Jhn 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
It might be safe to say that this may be the least preached upon scripture in the Bible. It seems at first glance, to be a nice gesture but of little relevance to anything else. It is a scripture that for years I have been asked about but never had much of an answer about. Now I do!
John was a son of Zebedee and a fisherman. Salome is his mother and she is believed to have been a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. His brother was James and he was a partner to Peter as a fisherman before he met the LORD, JESUS. He was the writer of the Gospel of John as well as the Epistles I, II and III John and the Book of Revelation. He was born in Bethsaida of Galilee and he outlived all the other Apostles. He lived, according to Irenaeus and preached for at least sixty years after the ascension of JESUS, preaching orally for that time and then at the urging of others started to write.
Because he outlived all the other Apostles he eventually becomes the leader of the early church and assumes a patriarchal role by virtue of living so much longer than the others. He and his brother James are nearly inseparable throughout the Gospels. He was there desirous, that the LORD to call down fire from the heavens against the Samaritans. He can be found in the midst of some of the strongest debates. He appears to have been equally as ambitious and zealous as his elder brother James.
Knowing this of John makes it stand out whenever we also hear him referred to as, “the Apostle of love” or “the one that JESUS loved!” Love and the expression of love was a quality that he learned from JESUS and not something that was of his own nature. He and his brother James were known as “The Sons of Thunder” and for good reason. Their personalities and actions earned them their reputation. In Mark 9:38 we see the only time found throughout the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) where he is mentioned alone. In that instance his nature is seen as well, when he mentioned where he rebuked someone for preaching and casting out demons in the name of JESUS who was not or had not been a member of their group.
This fiery nature of his and his brother’s nature was a characteristic that he would use well as a fisherman as well as when he became a fisher of men. It would, however change in its expression over time but the underlying nature of determination was ever present throughout all the time and trials he endured.
With that background information on John let’s recall our text verse?
Jhn 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
In order to explain it I must back track and develop a foundation for it. Look with me first into 1 John chapter 4.
1Jo 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
This really is the basis for the Gospel of John as well as the Epistles of John. This is the point that John wants to drive home. This is what of all the things that he saw JESUS do, this is the thing that impressed him the most. This is what left such an indelible mark upon him. This is what so radically impressed him that he could see that JESUS was the MESSIAH, that HE was Y’SHUA ha MASHIYACH.
The most important point of the Bible is that GOD is! The next most important point may be that HE loves us. HE created us to express HIS love and to have us love HIM.
When Lucifer fell, as noted in Isa 14:11-15 and took with him 1/3 of the angels, he created a void in GOD. This void is comprised of missing love, that portion of HIS essence that had been used to create those angels. Those angels, just like everything else, were created out of GOD’s being, out of HIS essence. HE spoke them into existence out of the only thing, which existed before anything existed and that is HIS being.
This is expressed in another way in John 1:1-5;
Jhn 1:1 In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD.
Jhn 1:2 The same was in the beginning with GOD.
Jhn 1:3 All things were made by HIM; and without HIM was not any thing made that was made.
Jhn 1:4 In HIM was life; and the life was the light of men.
Jhn 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
From this, it is easy to see that the WORD, which we understand from further reading in the Book of John, was JESUS. Thus we also see the fact that JESUS was the very essence of The FATHER, that he was “love” incarnate.
Then HE created mankind as an expression of HIS love. HE did so in order that those who accepted HIS love would return it unto HIM. In returning this love to HIM we would thereby be fulfilling or completing HIM. As HE is our Shalom or our completeness we therefore would complete HIM as well, in a sense!
With that said we must understand the Greek in order to understand what “love” is as we read it. It is not the "sloppe agape" that is shown by most kids in love or even what is said to be love by most “church-folk”. In John 15:9 we find the truth of love. Jhn 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. This kind of love is an unconditional love. A love that gives but does so not give because it is "really" expecting to receive in return! I emphasize “really” because it is almost impossible for us to conceive of one without some level of the other and because there does exist some level of expectation. That is to say that GOD gave and did or does expect to receive in return. I don’t think I’m making this really very clear but I hope you can find my point in this that it is to be considered an unconditional love. You give love because you are love! That is your essence. You give love whether you are going to get it back or not. You give this love simply because that is what you are and it is essentially all you can do.
This is what is being expressed in Jhn 3:16 For GOD so loved the world, that he gave .... When JESUS came to the earth it was because The FATHER was giving of HIS essence.
When JESUS died on the cross it was because HE was giving of The FATHER’s essence (Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.)
