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302. The Third Word

John 19:25-27
Key Verse: "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "here is your mother."
John 19:26B-27A

In Ephesians 2:10, Paul says, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Before the foundation of the world, God the Father and Jesus the Son chose this simple peasant woman to be His mother.

What a life they had planned for her. She would be pregnant out of wedlock and thus subject to the gossip and ridicule of the day. She would be forced to leave home near the time of delivery, travel more than 70 miles and then give birth among strangers. None of the comforts of home would be given her at her first son’s birth, instead, she would be surrounded by animals, smelly manure and scratchy straw. Crude shepherds would be the first to gaze upon her precious new born son and she would be left to ponder it all in her heart. Her precious first born would be sought not by priests and worshipers, but by soldiers, sent by a corrupt and powerful monarch who would view His arrival as competition and a threat to his throne. She would then be forced to flee to a foreign country and hide until those who wished to kill her child had died themselves. She had been warned by the Prophet Simeon, "A sword will pierce your heart." (Luke 2:35) 

Now, there she stood below Him, probably wishing that she could take His place as any good mother would. Her Son was innocent. He had been a good boy. He had learned obedience. (Hebrews 5:7-10) He had worked hard as a carpenter alongside her husband and He had only brought love, healing, peace and joy to all who came to Him for help. She had been chosen to be a witness for all this. She too had been obedient and faithful to His call on her, as He knew she would be. What a work that had been set out in advance for her to do by a loving, Heavenly Father.

Now, she would need to be cared for. Seeing John standing with her, He blessed them by giving them to each other for comfort and companionship. They would need each other more than ever now as the end of His earthly life drew near.

Note that Jesus did not provide this blessing to the others. They had fled when the trial began. Even Peter was hidden away, ashamed of his cowardice and betrayal. Mary and John remained near the cross, in view of Jesus, determined, in their grief, to show their love and devotion to the end. In turn, Jesus blessed them for their nearness. So it is with us. When we cling to the cross, though tempted to run, Jesus sees our devotion and blesses us with the gift of Himself. "Come near to God and he will come near to you." (James 4:8)

Hymn: "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" 

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