Behold Your Son/Behold Your Mother Series

I think you’d agree: there is something noteworthy about the last words of men and women. Winston Churchill’s last words were reported, “I’m bored with it all,” as he died of a stroke at the age of 90. Maybe the amusing last words were by the king of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, who said, “I’m going to the bathroom to read.”

If we turn from the famous to the criminal, last words take on a somber significance. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice maintains a publicly accessible online record of every murderer that is put to death within or borders. You see the mugshot of 481 persons and read about the crimes that landed them on death row. But perhaps the most interestingly, you can also read their final words. You can read what they said literally seconds before a deadly cocktail of chemicals intravenously flooded their bodies, knocked them out, collapsed their lungs, and stopped their hearts. But, I found it interesting that eight out of ten prisoners choose to say something before they’re dispatched, and reading their statements is a somber and sometimes chilling experience. I recognize we are dealing with somebody’s sons here, so I don’t want any of us to take any of this lightly. Some of their last words are straightforward, such as Lawrence Buxton, who simply said, “I’m ready, Warden.”

The work of Jon Millward has combed through all the data and found the most used words of those who spoke their last words. The most frequently used words were, “love, family, thanks, and sorry” in that order. It wasn’t much different when you examined the most popular three-word phrases from these men as they said, “I love you,” “I would like (to),” “I am sorry,” and “Thank you for…” in that order. I wonder what your last words might be.

Jesus Christ hung on the cross for six agonizing hours before succumbing to the torture of crucifixion through asphyxiation. During that time, Jesus made seven statements on the cross that were recorded in the four gospels of the New Testament. Each one of these statements is significant and worthy of all your mental power.

Today’s Scripture

“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.’ This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

‘They divided my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.’

So the soldiers did these things, but standing by 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 nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:23-27).

To prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter in a month, I want you to devote your mind and heart to these seven statements of Jesus while hanging on the cross. Today we examine Jesus’ third statement while hanging on the cross: “Behold your son. Behold your mother.”

1. Behold Your Mother

“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son’” (John 19:26)!

Not one of the Gospels contains all seven of these statements of Jesus on the cross. But it is the gospel of John that makes sure we know Jesus’ care for His mother at this critical al moment. All four Gospels mention women who were brave enough to follow Jesus to the cross and witness his c crucifixion. And I do mean brave because most of the men fled from Jesus in the hour of His need. John’s Gospel mentions four women: Mary, the wife of Clopas; Mary Magdalene; Jesus’s aunt (referenced only as “his mother’s sister”); and “his mother” (John 19:25).

In the midst of words of anguish, Jesus has the word of affection for his mother. Let’s pause to consider Mary’s pain at that moment. I wonder what Mary was thinking about as Jesus hung on the cross. We can only wonder because not one of the gospels tell us even one word Mary said while Jesus hung on the cross. Now, I don’t have any definitive insight into the matter, but I wonder if her mind when all the way back to when Jesus was a child in her arms.

1.1 A Sword Will Pierce Your Soul

One scene, in particular, comes to mind as I think about Mary witnessing the gory scene of her Son’s crucifixion. If you “flashback,” Mary would have been a mother for only forty days when Moses’ law told her to appear in the Temple. She walked up into the city of Jerusalem to the Temple Mount to present her infant Son, just one month old. Suddenly an old man appeared in front of them as they moved into the outer courts of the Temple. Where he came from, Mary had no idea. But he was demanding to see the child. When she realized she could trust him and learned that his name was Simeon, it was there Simeon said to Mary: “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed’” (Luke 2:34-35). “A sword will pierce your soul” was perhaps all she could think about. Surely, this old man was “dead on” in his prophecy.