Woman Behold Thy Son

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.