John 94 – The Crucifixion (Part 2)
07/05/2026
Scripture 1: (Jn. 19:24b-30 ESV)
So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary
the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing
nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”
And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour
wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When
Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Scripture 2: (Exod. 20:12 ESV)
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving
you.
Sermon:
Every year as we approach Easter and our specific celebration of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we have a
tradition of reading and hearing the “Seven Last Words of Christ”. These “Words” are seven statements that
were made by Jesus from the cross and are collected from across the four Gospels.
Matthew and Mark record Jesus’ anguished cry of:
◦ “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46 ESV).
Luke records Jesus:
◦ praying for the forgiveness of those who crucified Him, “Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do.” (Lk. 23:34 ESV),
◦ promising grace and mercy to a repentant and contrite criminal, crucified beside Him, “Truly, I say
to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Lk. 23:43 ESV)
◦ and, offering a final prayer of hope, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Lk. 23:46 ESV).
Similarly, John also records three statements made by Jesus on the cross:
◦ Him making final provision for His mother, telling her “”Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to
the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”” (Jn. 19:26-27 ESV),
◦ an expression born from out of His true humanity, “I thirst.” (Jn. 19:28 ESV),
◦ and finally, Jesus’s last proclamation “It is finished,” (Jn. 19:30 ESV)
However, despite our close familiarity with these “Words”, we rarely take the time or opportunity to consider
each “Word” fully, considering what they meant to:
Jesus as He said them;
the evangelist when he recorded them;
the early church when they heard them;
or, what their implications are for Christians, today.
Now, people have always attributed certain special importance to a person’s “last words”. There are “famous
last words” like, “Hey guys, watch this!”, that were spoken before something humorously tragic or ironic
happened. Then, there are also “famous last words”1 which are spoken as an intentional valediction2 (as saying a
final farewell). Many times, such words are intended as the last imparting of a person’s accumulated wisdom.
◦ For example, “When Sir Isaac Newton died, he was humble. He said, “I don’t know what I may
seem to the world. But as to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and
diverting myself now and then in finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary,
whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.””
Other times, they are a window into what a dying person considers most important.
American baseball player {and WW2 spy} “Moe” Berg’s last words were,“How did the Mets do
today?””
Mathematician Thomas Fantet de Lagny, was asked on his deathbed, “What is the square of 12?”. He
answered and his last words were, “One hundred and forty-four.”
Groucho Marx let out one last quip as he was dying, saying “This is no way to live!”.
Other people intend their “last words” to be a final word of encouragement in faith.
Bishop Hugh Latimer’s final words, before he was burned as a heretic, were to his fellow victim, “Be of
good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in
England, as I trust shall never be put out.” (d. October 16, 1555; Foxe’s Book of Martyrs p. 140).
But, regardless of an individual’s actual intention, a person’s “last words” are the closing punctuation mark on
their life. For many individuals, this final remembrance becomes the strongest and longest lasting thing
remembered about them.
The final words of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer: the Anglican Reformer who wrote
multiple versions of the Episcopal prayer book, who recanted of his reforms, and who later recanted of
his recanting; were a final declaration and act of repentance for his personal failures in faith, “This hand
hath offended… Lord Jesus, receive my spirit; I see the heavens open, and Jesus standing at the right
hand of God.” (d. March 21, 1556; see also Foxe’s Book of Martyrs p. 144-149).
Ultimately, Jesus’s final words on the cross were the climax of His earthly life and ministry. His final words are
just as important a part of His redemptive work, as His death was. They are a final testimony to His faithfulness,
to His perseverance unto the end, an expression of His full humanity, and a declaration of divine satisfaction.
Now, at this point within our narrative, Jesus has been crucified.
He had been brutally scourged, thus His back is tattered and raw.
He had been forced to carry the implement of His execution, some significant distance, out to a hill
beyond the city walls.
He is suspended “high and lifted up”, hanging attached to a wooden crossbeam by nails piercing His
wrist and feet (or possibly through His ankles).
1https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/64-people-and-their-famous-last-words
2https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valediction
His personal effects were divided between the Roman soldiers overseeing His execution, as He
helplessly watched.
However, although He felt abandoned and utterly alone: cut off from His heavenly Father, forsaken by His
followers, and taunted by passers-by; in this moment, Jesus was not entirely alone.
“So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister,
Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”. Matthew also tells us that, “There were also many women
there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph {Mary was Jesus’s mother and therefore, the
mother of His brothers; This unusual phrasing is cited by both sides of the debate over the “perpetual virginity”
of Mary. The Roman Catholic side argues that Mary was their step-mother, while the Protestant view claims its
support for her later (birth) motherhood.} and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” (Matt. 27:55-56 ESV) and
Mark adds a woman named “Salome” (Mk. 15:40 ESV) to the list of on lookers. But, while Luke mentions
“…the women who had followed him from Galilee…” (Lk. 23:49 ESV), he declines to name them. John, alone
among the Gospel writers, mentions the presence of “..the disciple whom he loved…”; a person whom the
Church has historically interpreted as this Gospel Evangelist.
