This Holy Week we will be considering the 7 things Jesus said at the Cross, as recorded in scripture. We will seek to understand what this shows us about Jesus and how we can walk in His way as redeemed and loved children of God.
*We will be pulling out these 7 sayings, one per day. If you want to read the full crucifixion accounts you can find them here: Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49, and John 19:17-37
Day 3
Read from John 19:25-27:
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Consider these ideas and questions. Make observations of your own. Journal your response.
- When we see what Jesus said in these moments it’s a window into what mattered to Him and what should matter to us. Relationships matter.
- As the son of Mary it was Jesus’s legal responsibility to see to her care, as it is likely her husband Joseph had already died. Jesus is seeing to her needs from the Cross, entrusting her to his esteemed disciple. In doing this, Jesus is also fulfilling the 5th commandment to “honor your mother and father” (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16). What we see is that Jesus continued to meet the demands of the Law right up until the moment his death and resurrection ultimately satisfied it.
- In establishing a mother-son relationship between Mary and John, Jesus is showing us a picture of a new spiritual family of believers. We have our families we are placed in by birth or adoption AND we have a family we belong to tied together by the “spiritual DNA” we bear as children of God.
- Reflect
- What rises up in you when you consider the kindness and honor of Jesus in these final moments?
- Relationships matter and as followers of Jesus we are invited into a family of believers.
- What is the condition of your relationships, both familial and spiritual? How might you nurture those? Where are you needing God to intervene and move? How might you show care to those in your life?
- It’s possible this scenario is very tender for you because you WEREN’T taken care of in the way Mary was and your needs were not met. Jesus, our healer, can move into that hurt for you and meet your needs. Ask Him to.
Respond:
Read the scripture passage again. Consider what you journaled. Consider what you noticed about the passage that wasn’t mentioned above.
Find quiet and slow your mind and your breathing. Ask God to meet with you exactly where you are and just be with Him.