John 19:25-27. “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister. Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then said He to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” THEY WERE THERE. They were there at the cross where the Savior hung; The others were far away. His mother wanted to be near her Son, To hear what He had to say. The women who knew Him from early life, And had followed Him wherever He went;
Knew the pain that would strike to His inner self, As under sins’ load He was bent.
He had said before what would happen to Him, How He would suffer and bleed and die. They had heard the words, now right before them, It was happening as they had heard Him say. But they wouldn’t leave Him, they knew who He was; They had heard and had seen and believed. The scriptures of truth and words of the law, Now at this place of the curse, were fulfilled.
His mother who bare Him, and kept in her heart, All the things that He said and He did; Were there to behold, though like pieced with a dart, When her Son spoke His last, final words. The other women there, with support and with faith, Were not about to leave Him alone. But when the darkness covered the earth, They couldn’t see Him, as there for our sins He atoned.
John was there too, by the One that he loved And knew to be the Savior of men. He was in the right place where his faith clearly showed He could be trusted to give Mary a home. John was there when sins He forgave, and the thief He did save; When his Lord spoke directly to him. He was there when the words of accomplishment came; He was there when the Lord bowed His head
To be right where He wants when a work’s to be done; Or some privilege to share with Him there; Is a blessing so great that we can then pass along; To our children, that they also may share. The work of the Lord that He does in our time; May seem small when we look from afar. But when we are there, close enough to see Him, Then we realize how He views it all.
“It is my desire, Father, to not be far away when I should be near at hand. If I am wandering to some distant place or even in my mind, I am praying Thee to bring me back to the place where He is doing His work and fulfilling His word. It is my joy to see evidence of His saving grace at work in people young and old, saved and unsaved. When glory is brought to Him, I am gratified. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
Summation: Pro. 4:20-21. “Keep them in the midst of thine heart.” v.19. A title: the statement on it was true. That was to tell the reason for His death. v.20. Three languages: the writing was for all to know. v.21. The Jews objection: they didn’t want to be identified with Him [Jn.1:12]. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” v.22. Pilate’s refusal: “I have written.” He writing makes clear to all the reason for Jesus’ death. v.23. Jesus’ clothes: scripture is fulfilled again: “They parted my garments among them…” Why is the fulfilling of scripture so important? v.24. Seamless robe: this reminds us of His sinless perfection; Scarlet robe – of the shameful rejection; Separated (linen) clothes (in the grave) – of His supernatural resurrection. v.25. Stood by: standing by the cross were His mother, His mother’s sister (Salome, self-examination); Mary the wife of Cleopas; Mary Magdalene (redemption) v.26-27. John: accepting responsibility for Mary. Jesus was not being impolite or unkind when He called her “woman.” Mary’s other children were, up till now, unbelievers [Mat.13:55-56; Jn.7:3-5]. The third cry from the cross “Woman, behold thy son, behold thy mother.”
- “Woman,” a revelation of life: the seed of the woman [Gen.3:15]; the Son of God came, made of a woman [Gal.4:4]. Here was the woman, and there was her Seed. The word of God was fulfilled. The bruising of the serpent’s head was about to happen. Life had come to end death.
- “Woman,” a revelation of light: it is never recorded that Jesus ever used the word “mother” when speaking to Mary. He would never use a word that would give the slightest support to the worship of Mary. Even when the wise men came at His birth, they worshipped Him and presented to Him
gifts – not to them. Mary glorified God her Savior. Mary was blessed among women, not above women. Our last view of her in the Bible shows her praying with the disciples, not for them. Here the Lord is cutting the earthly relationship. John is now her son; she was John’s mother.
- “Woman,” a revelation of love: the Lord had to go through the death of the cross alone. By using the word “woman,” He was sparing her from any insult that perhaps would come because of being her son. Mary didn’t take John to her home; Mary is put under the care of John and he is in charge of her.
THE DEATH v.28. Accomplished: between verse 27 and verse 28 was the three hours of darkness recorded in other Gospels. During that time “He bare our sins;” “He suffered for sins;” “the Lord laid on Him, the iniquities of us all.” The fifth cry from the cross “I thirst.”
- The Deity of Christ: “Jesus knowing…” The first time His “knowing” was mentioned is in John 1:48, “Whence knowest Thou me?” The last was in John 21:17, “Lord; Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest, that I love Thee!” In between we read in John 13:3-4, “Jesus knowing the Father had given all things into His hand…” Our Lord was in full possession of His mental faculties. This was in the fulfillment of scripture [Lam.3:19] but contrasted with the vigor of the previous cry, is the dignity and intelligence of this one.
