Family

John 19:26,  “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, rwhom he loved, he saith unto his mother, sWoman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto this own home.” [1]

Matthew 27: 46,” And about sthe ninth hour Jesus tcried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, uMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” [2]

Mark 15: 34, “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, sMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” [3]

I.   Respect

     A. Consideration

     B. Cooperation

II. Rejection

     A. Condemnation

     B. Crevice

III.     Remorse

     A. Compunction

     B. Confusion

Introduction:  Last night we considered the first two of Jesus’ seven cries from the cross.  We heard His plea to His Father for our forgiveness.  We often do things without knowing that they are wrong.  When we learn what sin is and admit guilt then ask for forgiveness, Jesus intercedes and forgiveness is instantaneous and eternal.  If we refuse to admit even after we know that we are wrong and ignore our guilt, forgiveness is not possible.

The one of the two others on their crosses with Jesus admitted his guilt.  Jesus promised that through His mercy, the man was forgiven.  Through the grace of God, the man would be in paradise with Jesus that day.  Mercy and grace are only a confession away.

Tonight we will consider Jesus’ attitude toward family.  We will see the commandment carried out by Jesus.  Exodus 20:12, “ pHonour thy father and thy mother: qthat thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” [4]  Jesus knew that He would not be here to care for His mother.  He left her with the one He loved.  We see that theme through John’s gospel as John referred to himself as the one whom Jesus loved.  Well he loves us all.  We are to care for our parents.  We are to honor them by our actions.  Jesus entrusts us with that

Oftentimes Christians find themselves in situations where being and doing what God says causes a crevice or a break in a relationship.  The pain can be terrible.  People don’t understand.  They may not be standing under the same cover of faith as their Christian companion who is learning to lean on Jesus.  We all don’t progress together and we need to be patient with each other through our transitions of faith.  Being a Christian means that sometimes we will do things which others will not want to be a part of yet.

We all progress through this pilgrimage with God in our own personal ways.  That is why we call it a personal relationship.  We all must stand alone before God yet we must be there for each other as a family even sometimes when we are not in the same stage of Christian development.  He didn’t say it was easy.  It certainly wasn’t easy for Jesus.

If you are a church member then you are a member of your church family.  This is important.  This is being forgotten.  Many years ago I worked for a ministry of corporate chaplains.  We were invited into work places to minister to employees.  Most were not church attendees.  Some went to the new places of worship that were careful not to use the word church in fear that it would offend people and turn some away.  Those folks had no pastoral ministry and frankly they didn’t want the family closeness until something happened in their life and they needed someone to listen.  That’s where the chaplain came is.  I would ask, “Where is your church where you are a member.”  Some would admit that they went and tithed and listened but nobody there was a member.  They attended when they felt like it.  Now people are not even doing that anymore.  Church; family is important!

Scripture:  Our focal Verses tonight are John 19:26-27, Matthew 27:46, and Mark 15:34.  Please stand for the reading of God’s word,

Prayer:

Message:  Jesus was nailed to the cross.  He had been so badly beaten that He was hardly recognizable as a human being.  Those who knew Jesus probably had a hard time admitting that He was Jesus.  That didn’t stop Jesus from recognizing His mother.  Think about that.

There was that time of His first recorded miracle when Mary insisted that there was not enough wine.  Jesus correctly said that it was not His time.  His public pronouncement of who Jesus was might have come later.  Yet Jesus honored His mom.

Jesus had deep consideration for His mother.  God used Mary to give Jesus earthly life.  What better thing is there to do in this world then to bring about the life of another human being?  He loved His mother.  The fact that He questioned the timing of her request and did it anyway attests to the fact that Jesus cooperated with His mother.

Not only that but He knew that He was not going to be here to see to it that Mary was treated with the love and dignity that mothers deserve.  And Mary needed someone to nurture.  That’s what mothers do.  John had his own mother who just happened to be Mary’s sister.  Salome is mentioned as one of the women at the tomb.  Could that have something to do with Jesus’ decision on who would take Mary into their family.  She was already family to John and Salome.  I don’t know!  I only know that Jesus doesn’t make mistakes.

John took Mary into his home; his own home.  Where do families get together and stay together.  Where do church families get together and stay together.  Let us be together in our home, the sanctuary, the safe place of worship that God provides for us.  Try as they might nobody but you can take that away.

We know that Jesus’ mother was Mary.  Jesus had am earthly father named Joseph but Joseph was not Jesus’ birth father.  Joseph no doubt adopted Jesus and raised as his own son.  He even taught Jesus a trade to make it through this life.

Never forget; God The Father is Jesus’ Father.  Jesus is God the Son.  Jesus has the divine attributes of God.  He is omniscient.  That is to say Jesus knows what is to happen before it happens.  He knew what was going to happen on the cross as He took our sins.

When something happens to break the family unit it is painful.  Jesus took our sin.  God The Father had to look away.  That familiarity that Jesus always felt was to change.  He prayed as it were droplets of blood in Gethsemane asking if there might be some other way.  There was none.

Jesus felt the rejection that we realize when we ignore unrepentant sin.  We are so calloused that we don’t even feel the rejection because before we receive forgiveness all we know is rejection.  Jesus never felt that before.

We are so callous that we ignore the condemnation.  How bad can condemnation be when that is all you know?  We are so used to the divide between us and God that we don’t even realize that there is a crevice that separates us.  That crevice is sin.  Must the crevice remain?

There is more!  Praise God there is more.  Jesus is more yet during those hours on the cross Jesus felt what we should feel.  Can you imagine the scene?  The Bible says that it was the ninth hour.  In other words it was 3:00pm.  Darkness had come at 12noon and it covered that place for the time that Jesus carried our sin.  In the afternoon light it is normally as bright as it gets,

Twice in the gospels it is recorded, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, uMy God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  During that darkness the remorse of Jesus’ situation was all that He could stand.  The word compunction in the outline is synonymous with shame.  Do you ever feel that shame?  What did Jesus do to be ashamed of?

They say that the devil is the author of confusion yet here we see Jesus in one of the very few times that He didn’t have an answer.  Jesus seemed confused.  Jesus was in His most human condition and He was totally confused.  Why!  Why have you abandoned me God?  Before when He asked for our forgiveness He addressed God the Father as Father.  Now Jesus knows that God is God but the familiarity of addressing Him as Father is now different too.

It wasn’t to last for Jesus.  It doesn’t have to last for us.  We know what comes next.  There He is!  Jesus is on His throne right next to His Father and He is there interceding for us.  We will all live somewhere forever.  That is a promise.  Because of that short time of rejection by His almighty Father we now can rejoice with Jesus forever.

Prayer: 

Invitation:  There may be that one here tonight that has grown cold in the crevice that sin is causing between themselves and God The Father.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  There is a wonderful way.  He is the way, He is the truth, He is the life, He is Jesus.  Respond to Him as you have never responded before.  Pastor come on up…

r See ch. 13:23.
s ch. 2:4.
t See ch. 16:32 marg.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 19:26–27). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
s Acts 3:1. See 1 Kin. 18:29.
t ver. 50. So Heb. 5:7.
u Cited from Ps. 22:1.
[2] Ibid., Mt 27:46). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
s Cited from Ps. 22:1.
[3] Ibid., Mk 15:34). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
p Lev. 19:3. Jer. 35:7, 18, 19. Cited Matt. 15:4. & 19:19. Mark 7:10. & 10:19. Luke 18:20. Eph. 6:2.
q So ch. 23:26. Cited Eph. 6:3.
[4] Ibid., Ex 20:12). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
u Cited from Ps. 22:1.