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Seven Last Words:
Dear Woman, Here Is Your Son”

John 19:25-27

 

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas

Lenten Vespers—March 19, 2014

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

We continue our series of meditations on the seven last words of Jesus, spoken from the cross.  In the first word from the cross, Jesus shows his love even for the very people who are putting him to death: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  In the second word from the cross, Jesus shows his love to the faithful dying thief, who is also being crucified, on a cross beside Jesus: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”  And in the third word from the cross, Jesus once again shows his love, his dying love for his mother: “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”  Even while he is suffering and dying, Jesus remembers his mother Mary and commits her into the care of his closest friend, the Apostle John.

On the cross we see and hear the great love of Jesus: love for his enemies; love for a condemned criminal; love for his mother; love for you and me.  That day the Apostle John witnessed with his own eyes the great love of our Savior on the cross.  Many years later, when he was an old man, John wrote about God’s love in his First Epistle:

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.  This is how God showed his love for us: He sent his only-begotten Son into the world that we may live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

How could the Apostle John ever forget the love that Jesus shows on the cross?  Especially the love Jesus shows to his mother Mary, when in the midst of his greatest torment he remembers her and commits her into the care of his friend John.  Even to the very end, even in his greatest hour of agony, our Savior is a loving Son.

Jesus performs this final act of love just minutes before he dies.  He has been whipped, mocked, slapped, spit upon, and stripped.  The traditional crucifix helps us envision the horrible anguish he suffered there: nails pounded through his hands and feet; a crown of thorns painfully crushed down on this head; hanging helplessly for six long hours; slowly tortured to death. And even as he is hanging on the cross the crowd gathered below to witness the spectacle of his execution insults him, sneers at him, actually jokes and makes fun of him.  Amidst all of this humiliation, this pain, this agony, this torture, Jesus sees in that crowd around the cross two friendly faces, his mother Mary, and his closest friend, John.

Jesus knows he will die very soon.  While living here on earth he taught his disciples to follow God’s commandments, including the fourth commandment: “Honor your father and your mother.”  Jesus’ adoptive father Joseph isn’t mentioned here; he has probably already passed away some years before.  That means it is up to Jesus to take care of his mother Mary.  As the eldest son he is responsible to see to it that she would have someone to look after her when he is gone.

If you were condemned to death, what would be your last request?  Jesus’ ONE last request is for his mother Mary, that his closest friend, John, take care of her like his own mother.  “From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”

After World War II a Missouri Synod pastor, who was a U.S. Army chaplain and spoke fluent German, was assigned to be the chaplain for the prisoners at the Neuremberg war trials.  In an effort to reach Herman Goering he once asked him, “What do suppose God thinks of you?”  Goering replied, “I think God is much too busy to be concerned with me and my problems.”

What problems are you facing in your life?  Do you wonder if God cares about you?  Do you think maybe God is much too busy to be concerned with you and your problems? 

Remember Jesus’ dying love.  Jesus was certainly busy that day, suffering and dying on the cross.  Yet, even in the worst of his suffering, pain and agony, he was concerned only about others.  He pleaded for those who were crucifying him, “Father, forgive them.”  He promised the thief beside him: “You will be with me in paradise.”  And his last request was for his mother, that she be taken care of. 

That is the same love and care and concern that Jesus always has for you.  He loves you, he forgives you, he cares about you, he is concerned about your needs and desires, your joys and problems.  He promises to hear and help.  Even in the midst of the worst problems in your life, do not doubt: he loves you.  Remember his dying love—his dying love for his mother, his dying love for the thief beside him, his dying love even for those who crucified him, his dying love for you.  Jesus is concerned for you, Jesus does love you—not only when things are good, but especially when things are bad.

When things are bad and your head is hanging low, look up to Calvary.  See there your Savior’s dying love.  His love for his enemies: “Father, forgive them.”  His love for a condemned man: “You will be with me in paradise.”  His love for his mother.  His love for you: “This is how God showed his love for us: He sent his only-begotten Son into the world . . . as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Amen.

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