Jesus, the King of All Compassion

“Mother and Son”

(John 19:25-27, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, August 8, 2010)

25 … 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.

Standing by the cross of Jesus... (25)

This morning we began this service with a hymn based on Psalm 103. Part of the message of that psalm centers on the Lord's compassion. We sang, “Good is the Lord, and full of kind compassion.” Do you believe that? Do you think that there might be someone in heaven who is more understanding, more on your side, more full of kind compassion than Jesus?

One temptation that we need to resist is the idea that Jesus is not the most compassionate resident of heaven because someone else there knows us more intimately than he does, perhaps our own parents, or some other loved one. We might hope that a departed loved one, who surely cares for us, will convince Jesus to help us. Another idea that many find it hard to give up on is that some other person in heaven is more understanding than Jesus, because Jesus is a man.

Our passage this morning does mention some amazing women. We do not know for certain whether John refers to four women or to three. If three, then the woman called “Mary the wife of Clopas” would be the same woman who is called “his mother's sister.” At first this may seem strange, since the mother of Jesus also has the name Mary. However, the word “sister” can refer to a cousin or to someone in the extended family.

In any case, whether there are three women here or four, perhaps like your own mothers, you could easily say that these are some phenomenal women. To be with Jesus at this moment required courage. Several women had been supporting Jesus throughout His ministry. Mary Magdalene was someone from whom the Lord had cast out seven demons. Of course, the mother of Jesus knew about the extraordinary fact of the virgin birth as no one else could. Even after her divine Son was born, she was warned by the prophet Simeon in the temple that this baby would have something to do with the rising and falling of many in Israel. And then, he turned to Mary and said directly to her, “A sword will pierce your heart as well.” From several verses in the gospels we are brought to see that Mary did not always comprehend all of what was going on with her Son, and she was very concerned about His well-being. But we also remember these interesting words, that from the beginning she “treasured these things in her heart.” Even before Jesus was born, by the Holy Spirit she proclaimed, “my soul rejoices in God, my Savior.” The boy that she would give birth to would be God, her Savior. Now all generations call her blessed, but she was a mother too, a mother who did not understand everything that was happening in the life of her Son. And surely at this great and sorrowful moment, a sword is piercing her heart as she sees His suffering.

When Jesus saw his mother... (26-27)

Mary had a mother's compassion, but do you imagine that Jesus had less compassion than Mary? That would be wrong. Do you imagine that Jesus has less compassion for you than anyone else in heaven? Don't forget what Isaiah had written so long ago. Even back then, six centuries before Jesus, Israel was tempted to think that God did not have compassionate love for His people. So the Lord says this through the prophet Isaiah: “Zion (or Israel) said, 'The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.' Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” God knows that our mothers love us. Sometimes they don't know how to express it, but God knows that they love us. So He refers to a mother's love in Isaiah 49, and He says, “Even if your mother forgot who you were or rejected you, I will not abandon you. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

He knows that you might feel that no one could ever care for you as much as your own mother. At that point He does not direct you to blessed Mary, or to some other very compassionate woman. He directs you to Jesus. Your names are engraved on His hands. When He died, He had you in mind. Jesus is such a compassionate Savior. Draw from the grace that flows freely from Him. Think of Him personally as Someone who knows, loves you, hears you, and helps you.

Perhaps it will help you to remember the compassion of Jesus if you consider that when He was dying on the cross for your sins, He paused to care for His own mother. He saw His mother there. He had an eye for His mother. He has an eye for you too. He knew that she would be needy. Silence about Joseph makes us guess that he had died by this point. Mary was a widow. She had other children, James and Jude to mention two who went on to write the letters in the New Testament that bear their names. But at this precise moment of John 19 at the death of Jesus, the half-brothers of Jesus apparently did not believe. Our Lord would appear to James after the resurrection, and James would a great leader of the church in Jerusalem.

But it was the wisdom of the Son of God, the Son of Mary, Mary's Savior to make a provision for Mary that was not from her own family circle. He is not only compassionate. He is also knowledgeable and wise beyond anyone else. He knows the best place for Mary. Without a lot of words, in a brief and moving display of powerful care, the Savior simply says, “Women,” which was not disrespectful, “behold, your son!” And then to John, the young one, the disciple Jesus loved, “Behold, your mother!”

And from that hour... (27)

And so it happened. “From that hour the disciple,” John, “took her to his own home.” It is only a small story. But the timing of it all makes it a very powerful display of love.

God cares for you. There is no one more compassionate. Jesus is the perfect Son of God. His cross is the greatest display of love that there could ever be. He has not forgotten you. He has an eye for you. He sees what you need, and He looks at what He has planned for your life. He considers the timing of all things, and how everything will work together for God's glory, and your good. Then He provides, and we receive. If that's the way it is even on the day of the cross on this earth, how much more is it that way in heaven where He lives and reigns?

Some final thoughts: How can you honor the mother of Jesus? She was saved by her Son. She would want you to worship her Savior, and to come to Him as the God of all compassion.

Finally, love your own mother. If she is alive, provide for her, defend her, protect her, and honor her. If she has died, honor her memory in the best way that you can. If she loved and loves Jesus, remember her God, and may it be your privilege to show the greatest respect to your mother by worshiping the true and living God, who saved you and her. This is what she wants for you more than anything else. And this is what Jesus wants for you. Do this for Him. It will be good for you, body and soul.

1. What do we know about the women that were witnesses to the cross?

2. What do we know about the relationship between Jesus and Mary?

3. What do we know about the relationship between Jesus and John?

4. What do we know about the compassion of Jesus, and how does that affect our prayer lives?