Will You Desert Him? Series

- What Will You Do With Jesus? -

Will You Desert Him?

Introduction

John 19:28-30 - the last moments of Jesus’ life.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Here he is not surrounded by his band of disciples. He hand picked them. He believed in them. He instilled within them a vision for who they could become. He instructed them in the ways of discipleship. He prayed for them and with them. He washed their feet. In the moment of conflict, they deserted him.

But Jesus wasn’t alone at the cross. John tells us of others who were there.

1. People At The Cross

-Those Who Ignored Him: Soldiers

John 19:23-24 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, 24 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...

Barclay: No picture so shows the indifference of the world to Christ. There on the Cross Jesus was dying in agony; and there at the foot of the Cross the soldiers threw their idea s if it did not matter.”

John reminds us that this is the fulfillment of prophecy from Psalm 22:18. The soldiers had no real interest in Jesus - he was just another criminal being crucified. It was a regular day at work.

-Those Who Loved Him: Mary

John 19:25-27 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Four women are here at the cross.

Mary, the wife of Clopas - we know nothing about her.

Jesus’ mother’s sister - Salome, the mother of James and John. (Mark 15:40; Matthew 27:56).

Mary from Magdala. We know Jesus cast 7 demons out of her (Mk 16:9; LK 8:2). Barclay: “She could never forget what Jesus had done for her.”

Mary, Mother of Jesus. In John’s Gospel we only see Mary at the first miracle, wedding at Cana, and here at the cross. She is present at two crucial moments - at the beginning and end of his ministry. John records few of Mary’s words, her presence in this Gospel is minimal.

Johan Gerhard: “She sees Him suspended, but cannot touch Him, she sees Him nailed, and can not loose Him. She sees Him dripping with blood but cannot remove it. She sees Him wounded upon the entire body, but cannot bind up his wounds. She hears him cry ‘I thirst,’ but may not give Him to drink.”

Jesus commits the care of his mother into the hands of “the disciple whom he loved” - presumably John.

-Those Who Abused Him: Jewish Leaders

John 19:31-37 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

The Jewish leaders were more concerned about the Passover, purity, law keeping, than the murder they had called out for and arranged. Not satisfied with crucifixion, they asked for his legs to be broken - John tells us that the fact that they were not broken is also a matter of prophecy. (Numbers 9:12; Zech 12:10). It is important to note that when his side was pierced, both blood and water came forth - evidence that he truly was dead.