ aunt. Some writers say that this lady was Salome the wife of Zebedee, the mother of James and John. If this is true then Jesus, James and John were cousins.
Mary the wife of Cleopas: Do you remember Luke’s account of the two men walking on the road to Emmaus? How that after the death and burial of Jesus they “talked together of all the things which had happened” (Luke 24:13-15) Do you remember the name of one of those men? One was named Cleopas. The Mary mentioned here would have been his wife.
Mary Magdalene: Some say she was the prostitute that was caught by the Pharisees and brought to Jesus. Some that she was the woman from which Jesus cast out 7 demons. She was the first to see Jesus after His resurrection.
John: Whom we have already discussed.
Mary was loosing her son and her friends and family were there to offer all the support and comfort they could. It wasn’t pleasant, it wasn’t comfortable but they felt like if was necessary.
We hear often when someone is in the hospital or sick or going through a time of the loss of a loved one, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you”. But don’t we need more than that? Don’t we need that physical, personal touch? Don’t we need that human presence? Not that anyone will know exactly what to say or how to respond in each incidence but it is the fact that they are “there”. I’ve always hated the phrase “I’m here for you”. I thought it was stupid to say that. But in times of trouble, and sickness and death…we need someone to be “here” for us. And that’s what was happening at the foot of the cross.
II. He said unto His mother, “Woman…” The term “woman” was not a rude phrase. Jesus was not being disrespectful to His mother. Actually this was a reference of honor and respect to a female in those days. Very similar to how we would say “M’am” in our Southern culture or in Chilton County.
III. Behold thy son: If you read and study the Word very much or simply listen to a preacher or teacher, you probably have the same idea about this verse as I do. I always thought that the reason Jesus transferred the care of Mary over to John (as is implied in this verse) is that there was no one else to care for her. This was not the case.
Jesus had younger brothers and sisters. Often in the scriptures Jesus is referred to as Mary’s first born son. Matthew, Mark and Luke all make mention of Jesus’ family, (brothers and sisters). Although Jewish custom mandated that the care for the elderly parents was the responsibility of the oldest child, at Jesus’ death that responsibility should have been transferred over to the next oldest sibling.
QUESTION: Why then did Jesus feel it was necessary to commit Mary’s care to John?
Of all people, Jesus knew what was going to happen. He knew that Mary would, in a few short days, be assembled in the upper room and be filled with the Holy Spirit, The Comforter, The Helper. He knew the promises of God and that she would never be forsaken. Jesus, Himself had said, “I will not leave you comfortless”, But Jesus knew the pain and stress that Mary would go through. Her Son would be considered an outcast, a criminal. The organized church would be persecuted.
I think it is safe to assume that the majority of her family would not accept her belief in Jesus as the Son of God. I think it is safe to assume (because we have no records) that the brothers and sisters of Jesus would not take part in Mary’s belief (with the exception of James).Jesus understood that His “earthly” brothers and sisters did not really believe in His Lord-ship. He may have understood that they felt a little “weird” about their mom being so “tied up” with all this Jesus stuff. Times are tough for a single female today, but even more so in the times we are studying.
There would be times when Mary would be down and need someone to talk to. She would need someone to offer encouragement. There would be times when she would feel alone and would need someone to put an arm around her shoulders and let her have a good cry. (I see this in my own Mom today. Even though she is older and has been through much more than I have, there are times she just wants you to wrap your arms around her and hug her or hold her hand). There would be times when Mary might even need someone to bring her food or provide her with the material things that she needed. Yes, she would have God the Father looking over her. Yes, she would have the Holy Spirit dwelling within her, BUT MARY WOULD NEED MORE THAN GOD. WHEN GOD WAS NOT ENOUGH, MARY WOULD NEED A PHYSICAL, PERSONAL HUMAN BEING TO COME ALONG SIDE AND LOVE HER. So Jesus gave her John.
QUESTION: Why did Jesus feel it necessary to commit John’s care to Mary?
John was still young, about 26-27 years old at this time. In the Jewish culture a boy becomes a man when he is 13 years and one day old. That is when they celebrate his “Bar mitzvah”. But in the case of Jesus, he did not begin His ministry until He was 30. One who would be a priest would serve 5 years as a “deacon” from age 25-30 and then he could assume the position of priest. Although John had not reached that 30 year land mark yet, he was certainly old enough to care for himself. If our assumptions are correct that Salome was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John then John already had a mother there to care for him.
Jesus knew the importance of a loving and caring “family” relationship. He knew that care means more than making sure someone has food, cloths and shelter. He knew that each of us needs “love”. Apparently, In Jesus’ eyes that was not being provided by the present “family” situation that John was experiencing.
