[371 words]
It was a Jewish custom for a mother to weave a tunic (long shirt) for her son before he left for adulthood. He wore this as one of five articles of clothing; shoes, head wrapping, girdle, tunic and robe.
As Jesus hung on the cross, He saw the four soldiers dividing four of His five articles of clothing. When they came to the fifth, it was His tunic. Since it was a solid piece of woven material, they did not want to tear it. Their solution was to gamble for it. John, who was at the foot of the cross, wrote that this was to fulfill Psalm 22:18, a messianic prophecy. The Messiah saw this gift from His mother being taken by Roman soldiers.
At this point, Jesus looks from the tunic to His mother. His concern for her prompts Him into the next statement:
“When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ From that hour the disciple took her into his own household” (John 19:26-27).
His mother was told when Jesus was born that “a sword will pierce even your own soul”, and she stood at the foot of the cross, watching her Son, suffering to fulfill God’s plan. How her soul must have been pierced!
But Jesus did not forget her in her sorrow, nor did He forget to honor His mother. He made sure someone He trusted would take care of her. John, treat her as a mother to you.
He had prayed for His murderers. He had remembered the thief who pronounced faith in Him. Then, when Jesus had the weight of the world’s sin on His shoulders, He remembered His mother in a touching, intimate way. He made sure that she would be taken care of.
What can we gain from this? Jesus took time to think about others, even at a time when He could, justifiably, be focused purely on Himself and what He was going through. Look at the extent of His care and then remember when He said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
Bill Williams
Jackson church of Christ
Jackson, MO