Crucifixion

Crucifixion
John 19:25-27

25 Now [de] there stood [histemi] by [para] the cross [stauros] of Jesus [Iesous] his [autos] mother [meter] , and [kai] his [autos] mother's [meter] sister [adelphe] , Mary [Maria] the wife [ho] of Cleophas [Klopas] , and [kai] Mary [Maria] Magdalene [Magdalene] .
26 When Jesus [Iesous] therefore [oun] saw [eido] his mother [meter] , and [kai] the disciple [mathetes] standing by [paristemi] , whom [hos] he loved [agapao] , he saith [lego] unto his [autos] mother [meter] , Woman [gune] , behold [idou] thy [sou] son [huios] !
27 Then [eita] saith he [lego] to the disciple [mathetes] , Behold [idou] thy [sou] mother [meter] ! And [kai] from [apo] that [ekeinos] hour [hora] that disciple [mathetes] took [lambano] her [autos] unto [eis] his own [idios] home. KJV-Interlinear

25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But there were standing 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 nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!' 27 Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household. NASB

Some thirty three years earlier Simeon's words are now coming to pass as Jesus mother, Mary, along with John, the only apostle who is mentioned as being anywhere near the Cross, were both standing nearby, looking on and observing all of these events.

Luke 2:34-35
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed — 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul — to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.' NASB

Jesus now speaks to them. The crowd has had its say. The two criminals have had their say. The chief priests have had their say. The soldiers have had their say. Only one person is documented as having a change of heart. There were probably others who were looking on and of whom believed in Christ during this time.

Jesus has one last piece of unfinished business, and that is the care of Mary. Note that Jesus never calls her 'mother.' He always refers to her as woman. Mary is the one person who was given the honor of bearing the person of Jesus, but she is not the mother of God. Jesus Christ has lived forever. Since eternity past, in a beginning which is not a beginning, Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, has always existed. He existed along with the Father, and the Spirit, all three. They are all co-eternal, co-infinite, and co-equal in their essence.

Now having been on the cross for about three hours, hanging in total agony and pain, which is nothing when compared to that which awaits Him in just a few moments, Jesus speaks to Mary and John. John is given the honor of watching out for Mary for the remainder of her natural life here on earth.

John lists four women who are no doubt among others standing nearby. These four remained with Jesus throughout His ministry. His mother of course for the whole time, and the others entered into the inner circle along the way. No effort was made to prevent them from being near Jesus. Only John is mentioned as being near or even within view of the cross. The other disciples are nowhere to be found.

Although the eleven will be assembled together during the next three days, as we will see in our study of the resurrection events, they are not all gathered together now, but the rest of them must be nearby, if not in Bethany where they resided during the prior week.

Though their hearts must surely have been pierced with the emotion of these events, none of them displayed any sort of overt or improper and publicly viewed reactions. They all remained poised and, perhaps the mother, Mary, most of all now had a very deep understanding of these events.

It is now high noon. The sun is full in the sky and the day is bright. But slowly without a cloud in the sky, without any celestial body to account for what is to occur, the first of two supernatural events of darkness is about to begin. The second one will occur immediately prior to the Second Advent of Christ as the final sign that the Tribulation is about to end and the long wait of those who had been in hiding during the latter half of the Tribulation, was nearly over.

But for now, history reaches its climax. Since eternity past and since the time of Adam and the promise of a Savior, that promise is about to be fulfilled.

Gen. 3:15
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel. NASB

Up to this point, tremendous pain (more than any person could possibly bear) has been inflicted by mankind on Jesus, and He made no sound, made no cry.

Now all light, from all light sources (fires and candles and such), is about to be extinguished. The sky slowly grows darker and darker. No doubt everyone who is inside will go to their windows and doors to look out at this unusual event. Everyone outside will look to the sky wondering what is happening. And those who are near the Cross will look around and then back to the cross where Jesus hangs.

It is now pitch black and the terror of reality and truth is about to seize everyone. It is zero hour and judgment is about to begin.

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