I am sure Jesus knew a lot more about John’s family situation than we could ever know. But if you will remember, James and John were called the “Sons of Thunder” which could indicate to us that Zebedee possessed a “Thunderous” personality. He may have been a rough and tough father but lacked the loving, tender care that John needed.
Salome was strong. She was there at the foot of the cross along with Mary and John. But somehow John would need more than a tough, strong Father and Mother. John would need the love that only Mary could provide for him. So knowing these things Jesus set up a “hand picked” family situation for John.
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In the modern day church, when one becomes a Christian he not only receives forgiveness of his sins but he is given a place in the “family of God”. Family is a term used many times in the Word to describe the church. The words “brother and sister” are used 148 times between the book of Acts and the book of Revelations. In an almost insulting manner, Jesus placed an extreme amount of emphasis on the family in Mark 3:32-33 and 35.
“And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And He answered them, saying, who is my mother, or my brethren? And He looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother”.
QUESTION: In your life, which people have become your closest friends?
Are they not the people with whom you have experienced similar experiences? Perhaps they are people you have gone to school with, people who were on your sports team or people you were in the military with. If similar experiences create friendships then shouldn’t Christians be the best of friends?
We were wooed by the same love, drawn by the same conviction, amazed by the same grace, bougwith the same blood and filled with the same Spirit.
Look at all the things that John and Mary shared. For three years they followed Jesus on His earthly mission. They saw Him perform miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead. They were with Him on the good days, when He sat on the warm Judean hillside, with the children hanging all over Him and the people sitting around Him. They saw Him when He was at His best, teaching people and telling them about His Father.
Now they were with Him at His lowest point, as He hung by the roadside in pain and shame.
Later they would be together again as part of the 120, in the Upper Room, as The Holy Spirit fell and filled them all. And as we have mentioned, in their later years they were together in Ephesus as John ministered to the church there.
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So let’s break down these seemingly simple statements from the cross and put them on our level. Let’s take my almost sacrilegious title and see if it actually makes sense.
There is something about that physical presence, that personal contact that we as humans need. When I am sick or in the hospital, shouldn’t I expect friends and family to be there? When I have a death in the family don’t I need someone to come along side and support me? When I am depressed and feel like no one cares for me, it is then that I need a physical hand on my shoulder and words from human mouth.
We teach EMT’s that there is a special connection between the patient and the EMT when that compassionate touch is given. We teach our students that it is not enough to just “do the job” but part of that job is to connect with the patient by “touch”. Even though I have told students and newer EMT’s not to get “tied up” and get personal with a patient because it can cause you problems. There is that necessary “connection” that must occur before the patient will feel comfortable with their “care-giver”.
When spiritual matters concern me I need that touch from above but most often that touch will come through a human hand. Those kind, encouraging, comforting, uplifting words will come through the human lips of a Christian.
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that God is limited in power. God can do anything. But when God is not enough, when He can’t physically put His hand on your shoulder, He has provided the church family to do it for Him. We are His hands and feet. We are His mouth. We are His ears. And that refers us back the lesson we studied a few weeks back when we talked about our purpose. Our purpose is to glorify God by loving the people He loves. Not loving them from a distance but loving them up close and personal.
It was the physical hands of Jesus that touched the leper. Can’t you see Him take the prostitute’s face in His hands and say “neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more”? It was the physical Jesus who sat down and ate with the publicans and sinners. If we are going to love the people He loved we are going to have to get our hands dirty. If we are going to love the people He loved we are going to have to put ourselves through a little inconvenience.
Jesus knew it was going to be hard to love His mom like He wanted to from a distance, so He provided her with John to help Him. He knew it would be hard to give John that one on one leadership and encouragement that he needed, so He provided Mary to guide him.
And He knew He would not be here to place His kind, loving hand on your shoulder when you needed it, so He provided the church to do it for Him.
Can you see where as a church and as Christians we are missing our calling? How we have let selfishness and busy-ness interfere with our “real” job. If our church grows it will not grow because of programs. As planned and prepared and passionate as NMI, NYI and SDMI (Sunday school for us old folks) is in the Nazarene denomination, our gospel will not be passed on by those programs. Our Christian Heritage will not be passed on to the next generation until God’s people begin to be the hands of God. When we do what God can not do, then our church will be what God wants it to be.
What does a successful New Testament church look like? Read Acts 2: 42-47. When our church starts doing those things, in love there will be no stopping it. When God is not enough, He provides people with what they need. They need loving, caring, compassionate people to be their “family”. They need us.