This is also what happened in the beginning when GOD said;
Gen 1:26 And GOD said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: .... GOD made mankind in HIS own image and it was alone. It, mankind, was missing a part of it’s own essence just as GOD now existed missing part of HIS own essence because when Lucifer fell he took part of GOD’s expression of love with him. It, mankind, had nothing to express it’s love to and thus GOD makes woman from man’s side. HE takes a piece of man’s essence and forms another. One that is also missing some of the love it needs to be whole. Thus the natural attraction of one to the other! This same natural attraction is what draws us to GOD. We are missing HIS love and we see it expressed in HIS son, JESUS on the cross.
John attempts in his writings to convey this understanding of love. Every chance he can he tries to show the readers that GOD is love. That this is GOD’s essence and that this love is what we as CHRISTian, as being called CHRIST-like, we are to express to others. One such attempt can be seen in John chapter 8 where in a discussion with some Jews, JESUS states;
Jhn 8:34 JESUS answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Jhn 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the SON abideth ever. Jhn 8:36 If the SON therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Jhn 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Jhn 8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my FATHER: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
Jhn 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. JESUS saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
Jhn 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of GOD: this did not Abraham.
Jhn 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one FATHER, [even] GOD.
Jhn 8:42 JESUS said unto them, If GOD were your FATHER, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from GOD; neither came I of myself, but HE sent me.
Jhn 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word.
Jhn 8:44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Just as here it is noted that JESUS was having a hard time getting the Jews to understand HIS love or that of the FATHER’s expressed in HIM toward them, John too is having a hard time expressing in words this love. Remember when I started this discussion I described first John’s fiery nature. As you read through the Gospels you will see that John changes over time. He is noted less as being so fiery but more gentle, patient and loving. By the time we get to the text in the Gospel of John 19:26 he has changed dramatically.
Let me show you an interesting point in John’s life? Look with me into John 18:15-17;
Jhn 18:15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and [so did] another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. Jhn 18:16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
Jhn 18:17 Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also [one] of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.
As far as I know there is nothing in scripture that will lead us to understand that John and Caiaphas had prior knowledge of each other. There is however something that may lead us to understand these verses and the knowledge that is being spoken of. In verse 17, the damsel that is keeping the door, ask Peter if he is one of the disciples of CHRIST after John has just spoken to her apparently about him. He is made “known” unto her. Is it possible that this is the same kind of “knowledge” that existed of John to Caiaphas? That is to say, is it possible that as JESUS was led in to see Caiaphas that John was secure enough in his belief in who JESUS was that he was willing to let if be known that he was a disciple of JESUS? Was he willing to put his life on the line for JESUS? That he loved HIM enough to be known as a disciple of CHRIST?
Mar 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
This verse has a parallel reference found in John 12, which reads;
Jhn 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
I believe that without fully knowing it, that is what has happened here. I believe that John has stepped over the line of faith and love. In the life of Mary the mother of JESUS we see an overall similar transition in her life. Even though told who JESUS was before HE was placed in her womb she shows points of faith and misunderstanding throughout HIS life. Finally these three lives come together at the cross!
You can just imagine how distraught Mary would have been at this point? She knew of no reason for her son to be crucified! No reason for HIM to be condemned to a curse by the Jews by having HIM hung on a cross or as the Bible declares a tree! Yet there HE was, hanging to death before her. Her only comfort came from her sister, Mary Magdalene and by John who were standing by her. She was suffering a loss right before her eyes. Slow and agonizing was the loss hanging before her! Part of her love, her very being and her first-born child was being crucified before her eyes!
Seeing her suffering at HIS feet JESUS shows her compassion one more time as we see in our text;
Jhn 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Jhn 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own [home].
Jhn 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, ….
Understanding the pain of her loss, of the void she is starting to sense, JESUS leaves her some comfort as HE gives her a replacement in John. HE gives her another to love as a son. One who is also sharing in her loss to a degree! One who, of all the Disciples, shows some measure of faith and understanding!
Just as JESUS is the expression of GOD’s love for HIS creation mankind, John becomes an expression of JESUS’s love for HIS mother. At the same time Mary becomes an expression of HIS love for John. Neither is left comfortless! Neither is left with a void within them!
Each of us is called to present the love of GOD to a world that is suffering with a void in their lives. Each of us is called to carry forth the love of GOD to HIS creation. Is your life all about you or is it all about HIM?
JESUS is still the same yesterday, to day and for ever! Will you accept the expression of the FATHER’s love that HE manifests? Will you place yourself at HIS feet, at the cross and accept HIS love toward you? Will you accept HIM as your SAVIOR and place your life in HIS hands? Will you lay your life down for HIM?
Jhn 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Will you put your life on the line to follow JESUS into the court of the enemy? Will you lay your life down for HIM?
Woman, behold thy son! … Behold thy mother!
