Present During Suffering
Today’s passage: John 19:25, along with Matthew 27:55–56, Mark 15:40–41, and Luke 23:49
Focus verse: Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25)
In our biblical narrative we don’t move directly from Jesus’s death to his resurrection. There’s much that happens between these two events. We’ll spend the next six days looking at them.
We start with the women at the cross who keep vigil with Jesus as he suffers and dies.
John names four of them: Jesus’s mother, Mary; his aunt (Mary’s sister); Mary, who’s married to Clopas; and Mary Magdalene.
We expect Jesus’s mother, Mary, to be there, as any mother would. She couldn’t prevent his suffering and can’t ease his pain. But she can support him by being present.
Sometimes the best way—the only way—to care for someone when they suffer is to be present. Mary does that for her son.
Mary’s sister, Jesus’s aunt, is there too. This is the only time the Bible mentions her. Is she there for Jesus or for her sister? Either way, we applaud her caring nature.
Next is Mary, the wife of Clopas. The Bible gives us no more information about either of them.
We may bristle at Mary’s identity being tied to her husband, but it could be more a notation of convenience rather than significance, since there are many women named Mary in the New Testament.
Regardless, Clopas does nothing noteworthy in the Bible, but his wife, Mary, does. She valiantly keeps watch as Jesus suffers and dies.
Scripture tells us that Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene. Regardless of how we understand this, we know Jesus made her life much better.
In response, Mary Magdalene shows her gratitude by following Jesus and helping support him.
Matthew and Luke don’t tell us the names of the women standing watch, but Mark names three. He repeats Mary Magdalene. He adds Mary the mother of James and Joseph, along with Salome, though the Bible tells us nothing more about either of them.
Specifically, Mark says these three women followed Jesus and tended to his needs.
And they keep watch as Jesus dies.
These women had come with Jesus from Galilee, his hometown, and cared for him. This might have been practical concerns, such as food, or they may have also provided financial support for him and his disciples.
Regardless, they played an integral role in his ministry, even though they weren’t counted as disciples.
This is a reminder that a ministry needs a leader, followers, and supporters to succeed. Though we rightly think the most about Jesus and secondarily his disciples, these women play a key role.
But they stay in the background, mostly unseen and seldom recognized. Yet without them and their support, Jesus’s ministry would not have done as much as it did.
Questions:
- How do you function best as a leader, as a follower, and as a supporter?
- What can you do to better help your spiritual leaders?
Prayer: Jesus, may we follow you throughout our lives. Show us how we can best support your ministry.
[This devotional is taken from the Day 2 reading in The Victory of Jesus.]
Celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and his return to heaven in The Victory of Jesus. The Victory of Jesus is another book in Peter DeHaan’s beloved Holiday Celebration Devotionals Series. Get your copy today.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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