Behold You Mother – Devotions for 5-7-25
John 19:27 “Then He said to His disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’”
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. We all have mothers, or at least since we were all born, we had a mother. I have a mom; she lives in Minnesota with my sister and nephew. I try and call her about once a week just to say “hi” and catch up on anything that might be going on in her life or our family. At my age, I know my mom won’t be around forever, my wife’s mom has already passed, so I know it is important to stay connected. How do you stay connected to your mom?
When Jesus was dying, hanging on the cross, His mother came to be with Him. She braved the anger of the Jewish and Roman leaders and stood with a few other people, other women followers of Jesus and the disciple John. They stood near the cross and watched for those hours as Jesus hung there and then died. They saw it all.
How that must have grieved them all, but especially His mother Mary. How sad to watch your son die. As many who have lost children say, “Parents are not supposed to bury their children, children as supposed to bury their parents.” Mary would watch as Jesus died and then as He was buried.
But as He hung on the cross, Jesus looked down on those standing before Him, John, and some other women and His mother Mary. As He looked down on them, He called to John and to His mother and said to His mother, “Behold your son,” indicating John and to John, “Behold your mother,” indicating His mother, Mary.
Jesus knew the future. He had other brothers, but He knew that someone else needed to take care of His mother. He knew John would outlive all the other disciples and some of His own half-brothers. So, Jesus turned to John and Mary and called on them to be together, as if they were mother and child. Jesus was placing the care of His mom, on the shoulders of the one person He knew would be able to take care of her until she died.
John did. He took Mary with him wherever he went until they finally settled down in Ephesus where they would live until Mary would die years later. John fulfilled what Jesus asked him to do in taking care of His mother, Mary.
With Mother’s Day coming up, what are you doing for your mom, assuming she is still alive? In America we do all sorts of things including giving flowers and going out for dinner to her favorite restaurant. Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world, in 122 different countries, just not all on the same day. We celebrate mom this Sunday.
I believe that by showing care to His mom, while hanging on the cross, Jesus was showing the world, how important our moms are. Instead of thinking only of Himself, His pain, His sorrow, His fear, His death, Jesus was thinking of others, including His mom. The work of Jesus dying on the cross is all about others, all others, everyone who has ever lived. He paid the price needed to pay for our sins by dying on the cross. But even in the middle of that, He felt love and concern for His mom. Jesus took time to care for His mom, who was in emotional agony watching Him die, while He was in the greater agony.
If Jesus could do that for His mom, we can surely give mom a call.
Moms are important, so are dads. Show those who gave you life and those who raised you that you care, not just on Mother’s or Father’s Day, but throughout the year. Do as God commands us to in the ten commandments and “Honor your father and mother.”
Pastor Gary.
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