The Women at the Cross

At noon, an intense darkness enveloped Jerusalem. The local authorities had crucified Jesus beside two thieves and inscribed above his head. ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.’

                     Jesus’ fate was sealed.   Or was it?

 

In the months before the crucifixion, a band of faithful women had followed the Master through Galilee, caring for his needs while he preached, healed, and raised the dead to life. Now, he hung on a rough Roman cross between two thieves and these perplexed, broken women stood at a distance watching their beloved Jesus die.

 

How could Mary, his mother, tear herself away? Helpless and overwhelmed, her son’s agony bound her to his pain. She had cradled him, a tiny babe in her arms, after his circumcision. Was this the meaning of Simeon’s prophecy?

 

‘This child will cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.’ Luke 2:33-35.

 

His words had puzzled and excited her. Who would oppose Jesus? Now she knew it was the Pharisees and teachers of the law, but how could God restore the throne to Jesus if they had crucified him? As Simeon predicted, her worst fears were realized before her very eyes. Did God have a plan amid such torturous suffering, and why must her innocent son endure their vengeance? Simeon was right. They had plunged their knife deep into her heart.

 

    Despite his consuming pain, Jesus considered Mary’s well-being and entrusted her care to John. Jesus recognised John’s love for his master, and Mary and John would comfort each other.

 

“Dear woman, here is your son.” He turned to the disciple. “Here is your mother.”

 

 He loved his mother, but in his death, he became her Savior. As his disciple for three years, he’d called her ‘dear woman,’ rather than ‘mother.’ The priorities of their relationship had changed, but he acknowledged her motherhood and protected her in her widowhood.

 

 And at the cross, Mary Magdalene watched her Lord die. Seven demons had plagued her existence, and Jesus had delivered her. She adored him and followed him everywhere, even to his death. Of the women listed during his death and resurrection, Mary Magdalene is the most obvious.

 

Joseph of Arimathea laid Jesus’ body in a fresh tomb and Mary Magdalene, along with other women, arrived very early in the morning to embalm the body with prepared spices. When she realized someone had removed the entrance stone, she ran for Simon and John.

 

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

 

The disciples rushed to the tomb. Jesus was indeed gone!

 

His followers concluded the authorities had removed his body, and in her despair, Mary Magdalene wept by the empty tomb. She’d remained close to Jesus ever since he healed her. Why had Jesus allowed himself to be crucified? Wasn’t God more powerful than the Romans and the Sanhedrin? They’d destroyed her protection and hope. Had they cast him, his broken body, into an unmarked pit? Had she mistaken his promises?

 

Helpless and unbelieving, she bent down to peer into the tomb. Where had they taken him?

 

Mary gasped. Two angels in white sat where his head and feet had lain. She sensed someone behind her, and she turned around.

 

“Woman, who are you seeking?”

“They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him!”

 

   “Woman, why are you crying?” She thought he was a gardener.

 

“If you have taken him away, tell me and I will get him.”

 

 Jesus spoke her name. “Mary!”

 

“Master!” And she grabbed Jesus in sheer joy and amazement.

 

He released her grip because soon he would deepen their relationship through the Holy Spirit. She’d followed Jesus, the man, but soon the Holy Spirit would come, and Jesus, who is God, would live in her. He sent her to the disciples to tell them he was alive, since she’d seen Jesus, touched him and spoken to him. She must have been bursting to share the grand news with the disciples.

 “I have seen the Lord!” The risen Jesus overflowed her heart with joy.

 

 These women’s sorrows and joys expose the depth of their love for the Lord Jesus Christ. His mother relinquished her maternal rights for the world’s ultimate sacrifice. ‘To sacrifice’ is to ‘create holiness,’ and Jesus’ sacrifice created our holiness. Jesus’s selflessness meant he suffered an excruciating price for our sins, but Mary discovered his sacrifice gave her and all believers in Jesus eternal redemption. He forgave all her sins and attended to her physical needs by giving her a new home and a new son to protect her. We will receive his compassionate provision when we come to him.

 

Mary Magdalene had given her heart to Jesus because he had cured her from a debilitating mental illness. Whether he was alive or dead, she clung to him. He treasured her love and devotion, and she became the first person to see him after his resurrection. A social outcast became a beloved disciple and the first gospel messenger.

James and John’s mother, the wife of Clopas, were among the women at the cross. They knew each other well and had ministered to Jesus. Our closest relationships are with those who have suffered like us since these are the ‘ties which bind us together.’ As a Christian, these Biblical women speak to my heart because Jesus has given me the privilege to walk with him in joy and suffering and to enjoy the friendship of my beloved sisters in the Lord. These women lived in his company and stayed with him as he died, while they supported each other’s sorrow and confusion.

 Our risen Lord’s gift is love and hope, which overcomes difficulties and hardship. If we remain with him, he stays with us, just as the women at the cross would learn.

 

When you read the Easter story this year, I encourage you to identify with the women at the cross. Feel their sorrow and their joy. They’re our sisters in Christ.

 

Are you a mother? Every mother suffers mental anguish when we watch our families grow through their achievements and plunge into their mistakes. Their joys and sorrows are ours. Jesus understands our pain, and we can hand their issues to him in prayer.

 

Have you suffered mental or physical illness? Jesus loves you. If you give Jesus your problem, he will renew your endurance. He can heal your mind and your body according to his will.

 

Do you wish you to love Jesus more? Walk with him and he will reveal himself to you. Ponder his words, because you’ll discover gratitude fuels your love and trust in Jesus. That is why he went to the cross.

 

 

 ^“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.

 

  Even the cruellest and most historical shameful crucifixion testifies to God’s purposes.

 

    Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5b.

 The cross was not a mistake, but God’s everlasting victory over sin, death, and hell.

Hallelujah. What a Savior!

A blessed and happy Easter as we contemplate the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.