Ep. 139: Mother and son

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JOHN 19:25-27

Some hours - probably two - had passed since Jesus had been nailed to the cross. We now trace the movements of John. When the Saviour was nailed to the cross. He seems once more to have returned to the city, this time, to bring back with him those special women who we now find standing close to the cross. A more delicate, tender, loving service could not have been rendered than this. Alone, of all the disciples. He is there, not afraid to be near Jesus, in the Palace of the High Priest, before Pilate and now under the cross. And alone he renders to Jesus this tender service of bringing the women and Mary to the cross and to them the protection of his guidance and company. He loved Jesus best and it was fitting that to his manliness and affection should be entrusted this unspeakable privilege. The narrative leaves the impression that with the beloved disciple these four women were standing close to the Cross; the mother of Jesus, the sister of his mother, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene.

It seems as if John had fulfilled to the letter the Lord’s command; ‘Behold your mother’ and literally from that very hour taken her to his own home. If we are right in this supposition, then, in the absence of John, who led Mary away from that scene of horror, the other three women would withdraw to a distance, where we find them at the end, ‘beholding from afar’ and now joined by others also, who had loved and followed Jesus.

This is an extract from the book, Jesus : Life and Times, available for £12 here (Finalist for Academic Book of the year at 2023 CRT awards)