So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.  There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them.  Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.  It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."  Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.  Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, '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 clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier.  They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.  So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it."  This was to fulfill what the scripture says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots."  And that is what the soldiers did.  Meanwhile, standing near 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 beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son."  Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother."  And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (John 19:16b-27) (NRSV)

During this season of Lent leading up to our Easter celebration, we are examining Jesus' seven words from the cross.  As we read the gospel narration of that tragic, horrifying time on the hill called The Skull, we have seen how the gospel writers have drawn our mind's eye to specific incidents and words spoken by Christ while He hung on that Roman cross.  It is as if we are looking through a telescope, bridging all time and space, with the gospel writers gradually bringing each incident, each word into sharp focus.

Last week, Luke focused our eye upon Christ's conversation with the thief, and we saw clearly the wonder of God's grace.  The week before that he focused our attention upon those powerful words, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they do".

And this week we turn to the gospel of John, and John brings that telescope again to our eye and he turns our attention away from the sordid scene to a sad scene; away from our Lord's foes to His friends; away from a scene of greed to a scene of grief; away from the soldiers to the sufferers (see John Phillips Commentary on John 19:25).  For there are others who have come to Calvary and our attention is drawn to them.

Near the cross of Jesus, writes John in verse 25, stood His mother, His mother's sister, identified as Salome in Mark's gospel, Mary the wife of Cleophas, Mary Magdalene and the disciple John.

There they stand, a little group, near the cross of Jesus.  Stunned and silenced by all that had been enacted before their eyes, they stand brokenhearted, helpless, listening.  Would the Master speak again?  He has spoken twice already, if He speaks again, not a word must be missed.  And so we read that:

"When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son,' and to the disciple, 'here is your mother'." (John 19:26,27) (NRSV)

So John focuses the lens of our attention, near the cross of Jesus, a place where we like to think that perhaps we would be standing too if we were living at the time.  At our highest and at our best, when God is so real to us, when the love of Christ is so precious to us, we like to think that we too would have been near the cross of Jesus on that day.

And so John brings us near, and says to us in effect, do you want to be near the cross of Jesus?  Do you want to take a stand for the cross of Jesus with this small group?  Well, then be prepared to learn from them - I think we can learn three things.  When you come near the cross, come in Mary's devotion while you are there, know the Savior's provision when you turn to go from the cross, and into the world go with the disciple's reaction.

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Come to the cross with Mary's devotion, while you are there.  Know our Saviour's provision.

"Dear woman, here is your son." And to the disciple, "here is your mother." It was a Jewish custom that when the father of the family was gone (and since there is no mention of Joseph here, we can assume that Mary is a widow at this time), the eldest son was responsible to provide for his mother.  If he was unable to do it, then he had to see to it that she was provided for.  It is this filial duty that our Lord now performed on the cross.

And don't think that it is some distant happening, inapplicable in our day, because it really is a picture of how our Lord provides for us.

Notice our Saviour's selflessness..  "Here he is in agony upon the cross, in a moment when the salvation of the world hangs in the balance, and He thinks of His mother being alone.  He was Mary's eldest son, and even in the moment of His cosmic battle, He never forgot the simple things that lay near home.  To the end of the day, even when on the cross, Jesus was thinking more of the sorrows of others than of his own."²

And His attitude toward you is no different.  He will do anything to help you, He will bear any burden, He will go to any length, His heart is for you, selflessly for you.  Come near the Cross and you will see that that is the case, that He will selflessly give His very life blood for you, so you can be forgiven of your sins and experience life, life to the full now and forever.

He gives himself to you selflessly.  His selflessness.

Notice next His provision, His thoughtfulness.

"When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, Dear mother here is your son." His thoughtfulness.  He is thinking of her, of her needs, for her care.  As he hangs there dying she is losing her provider, yet even in her loss, she gains.  For our Saviour is ever thinking of her needs and He provides for her.

Mary had a heartfelt devotion to her Lord and her Lord provided for her.  Right down to the practical need of having someone provide for her economically.  Our Saviour's thoughtfulness.

I once heard Jill Briscoe tell of how she was on a tour of ministry, and was traveling every time she should have been eating.  She was starving by the time she reached the camp at midnight.  She knew where her cabin was but she went first to the dining hall, but it was all locked up.  Nobody knew she was arriving; they thought she was coming the next day.  And she remembers looking at her breakfast through the glass door.  So hungry, so tired.  Then she remembered praying a silly prayer, "YOU know Lord, it's not so much breakfast, but I would really love a peach.  I feel like a peach." That's a silly prayer.  She laughed at herself for praying it, turned around went to her cabin, and there on the doorstep, was not one peach but a basket full of ripe peaches!

It was just as if God leaned out of heaven and said, "Thank you for being devoted to me Jill, Have a peach."  His thoughtful provision, right down to the smallest detail.

You know we often think of our God caring for us in the midst of the crises.  He is the God who is strong and mighty on whom we can depend and call upon in the midst of crises.  Our God is there to deal with sickness, death and disaster.

But He is a thoughtful God and He cares for us not just in the midst of crises but also in the midst of the commonplace.  He cares about our household finances, He cares about our family relationships, He cares about our job difficulties about our problems at school.

He cares for our smallest, tiniest needs.  Our Lord's thoughtful provision.

Dear woman here is your son.

Do you see the progression here?  There is Mary - a picture of devotion to our Saviour - having a sacrificing, submitting, suffering love - renouncing all for His name's sake, but she is cared for.

There is this delicate balance then, isn't there, for just a moment ago we realized that we must in our devotion to our Saviour give all up for our Lord, not wanting anything in return, that is true.  But it is also true that when after we have given everything to God, we are cared for - He does not let us be in need.  Give and it will be given to you.

In His selflessness, in His thoughtfulness, He cares for you.  Do you trust him to provide for you?  I hope you trust Him.

III