Woman, Behold Your Son

John 19:26
By Harold Dinsmore, M.Div.
© 2008 Harold Dinsmore

Remember with me, the first word that Jesus spoke from the cross was a prayer for his enemies, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  The second word from the cross was to a dying terrorist on the cross next to him, an answer to a prayer which was, “Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise.”  The third word from the cross is found in John 19:23-27, “Woman, behold they son!  Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!”

               Jesus was quite a person!  At times you could almost predict what he would do but then again he was always fresh and did the unusual.  Being a Jew, and one well versed in the law, he was very much dedicated to his family as being a faithful son.

               Why do I say this?  According to most scholars the family unit was much more broader in scope than the family of today.  The family was a unit with almost absolute authority with the husband being the head of the household.  The Jewish people magnified the family to a superlative degree….and one must remember that the Jews believed the family to be a divine institution.