TRUST HIS HEART
John 19:25-27
TEXT: Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus there-fore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
PROPOSITION: To motivate the hearer to trust God’s plan for his/her life even though he/she may not fully understand the why of God’s plan.
INTRODUCTION: TRUST HIS HEART
God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand,
When you don’t see His plan,
When you can’t trace His hand, Trust His heart.
All things work for our good,
Though sometimes we can’t see how they could.
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth,
Our Father knows what’s best for us;
His ways are not our own.
So when your pathway grows dim,
And you just can’t see Him,
Remember, you’re never alone,
He sees the master plan.
He holds the future in His hands.
So don’t live as those who have no hope;
All our hope is found in Him.
We see the present clearly,
But He sees the first and the last.
And like a tapestry, He’s weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him.
I. GOD’S PLAN CONCERNING YOU IS PERFECT
Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD,
Application: You may not always understand the hows or whys of God’s plan for your life, but His plan for you is perfect none the less. Mary did not always understand how God was going to work in her life, but she was ever willing to commit herself to God’s plan even though she didn’t understand it.
Luke 1:26-38 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and consid-ered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 "And be-hold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His king-dom there will be no end." 34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 "For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
II. GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU IS LIMITLESS
John 19:26,27 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
Application: What makes this statement of Jesus so very significant is the fact that Jesus made this statement from the cross. His body was in excruciating pain. His mouth was dry (He immediately asked for a drink after He made this statement) and His life was slowly ebbing away. Yet, in spite of all of His agony, Jesus’ love for His mother caused Him to ensure that her needs were met ahead of His.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
III. GOD’S COMPASSION FOR YOU IS COMPLETE v.26,27
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
Application: Jesus saw the despair on His mother’s face and it broke His heart. Mary was losing everything she had lived her life for, but deeper than that, Mary was losing her means of support and well being. Jesus had been the head of their household since the death of her husband, Jesus’ stepfa-ther, Joseph. Standing there at the foot of the cross Mary knew that she would now have to fend for herself. Jesus had such great compassion for sorrow that He asked His best friend, John, to take care of His mother – and he did.
Many times in the midst of our lives we begin to feel that there is no one who really cares, that we are all alone on this very populated planet. The good news is, Jesus knows and understands what you are going through and He is thoroughly involved in making sure that your needs are being met.
Romans 8:31,32 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Hebrews 2:17,18; 4:15,16 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted …
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
IV. GOD’S PROMISES TO YOU WILL CERTAINLY COME TO PASS
Application: I wonder, if while standing there at the foot of Jesus’ cross, if Mary remembered her very elated declaration to her cousin Elizabeth:
Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever."
Application: In the course of life and living it becomes so very easy to focus upon what is happening at the moment rather than embracing the bigger plan of God. Mary did not always understand God’s plan …
Twice we read this statement concerning Mary:
Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:50-51 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
Application: But the one thing that Mary knew was that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. She knew that God’s plan of salvation would come through her first born Son. Mary trusted God’s heart even though she did not at that moment, standing at the foot of her Son’s cross, understand His plan. God’s plan will always be accomplished:
Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.
CONCLUSION: TRUST HIS HEART
God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you don’t understand,
When you don’t see His plan,
When you can’t trace His hand,
Trust His heart.
