Third Saying from the Cross: Remembered by the Savior"Woman, behold thy son! Behold thy mother!"John 19:26-27The third word of Christ on the cross can be found recorded by John. The first word was to the Father, the second to the thief, and now the third will be to Mary and John the beloved."Golgotha"John records for us that Christ was taken to,"The place of the skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha."John 19:17. On the hillside just a short distance north of Jerusalem is a place known as Gordons Calvary. It has two caves and a rock sticking out between them that look just like a skull.This place was outside the city walls.Heb 13:11-13 gives us the background. He was not crucified inside the walls of the city but outside as pictured in the temple sacrifices being burned outside the camp."Superscription" "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews"John 19:19,was written by Pilate and hanged on the cross in three languages, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. The crimes of those crucified were written and hanged so that those who passed by would know why they were being put to death. Crucifixions were carried out alongside the road so that people would see them as they traveled by.Mark 15:29says,"And they that passed by rallied on him, wagging their heads "The Psalmist had prophesied this.Psalm 22:16-17"For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me." This caused a great fury among the Jews. They tried to get Pilate to change the words to only that He claimed to be King of the Jews, but Pilate refused."Casting of Lots" Psalms 22:18says,"They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." It was customary for those Roman soldiers to divide the clothing of those whom they crucified. There were usually four soldiers involved in a crucifixion. John tells us they divided them into four parts but His inner garment was seamless and they decided among themselves to gamble for it. This fulfilled scripture that foretold this would happen."Exposing the Word"FromJohn 19:25-26tells us there were five people standing nearby. Mary, his mother, her sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene and John the beloved. John was the only one of the disciples of Christ that dared come this far. His love was stronger than his fear.Just what was the relationship of Mary and Jesus? She was his earthly mother.Luke 2:35records when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple for circumcision, Simeon gave a prophecy to Mary."Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also." This was literally happening now as she looked at her son hanging on the cross."Woman"is the way Jesus addresses His mother. You will recall that at Cana of Galilee when Jesus was asked by Mary to help out at the wedding, Jesus addressed her as"Woman" there as well(John 2:4). This was not a disrespectful word from Him. He looks down and sees her here and remembers that someone needs to take care of her. I think we need to realize that while she was his mother, Marys relationship to Christ was fixing to change. While we do not want to read into this more than is here, I find it striking that He did not address her at any recorded time as mother. There are some that say the way to Jesus is through Mary because He cannot refuse her request."Behold thy son!"Whom is Jesus talking to here? He is talking to John the beloved. This is not His first cousin John the Baptist, but John the Apostle. This John was the brother of James the Apostle, the son of Zebedee(seeMatt 10:2-4).Some teach that Mary and Joseph did not have children. We find recorded inMark 6:3that in fact they did have at least four boys and two girls. Why did Jesus not tell them to take care of their mother? Most scholars believe that Joseph was dead. We find that according toJohn 7:2-5 his brothers did not believe He was Messiah."neither did his brethren believe in him."Psalm 69:8 states,"I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mothers children." Jesus brothers were probably not even in Jerusalem at this time. Jesus said,"I came not to send peace, but a sword a mans enemies shall be they of his own household."Matt 10:34-36One author states concerning this:"Sometimes the cross was a sword that divided relationships, even families, with sharp hostile animosities The sword which divided even families fell that day at Calvary. Caring for His mother, Jesus commended her to the care of the disciple John How could they (meaning his brothers), help their mother through the grief of the cross if they viewed His death as resulting from delusions of grandeur?" (J. Derrill Smith,Proclaim, Jan-Mar 1992, p. 6)We know that later on they would, in fact, believe and become leaders in the church. James, His brother, wrote the book of James and presided over the Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts.Remember that I stated the relationship between Mary and Jesus was changing. He would cease to become her son and become her Savior. We find Mary, as well as His brethren, in the Upper Room waiting for the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (seeActs 1:14). "Behold thy mother"John took Mary into his house to care for her needs from this day forward. Jesus is asking John to take His place and continue on with it. He asks us to do the same. His work on Calvary is finished never to be repeated again, but His work on earth continues through us. Jesus knew John loved him greatly. He had been in what is called the inner circle of Christ. He was the one who leaned on His breast at the Passover when the Lords Supper was instituted. Jesus knew how much he loved Him. He knew he could be trusted because of that love with His mother.Love should be the motive with which we find ourselves serving God as well.Remembered by the SaviorWhat application to this have to you and I today? First, we realized that Jesus did not forget those He loved, even while suffering on the cross. Mary was remembered by the Savior as He died for her sins.John 6:37records Jesus saying,"him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Jesus remembers those whom He loves. When we are cast down or heartbroken and forgotten by the world, we can rest assured that Christ does not forget us. We will be remembered by the Savior. The question is now will you come to the Savior?