Friday, May 31, 2013

May 31
Adopted Mother

John 19:25-42   New International Version (NIV)

 
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[a] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”[b] 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”[c]

The Burial of Jesus

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[d] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
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What a precious and yet heavy moment in time.
Jesus, in his physical agony, was able to think about his mother needing to be cared for.
Jesus mother, Mary, had other children.... she had other sons, so it is a little bit curious that he would ask someone other than his own brother to care for her needs.
I wonder if it was because he wanted to make sure she was in the home of a believer?
When making out a "Will and Testament" don't we consider with great care, whom we will ask to care for our children in the event of our death?
We want to be very sure that they will have the best care possible, with not only their physical needs for food and shelter being met, but also we want to make sure they will have the same spiritual training as we would give them.
Perhaps it was the same for Jesus. He wanted to be sure that his mother would have the very best spiritual atmosphere.
She would certainly need that Holy Spirit comfort, and the prayers and support of other believers after the trauma of the death of her Messiah-Son.
Let us remember this when we encounter mothers who have lost a child, and widows as well.
Yes, their physical needs are important, but having the comfort, support and spiritual needs met is vital!
 

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