I am a mother of two wonderful sons. I love them both more than words can say. I would honestly give my life for them. I think many mothers feel the same way, and if I had to think of a reason, I think it’s because we carried them for nine months. Before anyone else in the world gets to see them. But what’s even more incredible to me is as much as I love my sons, Jesus loves them infinitely more because he knew them before the foundations of the world. Ephesians one verses four through five says, for He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight, in love. He predestined us for adoption to be sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will. No mother has ever had a son like Mary had in Jesus. No mother ever had a son that loved her like Jesus. Jesus bearing the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders. About to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Even in this hour of agony, Jesus took this last opportunity to care for his mother. Let’s open our Bibles and let’s look at today’s scripture. It’s from John chapter 19. And we’re going to read verses 25 through 27. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, married the wife of Clo and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her woman. Here is your son, and to the disciple, here is your mother. From that time on, this disciple took her into his home, the gospel of our Lord. Praise. Let us pray. Heavenly Father. As we continue our lentin journey, we ask that tonight, your words at the cross reach our ears as words of comfort. You do not abandon us in our sorrow and pain. Our earthly families may not be with us any longer, or our earthly family may be torn apart and estranged because of sin. But we know we’re not alone, and you have given us our church family to walk with us during these times of triumph as well as trial. Help us to look up and see your face, Lord, and know we are not alone. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Swaddled in rags. Surrounded by barn animals and lowly shepherds. The first face that Jesus saw in the manger was not the face of a doctor. It was the face of his mother looking down at him with loving tears in her eyes and the face that Jesus saw at the foot of the cross. After he was beaten and his hands and feet were pierced, was the face of his loving mother looking up at him with tears in her eyes. Did you ever notice that at award ceremonies and uh, athletic celebrations, grown men will hold up signs saying, hi, mom, my own boys, regardless of where I was sitting in the crowd, as if by some magnetic pull they could pick me out of the crowd and wave to me. They would look for my face and just for a second our eyes would lock. And it was as if to say it’s going to be okay. And I don’t know if that was for my benefit or theirs, but that look meant. I’m with you. You’re not alone. Our Lord Jesus dying on the cross. Looked at a teaming throng of people who were cheering at him and pointing at him, and yet he focused on his mother and their eyes met and he wanted her to know she was not alone.

Luke, in his gospel, tells us that on the eighth day after Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, and in the Temple course they met a man named Simeon and he came up to Mary and he said something rather strange. Then Simeon bless them and said to marry his mother. This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel. And to be a sign that will be spoken against. So the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed and a sword will pierce your soul. Also, without a doubt, as Mary looked up at her son dying on that cross, she could feel the sword literally. Piercing her own soul. Just as Simeon had prophesied 33 years before the Greek translation for piercing the soul means to take away your breath of life. Mary must have felt the very life drain out of her as she looked at her dying son. But John tells us that at the cross, Mary wasn’t alone. She was with two other women, Mary, the wife of Clo Lopez, Mary Magdalene, and John the beloved disciple. Now you might be wondering, where was Joseph? We believe that at this time Joseph was dead. How long had Mary been a widow? Scripture doesn’t tell us, but traditionally, when a father would die in a Jewish family, the oldest son would be responsible for taking care of the mother. Therefore, as Mary’s oldest son, Jesus now had the responsibility to care for her. Dear woman, here is your son. In these words, Jesus was fulfilling his duty to his mother. Jesus made provisions for her needs with these simple words that his beloved Apostle John was now to consider Mary as his mother and Mary was to consider the beloved Apostle John as her son. Now knowing the nature of Jesus, we honestly should not be surprised by this. How old was Mary? Most likely around 50. And that was pretty old back then to care for an aging Mary. That was a tall order, quite a bit to ask. You know if, if you’ve ever cared for an aging parent or relative or spouse or friend, you know, it’s not an easy task. And there are times when you might feel really burdened and hard pressed to see the blessing. You might actually feel resentful, especially if other siblings or family members are not pulling their fair share of the load. Do they have any idea how much time and energy and money this takes? My dad had a LS. I watched my mom take care of my dad for years. They lived in Florida. I live here, my brothers live in Connecticut. It was a 24 by seven job. My mom was in her seventies. I know there were days when my mom asked God why the neighborhood they lived in was not really supportive of sick people. You see, they lived in an active community in the villages, and having a LS really doesn’t fit into the active lifestyle. However, my mom’s sister, who lives down the street. Was an immense help spiritually as well as physically. She helped out my parents every day. My parents’ church, what a wonderful support they were. They brought food, they brought prayer, they brought fellowship, they brought communion, and this extended family helped my mom and dad. Not feel so alone during some really dark and tough times. My aunt and my parents’ church responded to the call Woman. This is your son. Son. This is your mother. Now, is it strange that Jesus chose John for this task? Why not one of Jesus’s own brothers? There is strong scriptural evidence that Jesus had maybe at least four brothers, James, Joseph, Jude, and Simon.

