As we look at our text this morning, we see Mary, the mother of Jesus, is no longer the adolescent who gave birth in a manger that was filled with hay. She is now 33 and 1/2 years removed from that scenario. And at this juncture in time the average age of those who lived in that day was approximately 50-55, therefore, she is advanced in age and her appearance is noticeably changed.
However, regardless of how she looks and who her son is this is the day of her son’s public execution, and the crowd has determined that her son, the one birthed from her womb, should face the humiliation of execution by the Roman Cross, hung between two thieves.
Now this is not a trio of thieves, nor is it a trio of lawbreakers. They do not have a common denominator in crime – but they have a common denominator in crucifixion. This is an unrelated group of men who are dying for three separate reasons.
One thief is on the left hand. If you will allow me to portray him, expose him and reveal to you who he is, I will tell you that his crime against the state is of such horrific nature that his execution is necessary.
He is not a model prisoner, nor is his crime worthy of exoneration or forgiveness by the State, he must die. He obviously has offended the decorum of the day. He is already been deemed without excuse and has been punished by the loss of losing his life. He is even hostile to the point of his death as he has turned his inner anguish into a barrage against his fellow prisoners - accusing one of being unusually gifted to command angels at His word.
The other thief is on the right hand of this triad. He too is guilty of some crime which has required his immediate dismissal from the walk of life. He is guilty without a doubt. And he is now realizes that his life ebbs way as a result of his crime.
He realizes that it is now too late to get to the church house. It is now too late to get to the doors of the Temple at Jerusalem. However, he has found clemency, and he found mercy, and he finds compassion of his sinful soul by seeking remembrance from a fellow death row inmate.
But the there is Jesus who unlike either of these thieves. He is not guilty of any moral lapse, ethical error, or civil disobedience. As a matter of fact, if our neighborhoods were populated with more people like him, our neighborhoods would be safer, our churches would be happier and our cities would be flourishing with health and prosperity. His only misdemeanor crime could be that he has chosen to operate without a license:
He healed the sick without the benefit of the Medical Board Exams.
He raised the dead without the benefit of an Undertaker’s License.
He restored fractured fellowships without the benefit of a degree in Psychotherapy.
He walked on water without the benefit of Newton’s Law of Physics.
He gathered large crowds together without a Permit for a Lawful Assembly.
He fed large crowds without training in an Institution of Culinary Arts.
He opened blind eyes without the benefits of an Opthamology Degree with a specialization of Laser Eye Care.
He provided liquid refreshment at a wedding ceremony, when the wine ran out without the benefit of training in the study of water and the study of grapes.
Unlike the others prisoners who has no name mention, this Prisoner has many names -
Some call him:
Emmanuel
Wonderful Counselor
Almighty God
The Prince of Peace
The Everlasting Father
The King of Glory
The Shepherd
But I simply call him Jesus
Unlike the other two that is hanging in the cross - his mother is recorded as being present on this dreadful day.
This day of public humiliation is not only for the prisoner, but the family of the prisoner. When most families would have been at home, dressed in their mourner’s black, and locked into their homes with the curtains drawn and the doors shut, to block the scorning and ridicule of their neighbors. Mary is present.
This is a mystery, a testimony and a confirmation to what my own mother once told me and what my grandmother told me and what their mothers told them as well, and that is a mother loves her children all the time:
She loves them if they are:
The President of the United States - mother loves him.
Governor of the State - mother loves him.
Mayor of the City - mother loves him.
Called by God to preach - mother loves him.
He’s a husband - mother loves her.
If he’s a chief executive officer - mother loves her
If the child is the Television announcer - mother loves her.
If the child is a street pharmacist - mother loves her.
If the child is a robber, murderer or thief - mother loves him.
If the child is a prostitute, drug hustler, or an addict, mother loves her.
If the child is in Prison - mother loves her.
If the child is on death row - mother loves him.
She may not approve of their lifestyle. She may not approve of a circumstance. She may not approve of the decisions that they make. But if she’s a genuine mother, she can hate the sin, but loves the sinner.
And her love transcends the circumstances.
Her love transcends moral failure.
Her love transcends legal problems.
Her love transcends ethical lapses in judgment.
Her love transcends even the worst crime, the worst trouble and the worst performance.