Again, these minor differences between the four Gospels are neither contradictions nor difficulties. They are
confirming evidences supporting the premise that, although many of Jesus’s disciples fled for their lives, some
people (notably Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, and “the disciple whom he loved”) remained to witness His
tragic death. Their presence forms the backdrop for one of the most heart-warming stories in Scripture.
I am sure that we are all familiar with this moment but, have you ever really thought about it? Have you ever
paused and considered what it says about Jesus, what it says about God or, how it really applies for us, today?
John writes, “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his
mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour
the disciple took her to his own home.”. So, what does this show us about Jesus?
The first thing we notice is Jesus’s situational awareness.
Jesus was exhausted and defeated.
Jesus was in indescribable pain and anguish.
Yet Jesus was still aware of those around Him; of those who was watching Him slowly die.
Jesus was aware enough to distinguish the familiar and friendly from those who hated Him; from those
who considered Him their enemy.
The second thing we notice is Jesus’s continuing concern.
Jesus was slowly dying a horrific death, yet He remained concerned for the well-being of others.
Jesus was in a state of despair, yet He did not give in to self-pity and remained outward focused.
Jesus was dying, yet He was more concerned for His mother than He was concerned for Himself or His
situation.
Each of these things demonstrate Jesus’ selflessness, His mercy, and His gracious nature during a moment when
we would think that some self-indulgent self-pity, or some frustration and anger should be reasonably
forgivable. But, not Jesus. Even He was dying, He still did not sin.
The next thing that this story demonstrates about Jesus is the fullness of His obedience to the LORD and to
God’s Law; God’s Moral Law, something that we might consider to be no longer important in that moment. Yet,
in this moment, we see Jesus’ full satisfaction of the Fifth Commandment.
The Fifth Commandment is, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that
the LORD your God is giving you.” and, we remember that this is the first commandment with an appended
(positive) promise for covenant faithfulness. The Westminster Standards teach us that “The fifth commandment
requires the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and
relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.” (WSC 64), that “The fifth commandment forbids the neglecting of,
or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongs to everyone in their several places and relations.”
(WSC 65) and, that “The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as
far as it shall serve for God’s glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.” (WSC 66).
Therefore, we understand that, as we are all children, we are obligated by the LORD, to honor and respect our
mothers and fathers.
This means that we each have the duty to care for and provide for them as is necessary (according to our
ability) and, that we should try to do so as well as, or better than, they have cared and provided for us.
This means that we are neither to neglect them nor neglect their needs.
◦ Therefore, many children today will assist their parents with their decision-making if they have
specialized knowledge or skills, like: directing (or performing) their parents’ auto or home repairs.
◦ Therefore, many children today will help their parents with the ordinary tasks of daily life, things
like: mowing their lawn, doing their grocery shopping, running assorted errands, or taking them to
and from doctor’s appointments.
◦ Therefore, many children today will bring their aged parents into their home when they are no longer
able to take care of themselves or, they might pay for them to receive the appropriate care in an
“Assisted Living” facility.
◦ Therefore, many children today will eventually be given “Power of Attorney” over their aged parents
finances and medical decisions, ensuring that they are well stewarded through to the end.
As their children, we do these things with the hopeful understanding that the LORD keeps all of His
promises and, that He shall continue to give us “long life and prosperity” in all the places that He has put
us because of our faithful obedience and, that we shall do so for God’s own glory and our own good.
Through our faithfulness and the honor that we give to our earthly parents {and other appropriate earthly
superiors} and our heavenly Father, we are assured that we shall enjoy God’s gift of eternal life in
Christ’s Kingdom.
But, we also should each do these kinds of things for our parents out of our love for them and because
they had the opportunity and privilege to love us first.
So, in that moment, Jesus continued to perform His faithful work of divine obedience to His heavenly Father, by
making this final provision for His earthly mother. He honored God through His respect for her and by ensuring
that He did not fail in His duty and obligation towards her, as her son.
Let us consider what Jesus actually does here.
Jesus is the firstborn son of Mary and Joseph {unless you accept the Roman Catholic position}.
Jesus has four brothers: James, Joseph, Simon (or Simeon), and Judas (or Jude); as well as an unknown
number of sisters (Matt. 13:55 ESV). We know that at least two of these brothers eventually came to
faith and became leaders in the early church, since each wrote an epistle that has been preserved in
Scripture.
However, Jesus’s brothers are notably absent from this narrative, although we may be certain that they
were in Jerusalem at the time. Yet still, here was their mother, Mary, standing with her eldest son right
through the end (in fulfillment of Luke 2:35).