So why entrust his mother Mary to the Apostle John and not one of his brothers? We may never know for sure, but the answer might be found in a statement by John. For not even his own brothers believed in him. It seems that if Jesus’s family, it was only Mary, his mother, who believed his mission. Remember, none of Jesus’s brothers were standing there at the cross. Scripture tells us it was actually not until after his resurrection. That his brothers came to believe. James, Jesus’, brother then came to be a leader in the church in Jerusalem. And Jesus’ brother Jude, we believe is the author of the Book of Jude. But at the time of the crucifixion, Jesus entrusted Mary to his apostle John, and John understood enough of Jesus’s mission to know what that meant. I’ve read this passage many times, and maybe you’ve been thrown off like I have. By the fact that Jesus addresses Mary as woman, and he also did this earlier at the wedding at Cana. Both times Jesus addresses Mary, not by the name mother, but by the word woman. Well, what I’ve discovered is that the word woman. Is a term of respect and honor. No time in the gospel. Does Jesus ever refer to Mary as mother? Why is this important? At the foot of the cross, Jesus makes sure to not call her mother because Jesus is breaking his earthly relationship with Mary. What he says to her in effect is. I’m no longer your son. I’m now your savior. You are no longer my earthly mother. You’re now my heavenly sister. For Mary to go to heaven, Jesus must be her savior, not her son. If Mary is going to be part of not only the earthly family of Jesus, but the heavenly family of God. She has to see Jesus in a totally different light. And this brings us to our first biblical truth. The faith relationship is more important than the family relationship. By having faith in Jesus, we can have the same relationship to Jesus that Mary did. We as believers are all part of Christ. Heavenly family. Yes, we have a family in Jesus. No matter how sinful, dysfunctional, or broken our earthly family may be, we have a family in Jesus. You know, one time Jesus was standing around and there was a crowd of people and some people came up to him and said, Jesus, your, your mother and your brothers are looking for you. And he said to them, who’s my mother and my brothers? And then he looked around the circle of people and he said, here are my mother and my brothers, for whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and my mother. But even though Jesus was dying as her savior. Jesus did not forget that while living he was her son and having just provided a heavenly home for a thief right next to him, Jesus now provides an earthly home for his wonderful mother because even in dying, he’s letting her know I love you. I care for you, and I’m going to see that your needs are met.

You’re not alone. And Jesus promises this to us as well. In Matthew 28 20, he says, and surely I am with you, always to the very end of the age. At the peak of his agony, his torment and his pain, Jesus took care of his mother. And guess what? We’re called to do the same thing. John’s gospel records, and from that hour, the disciple took her into his home. Not only did a mother adopt a son, but a son adopted a mother, and Jesus arranged the whole thing. And this brings us to our second biblical truth. You are never too old to honor your parents. And your parents are never too old to be honored. In fact, there’s even a greater lesson if Jesus can honor his mother while he is dying. Surely we can honor our parents while we’re living on the cross. Jesus was asking John to take his place. What Jesus, in effect was saying to John is. I’m taking your place on the cross. After I’m gone, you need to take my place on earth. Jesus wanted Mary, his mother to be embraced by a community of believers. That’s why I believe that Jesus turned to John instead of one of his own brothers. Jesus wanted Mary to be surrounded by a fellowship of believers who would share in her pain as well as her joy. In committing Mary to John, Jesus is placing her in a community of concern with other believers, and at this point, while her blood family may not have been able to give her what she needed, Jesus wanted to make sure that Mary had a community that would take care of her. In his moment of death, Jesus turns his attention to his mother’s welfare. And he truly marks the Christian Church focus on serving others. And this brings us to our next biblical truth. The church is literally a fellowship with Jesus, where a fellowship signifies a common participation, a togetherness. A community life. Those who are truly Christians are bound to each other through their common sharing in Christ and the Holy Spirit. Now, this coming weekend, we are going to be launching sort of a revamping of our small group, and that is so that we can focus more intentionally on being a Christian family. On being the body of Christ to each other here at Victory. Not all of us have living mothers and fathers. Not all of us have earthly mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters that we can count on, but we do have each other from the beginning. Christians have found their strength and comfort in community. We are bound as Christ followers by the love of Jesus to one another.

Jesus told us I give you a new commandment that you love one another. Justice. I have loved you. You also should love one another. By this. Everyone will know that you are my disciples. Jesus wants us to be the church caring for one another as Christ cares for the church, even taking the role of a parent or a child, or a brother or a sister to those who need us. Both John and Mary showed us the example of. Seeing Christ and those who need a mother or a father or a son or a daughter. And here at Victory, we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ. And as we look forward this weekend to celebrating small groups Sunday, I ask that you pray about who is God calling you to be in community with. As a brother, a sister, a mother, a father, or maybe just a friend. Loving one another is the one act by which we are known to be his disciples. Let us pray. Dear heavenly Father, your words on the cross were broken out of concern for us, for your family. Your love and compassion convict us. We also need to make time for others. You loved us so much, you died for us. Help us to love others enough to die to self and become their earthly mother, brother, sister, or father, and share the gospel. Good news that you are our Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.