And Mary has demonstrated this mystery of love. I want to look at two things:
Now notice if you please first of all, the Apostle John, writing is not a part of the synoptic gospel, (synoptic which mean similarity) Matthew, Mark, and Luke was similar, but John had a targeted gospel. Notice that he takes a careful approach to identify each and every person. He begins by saying that this crowd is not in the spectator seats:
They are not distant.
They are not far away
They are not far flung
They are not a stone’s throw away
They are not removed
The King James Version says "Now there STOOD." In Greek it says, "de histemai", which suggests that this crowd is knitted together to the situation and also to the circumstances. They are not only a part of the public spectacle; but they are a part of the private pain. They are not only a part of the uneasy circumstances; but they are participants in deeply rooted sorrow. They are a part of the landscape - not as a fly on the wall, but they are there as a prominent personal participant.
They are there not just to witness his pain but they are filled with agony as well. They are not there just to witness his death but they are slowly dying on the inside as well. They are not there just to witness his torture, but they too are tortured on the inside.
They are there at the cross: a well-known instrument of most cruel and humiliating punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians.
And at the cross of Jesus are three women: there is Mary, his mother’s sister Mary, who is the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene. Three different women with three different stories:
Mary his mother is the vessel that God chose to use as a passage way of Jesus’ birth in a manger.
There is Mary, the wife of Cleophas who is the mother of James the less.
And there is Mary Magdalene. She is so named because she is from Magdala. She has been healed from the possession of evil spirits, in fact, she had seven demons that Jesus commanded to come out her. Yeah she was at the cross.
At the cross there is a man there. The Apostle John, the beloved John, the John whom Jesus loved, and he’s not there by accident, but he’s there by providence.
The Lord’s suffering has summoned him, and he is not alone, his suffering has summoned every believer in this room, I know this because Jesus said “and I, if I be lifted up, I’ll draw all men unto me.”
I’m here today because he was wounded for my transgressions.
I’m here today because he was bruised for my iniquities.
I’m here today because the chastisement of our peace was upon him.
I’m here today because by his stripes, I am healed.
And as he is pierced on a Cross, with life oozing out of his body, his mother watches him helplessly, but Jesus watches her from a different perspective.
She saw him as her child, and he sees her as his mother;
She saw him as an innocent child, but he sees her as a sinner who needs grace;
She saw him as a suffering son, but he sees her as a woman who needs provisions after he’s gone.
She saw him as her baby in trouble, but he sees her as a soul in trouble;
She saw him as a dying man, but he sees her as a soul that needs saving.
Notice that these women at the cross, they were there at great risk, because in the eye of the Romans, Jesus was a revolutionary, and a heretic in the eyes of the religionist leaders.
And any supporter of Jesus who stood at the cross ran the risk of ridicule and arrest. Nevertheless, these women stood there. Why, simply because they loved Him. There is no other explanation: other than they simply loved Him. He had done so much for them that they were willing to stand by Him no matter the cost.
Look at what Jesus does, Jesus interrupts the process of death. And he’s the only one who can do that. In fact He can remove the sting of death. He can stop death in its track. But He does not stop death here, simply extends the deadline by a few minutes. If you don’t believe me:
Ask Hezekiah, God added 15 years more on his life.
Ask the John when he was scheduled to die but God prolonged that thang.
Ask somebody who the doctor gave up on a long time ago.
Ask somebody who was should to have been swallowed up by death a long time ago.
My brothers and sisters, Jesus care. Jesus concern is more than just a hallelujah and glory on the other side, but Jesus concern is for us on this side of the grave.
The good is news that Jesus Cares. Your friends may not care about you but Jesus cares. Your family may not care for you, but Jesus cares. That’s how we got to this cross, because he cares.
And his care is not always based on our future needs, but thank be to God, sometimes it’s based on our current conditions. Do you remember when Jesus disciples were caught up in a storm? The boat was tossed about. His concern was demonstrated not after the storm, but during the storm.
Remember the blind man on a highway. He calls out for Jesus to see about him. His concern was demonstrated not after he received his sight, but during his blindness.
A centurion had a child that was sick. He goes to Jesus and his concern was not demonstrated at the funeral, but while the child was sick.
Watch this: Lazarus died, and Jesus shows up and his concern was not demonstrated during the funeral procession, but during the heartbreak in the home.