As the eldest son of Mary and Joseph, Jesus possessed certain social responsibilities for His family, especially if
{as we would expect} His father had already died. Jesus would have been the family patriarch {as the former
high priest, Annas, was}. As Joseph’s heir, He would have received the majority of any inheritance, with a small
portion being divided between His brothers. He would also have been responsible for the care and provision of
any unmarried sisters, as well as for His mother.
Matthew tells us that, after John the Baptist was arrested and executed, Jesus left His home town of Nazareth
and “…went and lived in Capernaum by the sea…” (Matt. 4:13 ESV). Later, during His ministry, the Synoptics
also describe a time while Jesus was teaching and “…his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak
to him…” (Matt. 12:46 ESV; Mark 3:31-33; Luke 8:20-21) but, in the text, He seems to ignore both them and
their concerns. One might reasonably suggest that perhaps they felt that Jesus was neglecting His responsibility
for His mother and for the family, by having moved away and become an itinerant Rabbi.
Although Scripture does not tell us so, it is probable that Jesus had left Mary under the care of one of
His brothers {I would guess that James would be the next oldest}, in Nazareth. He also might have
surrendered His right, or claim upon their father’s estate before He moved to Capernaum.
Or, perhaps He might brought Mary with Him, down to Capernaum. Perhaps He put her in charge of
managing His household affairs while He traveled and taught all across Galilee. Perhaps that was what
had led to His family’s complaint; for some perceived neglect, abandonment, or abusive exploitation of
His aged mother?
Whatever the case, it would have been uncharacteristic of Jesus to abandon His mother, or to not have ensured
her maintenance during His ministry. Likewise, it also would have been uncharacteristic of Jesus to not ensure
her care or security, after His death; especially after His execution as a notorious criminal. Therefore, Jesus
entrusted the future care of His mother, His beloved mother, to “the disciple whom he loved”. However, this
entrusting was something more than just asking His friend to look after His mother since this bequest had some
beneficial consequences which we would not ordinarily expect or recognize.
As a condemned and executed criminal, any property that Jesus might have owned or had a right to,
could have been seized by the Roman authorities.
As an executed and notorious criminal, Jesus’s extended family could have been ostracized on account
of their association with Him; a negative social consequence that would have impacted His brother’s
ability to support and care for their mother.
As the mother of a notorious, crucified criminal, Mary could have become a “social pariah”; a stigma
that might be avoided if she belonged to a different, “more respectable” household.
Therefore, by entrusting His mother to “the disciple whom he loved”, Jesus was showing the greatest degree of
honor and respect for both His mother and father. Jesus’ last act was to provide for her; to protect her once He
was gone.
Doing this, Jesus fulfilled His duty towards both of His earthly parents.
Doing this, Jesus earned the right to receive God’s covenant promise, “…that your days may be long in
the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”; a promise that was fulfilled by His resurrection, by
His receipt of the Kingdom of God and, in His future glorious return to ultimately establish His
Kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven”.
But, what does this show us about God and, how does this arrangement apply for us, as Christians today?
Since Jesus is the Son of God: the Logos who is Theos and Andros; God the Son, the Second Person of the
Trinity; and God’s monogenes, “only begotten Son”, the God-man; we realize that everything He does is done as
God, the LORD. Therefore, when Jesus performed this act of respect and honor, He also this as an expression of
divine grace and mercy. Hanging from that cross, Jesus was not in a position to offer anyone grace and mercy,
especially after receiving little or none themselves but yet, He did. This merely helps to prove just how extra
ordinary Jesus really is.
Mary: beyond the grief and despair that she surely felt while seeing her eldest son condemned,
brutalized, and crucified; must have been afraid and fearful for her own future. She may not have been
consciously aware of it, but hope for her future circumstances and social status was crumbling with
every passing moment. The likelihood of her becoming a destitute widow, forsaken by her own family
and by everyone who knew her, was rapidly increasing as Jesus slowly died.
But, Jesus calmed His mother’s fear by giving her mercy as He lovingly removed the reason for her fear:
◦ Instead of becoming homeless, He gave her a new home.
◦ Instead of becoming abandoned, He gave her acceptance.
◦ Instead of becoming a “childless widow”, by losing her son and provider; He gave her a new son.
But, what about “the disciple whom he loved”? Should he not have a say in this? What gave Jesus the right to
impose this responsibility onto him?
There is no record of Jesus having asked him for his permission, previously. Yet, from what the four Gospels
evidence, Jesus and His followers seemed to engage in a communal system of living. Everybody seemed to
“share and share alike”, while several women are described as having followed Jesus in and from Galilee
“ministering” to Him (Matthew 27:55; Mark 15:41; Luke 23:49). So, it would be logical for us to assume that
this request, or command, might be naturally reasonable and acceptable among Jesus’ followers (at the least).
