1.0 The Statement

Jesus’ Third Statement on the Cross: “Behold your Son….Behold your Mother” (John 19:25-27) – God’s Word teaches that “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). Jesus, on the Cross died not only for His friends but also for His Enemies – “While we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

“Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus His mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the Disciples standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, “Woman, behold thy Son! Then saith He to the Disciple (John), Behold your mother! And from that hour that Disciples took her unto his own home.” (John 19:25-27). Jesus’ Disciple was John, who wrote the Gospel of John and bears witness of these things.

The four Roman Soldiers were there, but they were there because of duty. The four women were there with the Apostle John; there were there out of devotion for Jesus; they loved Him. The four women were: (1) Mary, Jesus’ mother; (2) Mary Magdalene; (3) Salome (Jesus’ mother’s sister); (4) Mary, the wife of Cleophas; and John, the Apostle.

The Phrase: “Near the Cross,” has become an evangelical cliché; we prayed: “O Lord, keep me near the Cross;” and we sing about standing near the Cross. What does it mean to be near the Cross of Jesus? Obviously we are not speaking about literally in the place outside Jerusalem – the physical Cross of Jesus Christ was already gone; thus, we are speaking about the spiritual experience of Jesus’ Cross, the relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ – Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  The Revelation of what happened at the Cross helps us to understand what it means to be near the Cross of Jesus Christ.

1 Place of Redemption

The Cross of Jesus Christ is the Place of Redemption – Mary Magdalene was there as shown in John 19:25. Mary Magdalene has been delivered by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not the Mary Magdalene of Luke 7:36-50, the woman who anointed Jesus with the costly perfume. The Mary Magdalene at the Cross was the woman mentioned in Luke 8:2 (Mark 16:9) as the woman out of whom Jesus had cast out seven-Demons in her. Mary Magdalene was not only at the Cross, but also early in the morning of the resurrection she came to Christ’s tomb. Mary Magdalene had been in bondage to Satan. Redemption was costly, and Mary Magdalene witnessed the first hand – Christ’s Broken Body and Shed Blood, on the Cross was the Price of her Redemption

2 Place of Forgiveness

Salome was at the Cross, she was Mary’s sister, the mother of James and John, and the wife of Zebedee. She was remembered as the woman who came with her sons, James and John asking for her sons to be seated on the right and left hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, judging Israel (Matthew 20:20-28). James was the first Apostle to be martyred and John was the last of the Apostles to be martyred. Although Salome, had made an unsuccessful request to Jesus for her sons, nevertheless, the Lord Jesus did not hold that against her. She was at the Cross, a changed person, having a deep devotion for the Lord Jesus Christ.   

3 Place of Grief (Luke 2:35)

Mary the Mother of Jesus and John the Apostle were at the Cross – the Cross was a Place of Pain as well as the Place of Reward of for Mary, the mother of Jesus, seeing her Son died, a cruel death, on the Cross for her Redemption and the Redemption for the World (John 3:16) – Luke 2:35 “(Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  We find Mary in John 2 and in John 19, and the two incidents are contrasted:

• In John 2, Mary was attending a wedding and was involved in the joys of the feast witnessing Jesus turning the water into wine, when the Host ran out of wine (John 2:11). In John 19, Mary was at the Cross of Jesus Christ, nursing her grief and pain of seeing her Son on the Cross, His (Christ’s) broken Body and shed Blood, dying for the sin of the world (John 3:16).
• In John 2 (2:11), Jesus demonstrated His Power of turning of the water into wine. In John 19, our Lord Jesus died, for the sin of the world, in submission and obedience to His Father’s Plan and Will (Philippians 2:6-8; Hebrews 5:8), to complete the Plan of Salvation.
• In John 2, Mary was Rejoicing & speaking; in John 19, Mary was in grief and silence. 
• What piercing of Mary’s heart must have been hers when she saw her Son despised and rejected of men – the Crowds were mocking, the Thieves were taunting, the Priests were jeering, the Soldiers were heartless and indifferent, the Son (Jesus) was bleeding and dying – and there is His mother beholding the horrible mockery (Luke 23:35-39).
• What grief must have wrung her heart as she beheld her Son (Jesus) hated and persecuted by His own Nation (Matthew 27:22, 23).
• She has experienced the Prophecy of “heart-rending” – “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).  
• The Bible exhorts us to honour our Parents (Ephesians 6:1, 2).
• Proverbs 23:22 “Despise not your mother when she is old.”

No	At the Wedding Feast (John 2)	At the Cross (John 19:25-27)
1	Mary was Joyful at the Wedding	Mary was nursing her grief at the Cross
2	Power of Christ (water turned into wine)	Submission & Obedience of Christ.
3	Mary was rejoiced in speaking	Mary was in grief and in silence
4	Mary saw Jesus was accepted & honoured	Mary saw Jesus was despised and mocked
5	Mary saw Jesus was accepted by His Nation	Mary saw Jesus was rejected by His Nation
6	Mary experienced the Prophecy of “Signs & Wonders & Miracles” as affirmed of Christ the Messiah (Heb.2:4).	Mary experienced the Prophecy of “heart-rending” at the Cross (Luke 2:34-35).
7	Lesson: “Honour our Parents” (Eph.6:1-2)
8	Lesson: “Despise not your mother when she is old” (Prov.23:22).

4 Place of Responsibility

John came back after “all forsook Him (Jesus) and fled,” when Jesus was arrested (Matthew 26:56, 31). Jesus committed His mother, Mary to John, and said: “Behold thy mother!” (John 19:27); honouring His (Jesus’) Mother (Ephesians 6:1, 2) by committing her, to him (John) to be taken care of – thus, John at the Place of the Cross, received the responsibility of caring for Jesus’ mother, Mary.