We Are Family!! Series

First Baptist Church

February 24, 2002

John 19:25-27

November 24th was a cold night, it was around 12:30 am and I

had just fallen asleep when Debbie woke me up. She told me it

was time — time for Joshua to be born. We finally arrived at the

hospital at 3:00 AM, and even though there was no rush, and

there was no traffic, I did run a red light. I thought I had a good

excuse, honestly, it was not that big a deal. After doing all the

preliminary things you have to do, we got settled into our room.

Time passed . . . more time passed and more time passed. Joshua

wasn’t in all that much of a rush to enter the world.

The doctor ordered some medicine to get Joshua to move a little

quicker, and Debbie got an epidural to take away the pain of the

medicine the doctor had given her to make Joshua move little

quicker. Well, time continued to pass and I was tired and hungry

and Debbie was sleeping. It was now around 5:00 PM and I was

doing what expectant dads are supposed to be doing, I was

pacing. I was walking up and down the hallways.

After all, I didn’t want to go to the cafeteria to get some food,

what if something I happened and I missed the birth of my child?

Nope, I ate cookies and crackers and drank coffee. To be totally

honest, I was bored. You may wonder, ‘how can you be bored

when your child is about to be born?’ Well, he wasn’t doing

anything and Debbie was sleeping, and I was hungry. Nothing

was happening.

Debbie finally woke up around 5:30 and said she felt pressure and

discomfort, I told the nurse Debbie had some pain and wondered

aloud if the epidural was wearing off. I thought it might make it

seem more urgent for the nurse. She was just about to get

something to eat, but figured she would check Debbie and go eat.

The nurse asked Debbie a couple of questions and as an

after-thought decided to examine Debbie, just to monitor her

progress.

My memory isn’t always good, but I do remember what the nurse

said next. She shouted, "she’s a 10 and the baby is a +2. Get Dr.

Carroll here now!!!!" I have to be honest again, I almost freaked

out. It may not make a whole lot of sense, but when the nurse

went ballistic I realized for the first time, ‘Oh my God, we’re

having a baby!’ I’m not stupid, I knew we were having a baby,

but the reality of it hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought, "I’m not

ready, I’m too young, no, I’m too old. . . no matter, I’m not sure

about this." Obviously, there was no turning back.

Well, that began at 5:30, the nurse had another doctor come in to

deliver Joshua, and finally at 7:00 PM, Debbie delivered Joshua.

When he was born, I was standing on Debbie’s right side and

when the doctor pulled him out, Joshua’s head was turned towards

me and his eyes were wide open. I mean there were WIDE

OPEN. It was the most awesome sight I have ever seen. There

was my little boy, just born, staring at me, wondering "who’s that

crying, blubbering person?"

Have you ever wondered what Mary was thinking as she saw her

little boy, her first born, hanging from the cross. People were

yelling, screaming, insulting, spitting and throwing rocks. She must

have wanted to comfort her boy — but she couldn’t, there was no

comforting, there were screams of pain, agony, blood dripping

down His naked, battered body. He was thirsty, but there was no

satisfying His thirst. The same body she diapered, the same

person she watched grow from a helpless infant. . . was being

crucified. Mary was broken hearted. She would remember what

the prophet Simeon said, when Mary and Joseph brought baby

Jesus into the temple to have Him dedicated, he predicted ‘a

sword would pierce her own soul.’ The cross was that sword,

and her soul was being pierced.

There is no mention of Joseph, and most scholars believe he had

died somewhere between the time Jesus went to the temple at 12

years of age and the time of Jesus’ death. None of Mary’s other

children were there. Instead, Mary is surrounded by family and

friends — there was Mary’s sister, Salome; there was Mary, the

wife of Clopas: there was Mary Magdalene; and the disciple

whom Jesus loved, John. Five people . . . waiting, watching,

enduring.

It was between 9:00 am and noon when Jesus looked over to His

mother and John. He looked at His mother and said "Dear