A New Relation

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Mother’s Day – 8th May 2011.

Message by Ronny Cham

A New Relation

Scripture: John 19:25-27

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!"  27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”  (NKJV)

Loving and caring for our mother is expected of all of us and at the same time loving and caring for our children too is beyond doubt.  However, what about loving and caring for another’s mother? What about loving and caring for another’s son or daughter?  What happened if a brother or sister died leaving parents or children that need looking after? Will we be willing to lend take him or her or them to our home?

“Woman, behold your son!” and “Behold your mother!” are two distinct last commandments just before Christ died on the Cross and were given to His beloved mother and His beloved disciples John. The graphic description of the logistics at that material time was that Mary, Jesus’ mother was standing by the Cross of Jesus, so was John, His beloved disciple.

First, we see the tender love and affection of Mary to our Lord Jesus in his sufferings. It must have been the power of divine grace in supporting Mary, under this heavy trial. She did not wring her hands, or tear her hair, or rend her clothes, or make an outcry of what was happening. She was with a wonderful composure, standing by the Cross.

But what was the emotion and turmoil that was going on in her inner being? We know from Luke 2:35, the Holy Spirit came upon Simeon who said, “yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul.” Christ torments were her tortures and her heart bled with his wounds.

There she was, by the divine grace upon her, she had a full expectation of His resurrection. It must have been this expectation that supported her. We must learn to live in such great hope of resurrection at the end of this age, in the power of the divine grace given to us. This journey is not easy but we do not know what we can bear until we are tried, only then we know Him who said to us, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

Secondly, we see something special about John, the Lord’s beloved disciples. In John 18:15-17, we read:

15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." (NKJV)

Two disciples John and Peter followed Jesus when He was arrested and when was taken into the courtyard of the high priest, John went into the courtyard with the Lord Jesus while Peter stood at the door and denied he was a disciple of Jesus. John was with the Lord and saw Him being abused, accused and assaulted. He was with the Lord in His suffering and torment while the other disciples have forsaken Him. John was not deterred by the fury of the enemy nor the horror of the sight of the torture the enemy inflicted upon Jesus.

We read from Mark 15:40-41 that:

40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

But John was with Mary, stood by the cross of Jesus. It is easy for us to suppose what an affliction it was on John to see His Lord being abused, accused and assaulted, but again it must have been the power of divine grace which sustain John to be attending to Jesus without fear under such extreme horror circumstances.

There was no record of the Apostle John being condemned as being a disciple of Jesus or being questioned or punished for being one. While others went hiding and Peter denying Jesus, John was with the Lord Jesus throughout His suffering.

In John 19:25-27, Jesus saw His mother standing by, and knew her cares and grief. He saw John standing by and knew his unwavering love for Him, and so, in the dying moment, by His last will, he settled a new relation between his beloved mother and his beloved disciple. He said to her, "Woman, behold your son!"  Then He said to John, "Behold your mother!" And so from that hour, that hour never to be forgotten, that disciple, John, took her, Jesus mother, to his own home.

On this Mother’s Day (8th May 2011), let this new relationship extent beyond the reading of a historic account of that dying moment of our Lord Jesus. Do we stand by or attend to another brother or sister who is suffering? Or will we be too busy that we have no time to do that?  Or will we be too fearful of what would become of him or her that we would stand afar and “pray” for him or her, in fear of ‘consequences” or “liability or burden”? So often, we turn a blind eye to the suffering of others while we proclaim our love to the Lord.

Let us stand by somebody He loves and cares and be counted by Him as trustworthy and be honoured to be one He calls to enter into this new relation to love one another and behold each other as His brother, His sister by the power of His divine grace.

 

 


Ronny Cham
SIB Metro Church, City Mall, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
ronnycham@gmail.com


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