7 Words: Dear Woman, Here is Your Son

The Third Word:
“Dear woman, here is your son.”
(John 19:25-27)

We have been looking at Jesus’ seven words from the cross. His first word was a word of forgiveness. He told his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them, and even while he is being tortured to death, his heart is for those who caused his suffering. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The second word was a word of salvation. He told the criminal on the cross “Truly, today you will be with me in paradise.” He opens the door to heaven to those who will in faith accept him.

Today we come to Jesus’ third word. While Jesus suffers on the cross, he is not the only one who suffers. He recognizes that there are others who are suffering along with him. What will happen to those who he leaves behind? What will happen to his disciples? Will they be able to carry on his work, or will they end up as he has? What will happen to his mother? In Jesus’ time, a woman was given her worth based on the man she was related to. When she was a little girl, her worth came from her father. When she was older and got married, her worth came from her husband. And after she had children, her worth came from her sons. But not only her worth, but her protection and her provision.

By the context, we can assume that Mary is a widow. Although Joseph is mentioned twice by name, he never shows up in John's gospel at all. He has presumably died by the time Jesus reaches adulthood, which makes Mary an 'almana,' or widow, whose status depends on the surviving members of her husband's household. When Jesus dies, she will belong to no one. There will be nobody to take care of her. She will be responsible for everything, all on her own.

Mary has only made two appearances in John’s gospel. This is the second; the first time she showed up was at Jesus’ first miracle. It happens in John 2, where Jesus, his disciples, and Jesus’ mother were all at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and they ran out of wine. (John 2:3-4) When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

Jesus said that his hour had not yet come. But now, his hour has come. And there is Mary again with Jesus. She is not alone. Her sister is there, along with Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas. The beloved disciple is also with her as well. Scholars and tradition identify this disciple as John himself. We don’t know why he is there, but it is clear that he alone among the disciples is there.

When Jesus looks down from the cross, he sees them, and he speaks. He looks at his mother, and using the same term as he used at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, he says, “Dear woman, here is your son.” Then he looks at the disciple standing beside her and says to him, “Here is your mother.” From that hour, John says, the beloved disciple took Jesus' mother into his own home.

Just like in yesterday’s message, and the day’s before, Jesus not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk as well. He doesn’t just talk a good game; he lives it out, and even in his dying breath, he epitomizes what James would later say is pure religion. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

Jesus mercifully gives her a new son. He takes care of the widow in her distress. While Satan tears families apart, using HIV/AIDS, using sin, using divorce, using disease and all kinds of other means, Jesus fashions a new family. Remember that when Jesus breathed his dying breaths, he was caring for family. He was caring for orphans and widows. As for us, we who are so alive and well, how do we live this out?

And he still does this today in the church. Look around you. This is your mother. This is your father. This is your brother. This is your sister. This is your son. This is your daughter.

For some of you, you don’t know family. Or you do, but family is a bad word. Maybe your family wasn’t or isn’t so great. Through Jesus, God has invited you to be a part of his family. You are his sons. You are his daughters.

We have been brought together as family. And we are to care for our family. As a child, I learned a chorus that our church would sing, a song by Bill Gaither.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I'm part of the family,
The Family of God.