- The Devotion of Christ: “That the scripture might be fulfilled…” He makes this cry on behalf of the scriptures. The first three cries were on behalf of other people. Now, after the darkness and the distance is past, His mind is on the prophetic word. Although many scriptures had been fulfilled, the one about the thirst [Ps.69:21] had not yet been fulfilled. It wasn’t the thirst that opened His lips but the scriptures that must be completed. These words were not so much an appeal as an appointment. This was an application that had to be fulfilled even in the midst of His affliction.
- The Dependence of Christ: “I thirst.” Thousands of angels could have come to His aid, but the One who created water cried, “I thirst.” The same verse that tells us of His essential deity, tells us of His absolute humanity. This is the mystery of godliness – “God was manifest in flesh.” He began His public ministry by hungering, and finished it by thirsting. v.29. Vinegar: the scriptures were fulfilled now. This was the last prophetic one that must be fulfilled. v.30. Finished: this is the most quoted one and perhaps the most well known. Peter wanted to “see the end” [Mat.26:58]. Calvary was the “end of all flesh” [Gen.6:13]. Calvary was the “end of the world” [Heb.9:26]. It was the “end of the law for righteousness [Rom.10:4]. It was the “end of the Sabbaths” [Mat.28:1]. The sixth cry from the cross “It is finished.”
- Scriptures were finished: many references are made regarding the death of Christ in the Old Testament. These were now fulfilled and the texts of the prophetic statements give the picture of the Lord being despised and rejected of men, and at the same time, heaven’s offering for sin. “He was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God…” [Acts 2:23]. He was cut off in the midst of His years, yet prolonging His days. He was cut off having nothing, yet seeing of the travail of His soul and being satisfied [Dan.9:26; Is. 53:11].
- Sufferings were finished: In His ministry [Mat.8:16-17] and in His death [Is.53:4] He suffered. “Surely He hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows.” All of the offerings He would have made in His life would have been reminders of the cross which was before Him. The Messianic Psalms and other scriptures that were His custom to read, would have been vivid in His mind as He thought of His approaching death. Three years of being misunderstood and misrepresented; of temptation and trial, were finished. Now He could bow His head and rest. Joy lay ahead of Him who endured the cross and despised the shame.
- Sacrifices were finished: [Heb.10:5-10] none of the thousands of sacrifices previously made could put away sins. They were only covered. By this one offering, He perfected forever those who were sanctified. The sacrifices are obsolete now. Christ’s sacrifice rises above all those, and supersedes them. His offering is supreme, solitary and sufficient. Any other form such as the mass, is an insult to the finality of the work of Calvary. There can be no other atonement for sin.
- Service was finished: [Jn.17:4] His Father’s work He started doing as a boy [Lu.2:49], was done. Now He could lay down His head. He had no place to “lay down His head” in His years of service. His work was not finished until the cross work was accomplished. The supreme work He came to do was complete. The work He is doing now in preparing a place for us in heaven, and appearing in the presence of God for us, is not part of the supreme redemptive work that He declared finished.
- Satan was finished: [Jn.12:31; Heb.2:14] Satan’s power over believers is destroyed and his doom is certain. We are warned of the “wiles of the devil,” but are not to dread his power [Jas.4:7]. We are told to “resist the devil, and he will flee…” The success of the cross spelled his doom. He will be
bruised under our feet shortly [Rom.16:20].
- Salvation was finished: We are freed from the penalty of sins – it has been paid, and the wrath against it exhausted in the cry of triumph from the Lord. Freedom from the power and presence of sin follows as a result. We are saved by His life because we have been reconciled by His death. His second appearance unto salvation is because of His first appearance to put away sin. The Greek word for “It is finished,” is “tetelestai,” one word meaning “Finished.” God finishes what He begins. He finished creation. He finished propitiation at Calvary, and He will finish the good work He began in us, in the day of Jesus Christ [Phil.1:6].
- Sin was finished: [Jas.1:15] The death of the Lord Jesus Christ has finished sin. It does not have dominion over us. It is not our master. Because of what Christ did, there will be a time when sin is done away with and there will be only righteousness. v.31. The broken legs: the Jews asked that this be done. They were careful to keep the law even when committing murder. There could be no broken bones in the Passover lamb [Ex.12:16; Ps.34:20; Zec.12:10]. v.32. The Lord’s promise to the thief could be kept because they both died that day. v.33. Jesus was already dead: He gave His life as ransom for all. No one took it from Him. He laid it down Himself deliberately. v.34. Pierced His side: perhaps the soldier was making sure, but he was really fulfilling God’s purpose. “Behold My hands and side…” v.35. John testifies: he must have taken Mary home (“from that same hour he took her unto his own home”) and returned to the cross. John makes reference to the water and blood in 1John 5:6. v.36. Explanations of God’s control over simple situations and v.37. Over the actions of men. Some unexplainable things have to be seen from God’s view.