Thus, by having followed Jesus and lived within their unique and particular community and fellowship, we
could expect that he had already functionally given his assent.
Meanwhile, Jesus had the general right, as their Rabbi, to impose requirements upon His students and,
Jesus had the absolute right, as God the Son, to issue such a decree if He so pleased.
Meanwhile, “the disciple whom he loved” still had the capacity to choose how he would respond: with
faithful obedience or with sinful disobedience; just as every other follower of Christ has the capacity to
choose how we respond to each of Jesus’ commandments.
Then the evangelist tells us how this disciple responded, “And from that hour the disciple took her to his own
home.”. This faithful disciple obeyed Christ and adopted Jesus’s mother into his own household. This disciple
did not act like Jesus had given him a burdensome responsibility but an honorable privilege, instead. He obeyed
Jesus and so, both the disciple and Mary were blessed.
This exchange shows us several things about God’s character. It demonstrates:
That God is our loving provider.
That God is not merely concerned or occupied with the “big things” in life, but with even the smallest
details.
That God is intimately and personally concerned with the well-being and welfare of each of every
person who belongs to Him (Matthew 10:29-31).
That God has given us parents to help care for us, until we are able to take care of ourselves.
That God gives parents children to help care for them, when they are no longer able to take care of
themselves.
That our mutual acts of caring (parents for children and children for parents) are both an expression of
God’s loving care for us and our responsive expression of our love and care for God.
◦ Our caring for one another and our honoring of one another are ways by which we honor God,
demonstrate our love for God (John 13:35), and also, give God glory through our faithful works and
cause Him to be glorified when others (believers and non-believers alike) see our faithfulness.
When you hear Jesus say to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” and to His disciple “Behold, your
mother!”, how does this exchange make you feel?
This exchange was an act of adoption, of double adoption: a mother gained a son while a son gained a
mother.
This exchange was an echo of God’s own adoptive election of His chosen people, before the foundation
of the world, when He chose and ordained us to become sons and daughters of God (John 1:12), fellow
heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17), and He to be our heavenly Father.
This exchange was a visible manifestation of God’s loving decrees in action; His decree for our
redemption from sin; His decree for our salvation from His just wrath; His predestining decree of
intentional, willful, and sovereign adoption.
When you think about Jesus, hanging from the cross while suffering unimaginable agony, and yet still acting as
a “good son” by fulfilling His duty towards His mother, Mary, how does that make you feel?
This act of mercy reminds us that as Jesus was dying, every person whom He came to save (every one of
us, individually and particularly) were on His mind and under His loving consideration.
This act of mercy reminds us that just as Jesus Christ personally, and with great intention, rescued and
redeemed His mother from worldly destitution and suffering through this gracious provision from the
cross, likewise He rescues and redeems us, personally and with great intention, from divine judgment
and condemnation while providing us with eternal life and a place by His side in His Kingdom.
This act of mercy demonstrates how great Jesus’s love for His chosen people, the Elect, truly is because
of how it reminds us that Jesus knowingly, willingly, and with great intention died on that cross for you;
for me; and, for each and every person who has ever or will ever believe in Him and trust Him as their
Savior.
Remember, nothing and no one is beneath God’s notice or Christ’s concern. He knows you truly for who you
are; not as one of many, nor as a generality, but as you: as uniquely and distinctly you, as you are.
That is such a blessing, once you think about it.
That is such a privilege to have and to know, to personally relate to God and, to have Him personally
relate to you.
However, that is also a terrible and frightful thing to realize for those without faith, without the
assurance of God’s love that the Holy Spirit encourages believers with through our union into Christ.
It is a terrible and frightful thing to not only feel the burdensome weight of your own sin, but to also
realize that Jesus sees your guilt and knows your guiltiness; to realize that all of your wicked deeds and
thoughts are known by Him; to realize that you have nothing hidden from Him; and, to realize that you
have no hope of hope, apart from Him and His forgiveness.
Thus it is for the Christian. We believe Christ and therefore, we know that God loves us and, we know Jesus has
saved us from the consequence our sin and from our continuing bondage to sinfulness. We know that we may
now choose the good rather than always choosing what is evil and wicked in God’s sight. We know that we love
others because we are loved; because we know what love, agape, truly is: selfless, unmerited, and without
expectation of return; because we know Who love is: the Person, the man, Jesus Christ. We know these things
and we believe these things because He has given us His Holy Spirit and because He has given us His Holy
Word to tell us about these things.
Therefore, listen to Christ and hear what He has to tell you about Himself and about what He has done for you,
personally and with the greatest of intention, in love.
AMEN
Reverend Joseph A Yerger, Mansfield 1st Presbyterian Church: 399 S Trimble Rd; Mansfield, OH 4490
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