Behold, Your Son

“BEHOLD, YOUR SON” - John 19: 23-27 I. THE CRUCIFIXION: WHAT JESUS SAID FROM THE CROSS A. We have already seen Jesus pray for the crowd and ask God to forgive them. B. We have already seen a criminal acknowledge Christ as the Savior resulting in Jesus promising that criminal a place in paradise with Him. C. Today we are going to see Christ speak to His mother. II. THE UGLY SCENE; VS. 23-25. A. The Soldiers. 1. Christ has been nailed to the cross and below him 4 Roman soldiers are casting lots for His tunic. a. Execution squad normally consisted of 5 soldiers. b. One was the commander who gave the orders; the actual work of impaling someone to a cross fell on 4 legionnaires. 2. One of the rewards for being on the execution squad was that you got to keep the clothes of the one you were executing. a. When a man was crucified he was usually crucified totally naked. b. A crucifixion was to be totally humiliating. B. The Clothing. 1. A Jewish man usually had 5 articles of clothing. 2. The text says that the soldiers took Jesus’ “outer garments and made four parts… and each soldier got a part.” 3. The extra “part” was the tunic. 4. Clothing articles usually consisted of a pair of sandals, a turban, an outer robe, the girdle, and the tunic which was the undergarment. 5. The tunic is interesting because the passage says it was “seamless, woven in one piece.” a. This is significant because the only ones allowed to wear seamless tunics were the high priests. b. This seamless tunic makes a statement about Jesus and who He was. 6. Instead of ripping this seamless tunic into 4 pieces the soldiers decide to gamble for it and let one man keep the whole thing. 7. They are so intent on gambling for this tunic that no one realizes that God had predicted that what they were doing was going to happen; vs. 24. C. The Four Women; vs. 25. 1. While the soldiers are “casting lots” for Jesus’ tunic, standing by Jesus’ cross was His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 2. Their presence makes a bold statement about their courage. a. The men said they would be there but they all ran away. b. But not these women; they were there. c. It may be that the greatest need in the church today is for men to be as steadfast and as spiritual as some of the women. III. MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS A. She is Deserving of Respect. 1. The scriptures do not elevate Mary to deity like some have done. 2. But, it would be wrong to go to the other extreme and demote her and not give her the honor and respect she is due. a. She was a godly woman and God chose her to give birth to Christ. b. Luke 1: 48 says that “all generations will count her as blessed.” c. It would be wrong not to give her the respect that she deserves. B. Her Difficulty. 1. It is difficult for her to stand and watch Jesus on the cross. 2. The truth is, it has never been easy being His mother. a. He was born while Mary was traveling. b. When He was an infant a king tried to kill Him and they had to flee to Egypt. c. She had to contend with rumors about the fact that she was pregnant. d. He eventually leaves and it is hard to see Him go. e. He comes back to preach His first sermon in His hometown and all their friends get angry and try to kill Him. f. There was the constant gossip that He was fellowshipping sinners. g. There was the censure by the Jewish leaders who governed her life. h. The religious leaders accused Him of blasphemy and being a trouble maker. i. Her other children though He was a lunatic. j. There were death threats. 3. She bravely endured these things and therefore, it is not surprising that she is courageously standing by His cross. 4. Standing with her is John; perhaps because her husband is already dead. C. John 1. The night before he promised his undivided loyalty to Jesus but then he ran. 2. Here he is back at the cross and he doesn’t receive a rebuke or condemnation; instead he receives a responsibility. 3. That is the way it is; it doesn’t matter what you have done or how much you have failed, whenever you come to the cross you do not get condemnation; instead you get grace. IV. WHAT JESUS SAYS: A. “Woman, behold your son!” 1. Jesus is telling Mary to look at John. 2. He is saying, “From now on let John be for you what I cannot be any more, your son.” 3. Just before He dies Jesus is thinking of someone else, His mother! B. “Behold, your mother!” 1. And the passage says: And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household; vs. 27. 2. What that means is, from that day forward, anything John had was hers; his family, his home, and his life. V. WHAT JESUS HAS JUST SAID AND WHAT WE NEED TO LEARN FROM IT. A. What Jesus does here by providing for the needs of His mother tells us that: Discipleship does not demand the negation of our responsibility to our fleshly relationships. 1. Becoming a disciple does not mean that suddenly you treat your family with rudeness and lack of concern. 2. His actions also tell us that respect for your parents is an ongoing Biblical principle that you never out grow; it certainly does not go away simply because you have taken up your cross and followed Jesus. a. See Proverbs 23: 22. b. See Matthew 15: 3-6. 3. Instead of discipleship causing us to ignore our parents, it should make us treat them better. B. His words and His actions also teaches us that God expects us to take our spiritual family responsibilities seriously. 1. Jesus gives the responsibility of His mother to John; why not to her other children? 2. John 7:5 says “For not even His brothers were believing in Him.” 3. The indication is that at the time of the cross His brothers did not believe in Him. 4. But, remember Matthew 12: 50 who Jesus said was His brothers and sisters –“Those who do the will of His Father.” 5. When Jesus turns the responsibility of His mother over to John, He is turning her over to His spiritual brother or His brother in the faith who is actually a more devoted brother than a flesh and blood brother. 6. The reason He did that is because brothers and sisters of faith are to be m ore dependable, more caring, more responsible than brothers and sisters of the flesh are. 7: In fact; vs. 27: “And that hour the disciple took her into his own household.” a. That statement means he took responsibility for her. b. The reason this statement is here is to show us that disciples’ of Christ are to take their spiritual family relationships and responsibilities seriously. c. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to be dependable, caring, and concerned when those who are flesh and blood are not. Conclusion: Every time when someone comes to the cross they become a part of a new family. Christ turns to us and says, “Behold, your sister” or “Behold, your brother.” We become brothers and sisters in Christ and because we are we are to help each other and take care of the needs of those who are member of our new family. God intends for us to be a family who takes our responsibility seriously. He puts His son on the cross to make it happen. How can we look at the cross and do otherwise?