The Seven Words from the Savior on the Cross: Love 4

Jesus’ spoken words from the cross emphasize the truths of forgiveness ("Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."  Luke 23:34), hope ("Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Luke 23:43) and thirdly, love.

"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” John 19:26-27.

The statement occurs within the overall context of John 19:16-27.

So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, or Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘this man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments (sandals; headdress; belt; outer garment) and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” (Psalm 22:18).

So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:16--27 ESV).

To begin with, we witness Jesus’ provision of love for Mary, His mother. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” (John 19:26 ESV).

Jesus sees his mother in the midst of His suffering. In spite of the excruciating pain, he directs his attention to this women who was the vehicle God used, along with Holy Spirit, to bring Jesus into the world for this very purpose.

John wants the reader to understand that of all the Mary’s mentioned in the gospels (Mary – His mother; His mother’s (Mary) sister – Salome. See Mark 15:40; Matthew 27:56-57; Mary: the wife of Clopas: the mother of James the younger or less. Matthew 27:56; and Mary Magdalene) it is Jesus’ mother to whom He addresses.