Honor Your Mother
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· 4 viewsRegardless of our state in life, we are mandated by God to honor our parents and to respect our mother, who has sacrificed so much for each of us.
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome back, and Happy Mother's Day!
This morning we are going to back up in our journey with Jesus a little bit, looking back to one of the darkest times in all of human history.
And instead of going forward toward Pentecost, which is May 23rd by the way, we are going to look at a short passage of some of the events of the Cross this morning.
And specifically, we are going to be looking at John 19 and the interaction between Jesus, his mother, and John during his last day.
As well as some of the events that took place right after that.
So, to bring us up to speed this morning, Jesus has been arrested, tortured, tried, and convicted.
He has made the journey to Golgotha carrying his cross with him.
They have nailed his hands and his feet to the cross and lifted him up to the place he would die.
And Pilate had ordered . . .
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews.
Proclaiming Jesus as the King of the Jews, much to the Sanhedrin’s opposition.
The soldiers had divided Jesus’ clothing and he hung there on the cross between the two thieves.
Bringing us to our passage this morning.
So, John 19, starting in verse 25 . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 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. Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 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. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Here is Your Mother
Here is Your Mother
So, we find Jesus's mother, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
All there near the cross of Jesus.
All there watching as their beloved son, nephew, and friend is there dying.
There watching and not able to do anything to help him.
Nothing to relieve the pain, the agony, the suffering.
Helpless and hopeless.
It's hard to imagine what they must have been going through, that day isn't it?
Particularly his mother.
However, the amazing thing is that Jesus being Jesus still had concern for his mother.
Regardless of what he is going through, he sees his mother there and has concern for her well-being after he is gone.
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.
And Jesus being the eldest son was responsible for the care of his parents, as they aged.
And apparently Jesus’ father has already died because there is no mention of him anywhere.
And one thing that is strange but that is never addressed is why Jesus never called on his siblings to care for his mother after he was gone.
It’s one of those mysteries that we will never know the answer to.
But what we do know is that here in this moment, He sees his mother there watching this horrific thing.
And the only thing he could think of was the love he had for his mother.
Think about it, Jesus' mother had loved him from the first time she laid eyes on him.
She cared for his every need as a child.
Worried over him as a teenager.
Was proud of him as an adult.
That love and compassion was not as her savior, but her son.
Sure, she saw Him as the Messiah, but she also saw him as her baby boy and remembered him laying in that manger, totally dependent on her.
That same love that Mary had for Jesus, was shared by Jesus.
This was his mother he was looking down at.
This was the woman that Jesus knew would always love him.
This was the woman he knew would always care.
Would always listen to him, when everybody else wouldn't.
He knew he could count on her.
He knew that no matter what he could trust her.
They had built that bond and now he sees that through his own suffering, his mother suffering as well.
And from that he realizes that there is work still yet to be done.
Who will care for his mother now?
Who could he trust with the task?
What about one of his siblings? No, that wouldn't do.
Here is the one, when Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby . . .
The disciple whom he loved. John.
But why John and not Peter or one of the others?
There are all sorts of ideas and theories, but we will never really know.
All we know is that Jesus shared a special bond with his mother.
Like the bond that sons and daughters share with their mothers.
Jesus also shared a special bond with John that was unlike the other disciples.
He had a special trust in John.
And Jesus wanted to make sure that his mother was cared for in her time of need.
Jesus knew that he could trust John, so he chose John.
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.
And what is amazing was that John did not hesitate.
Jesus says, dear woman here is you son and to the disciple, here is your mother.
And the Bible says, from that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
It wasn’t a “let me go and talk to my family,” or “I can’t do it” or this or that.
Jesus asked and John said yes.
And that was all Jesus wanted, was for John to say yes.
Jesus knew His time was short, and he wanted to be sure that he honored his mother, to the very end.
Honor Your Mother
Honor Your Mother
I wonder if the same can be said about all of us.
The Old Testament tell us . . .
“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
And we have a bad tendency to think that his only applies to children.
That when we become adults that this command changes somehow.
That we no longer have to listen to it.
The reality is though, we are to honor our parents.
We are to respect our parents.
We are to care for our parents, just as they have cared for us.
And there is not a lot of wiggle room in this either.
The Bible doesn't say honor your parents IF you want to.
Or IF they were good parents.
Or IF ______ (You fill in the blank).
Or until you are grown either.
The Bible says to honor your father and your mother as the LORD your God has commanded you.
And, part of the reason our society is in the shape it is in today is that we have forgotten this commandment (and most of the rest as well).
Children do not respect their parents and as a result they do not respect anyone else.
Ask a school-teacher if the children respect them.
Things have went from "please don't tell my parents what I did" to "I'm going to get you fired because you tried to make me mind."
The Bible says . . .
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
We are failing to train up our children in the way they should go.
The Bible also says . . .
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
And . . .
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
And here’s the thing too, we always want to focus on the first part of both of these passages that tell us to honor our parents, but we often forget the last part of them both that says . . .
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
And . . .
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
The KJV for Ephesians 6:4 uses the word "provoke" instead of "exasperate."
So, what the Bible is saying is that it’s a two way street.
We train our children up the right way.
We train them in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
But we do not do things to provoke them, to abuse them, to cause them damage.
And folks, discipline and abuse are two different things.
God wants you to discipline your children—and by the way that doesn’t always mean a spanking either.
Sometimes that may be needed, but many more times it is not.
And be doubly sure of this, the wrath of God will fall on you if you abuse your children in any way.
Because children are precious gifts of God and we are to treat them as the precious gifts they are.
They don't belong to us as some people think.
They are not property.
God entrusts them to us to care for.
So, parents don't abuse the trust God has given you.
But children, on the flip-side, do you honor your mother the way God calls you to?
The way Jesus demonstrated to us.
It is Finished
It is Finished
And here is the reality also, Jesus knew His work was not finished until His mother was cared for.
Notice it was only after He had cared for His mother that . . .
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 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. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
So, when Jesus knew that his mother was going to be cared for. Then He knew the work was complete.
Jesus is thirsty and asks for a drink.
They provide him with wine vinegar soaked on the end of a hyssop plant and . . .
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
And before we close, I want to point out the term "it is finished."
That word is tetelestai.
Papyri receipts for taxes have been recovered with the word tetelestai written across them, meaning "paid in full."
When Jesus said, tetelestai, all debts have been paid in full.
The penalty for our sin has been paid in full.
There is no more debt.
Jesus finished it.
Jesus took care of it.
End of story, account closed.
All we have to do is accept the free gift of salvation that He is offering.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
And this morning, we have talked about honoring our mothers.
We have seen how Jesus took care of his mother, even from the Cross.
We've asked the question, do you honor your mother?
Mothers want the best for their children.
Mothers want their children to be happy.
But the prayer of every Christian mother is for their children to be right with God.
Are you this morning?
Mother's Day is a special day set aside to honor mothers.
What better way to honor them than to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.
Or, if you have wandered and strayed away from God, to come back to Jesus this morning.
Maybe you are here this morning and you are a mother.
What better example to your children than for you to be in a right relationship with God.
So that you can lead, guide, and direct your children.
Will you do that today?
Let’s Pray . . .