Look at this: He looks and sees Mary, standing by the cross, and he offers closure. He invites her to look at him. As if to suggest that this is a last viewing of her birth child and then he opens up an Office of Mother Support, and He transferred his care of his mother to the care of John.
He places Mary into the hands of John. But he makes sure that John understood his new role. Mary is now his mother. I know that you love me, and you know that I love you. As if to say, she was my mother, but now she’s your mother.
Somebody here understands that you lost your mother or father a long time ago, but God has raised up not a foster-mother, not a foster-father, not a step-mother, not a step-father, but a MOTHER or a FATHER to establish a relationship with you.
And may I tell you that the power of connection can make all the difference in the world, because it’s about who you hitch your plow to that makes the difference in how you work the field. Who you hang out with can make the difference in your deliverance.
And I’m so glad that there are God ordained connections, even when momma is gone, God will not allow you to be alone.
You remember the story of Moses don’t you? Well, it proves that if Mother is gone, God will provide a Mother somehow. Because if you remember Moses was sent down the River in a mini-ark, and is connected to the house of Pharaoh and his mother is connected to provide for him.
The story of Joseph proves that if Father and Mother are Gone that God will provide somehow. He is removed from his parents, but he is connected with blessings in spite of his captivity in a strange land.
The story of Elisha proves that God will provide connection with an Elijah.
The story of Barnabas proves that God will provide connection with a Paul.
But I have my own story, and my story is that God will provide.
I’ve seen the lighting flashing, and I’ve heard the thunder roll, but
I know that God will provide somehow.
Jesus provides a connection, and you don’t hear John say:
”Not Me”
“I’ve got too many responsibilities”
”I’m too busy”
“Get somebody else.”
Jesus knew he had the right man, at the right time.
Notice that Jesus had other brothers and sisters, but they could not handle his mother. Surely, there were some other survivors in this family, some kinfolk in this family, but Jesus goes beyond the bloodline to establish relationship.
And John takes her, the King James says “home.” But this goes beyond that. He does not only take her home, but he makes her a part of his life.
I have discovered you can be in a house, but it may not feel like home. But thank God, even though she is suffering, she is not alone.
Somebody here ought to be a witness: that it was at the cross, somebody say, at the cross. It was at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burdens of my heart rolled away.
My brothers and sisters, Jesus is the master teacher. The mystery of this story is that Jesus is showing us what being in the Kingdom is really like. You may be lonely, by yourself, but Jesus wants to provide for you and I a way to be part of him.
Somebody here ought to be a witness:
He won’t leave you by yourself.
He will walk with you.
He will talk with you.
He will fellowship with you.
He will hold your hand.
He will give you rest.
He will be your best friend.
Somebody here ought to help me close this message! He died for my sins! He was buried! But early one Sunday morning, He got up.
I hear you Mary – on the way home – I once was young – but now I’m old, but I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread. HE WILL PROVIDE
At the cross I can say:
Living he Loved Me
Dying he saved me
Buried He carried my, Sins far away
Rising he justified
Freed me forever
One day he's coming back glorious day x2
I’m reminded of a story about two little brothers that was going out to the woods to play and I heard their mother say that get back here before dark so that you won’t get lost in the woods, and the little boys said that they would.
Well. it got late over in the evening and the boys was having such a good time that it got dark on them real quick. As they turned to go home they ended up getting lost.
The boys looked around and didn’t see their house and they got scared. But one of the boys looked off into the distance and noticed a light shining bright. He told his brother if we follow that light, that we can get home safely.
Well, at first the one brother culd see the light but he couldn’t make out the light, but the other brother knew what the light was all the time,
I heard the one brother ask the other brother why are we following that light. The brother answered, that light is the church that I got baptized at, that light is the cross on top of the church, that light is where I received my salvation. That light is the cross that is on top of the church.
When they got home the mother was worried about her children and when she saw them her eyes were filled with tears, and she asked the boys how did you make it back and the one child said that it was at the cross that guided me home.
And that is a message for some one here this morning that is out in the wilderness of this world, it will be at the cross that your deliverance will show up.
Anyone need the cross?
Anyone want the cross?
It was at the cross where he died for your sins and my sins. yes he died but early, I said early one Sunday morning he got up, with all power in his hands.
