Woman behold your son - sermon by Howard Taylor.

Remember these are only notes so do not expect full sentences, perfect grammar or even perfect spelling! (Remember too that British spelling is not the same as American spelling!)

Some people believe easily, and others find it more difficult.

For some - desire not to believe - I am not talking about them.

Even among the disciples there was a difference.
Some found it difficult to believe that Jesus had risen
    - even though he had told them before hand.

Some people today find it difficult. even though proof of existence of God is everywhere.
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John 20:8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (NIV)

The first disciple to believe that Jesus had risen.

Most of them - very doubtful - wanted physical proof first.

John believes early.
Go back one chapter - crucifixion.

John 19:34-35 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

Who was that? - it was John.

His desire is that we also may believe.
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Sometimes we may imagine the cross as a great martyrdom, that God changed into a victory by raising Jesus from the dead.

Not how John sees it?

For him the cross is a victory.
In the cross God is glorified.
John 12:32-33 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

-   The cross itself strikes a blow against the sin of the world and against the devil.
-   And it draws men to Christ.
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-   In the cross God has poured out his love for sinful people upon the earth, that we might be forgiven and delivered from evil.
-   Cross reveals the glory of God and his final victory.

-   It is finished!
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-   John 19:2527
-   Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26    When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27    and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

-   Two references to Mary the mother of Jesus in John's Gospel.
-   Here, and 3 years earlier - Wedding at Cana. Water into wine.

-   Wine runs out and Mary reports this to Jesus.
-   Puzzling response:
-   John 2:4
-   "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." (NIV)
-   `My time of suffering has not yet come'
-   Why say that?

-   3 years later at the cross. His time or `hour' has come.
-   3 years earlier why did His thoughts go forward to cross?
-   Wine had run out.

-   What does the wine signify?
-   Sign of joy.
-   Ps 104:15 wine gladdens the heart of man
-   What happens to the wine?
-   Runs out - fails.
-   Joys of our life will always fail - come to an end.
-   Also we will be never satisfied.
-   Always wanting something new to keep us happy.

-   Why should our joys fail?
-   Turned our backs on the family of God.

-   Jesus likened the Kingdom of God like a wedding feast.
-   But we have been too busy with the passing joys of life and gone our own way.
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-   Conversation in one of our parish homes - baby baptism - conversation turned to world's tragedies.
-   The couple said: "The world needs to start again."

-   Deep need of cleansing and new birth.
-   Purging and return to the family.

-   There, at the wedding in Cana, are water jars used for Jewish cleansing purposes.
-   O.T. Water washing - deep need for cleansing.

-   It is this very water that Jesus turns into wine.
-   Not a majic trick.
-   Showing that:
-   real way of cleansing will come another way.

-   What does wine signify?
-   Not only joy, but blood of Christ.
-   3 years later.
-   Cup of wine: `This is my blood shed for you'.
-   Three years before the cross when Jesus is told that the wine has run out He thinks of His blood to be shed for the sins of the world and says to His mother:
-   `Why are you troubling me, my time of suffering is not yet come'

-   Wine, not only joy but also great sorrow.
-   Sorrow of God that we have gone our own way and brought sorrow to ourselves, our fellow human beings.

-   The old wine - the old joy is running out for this world.

-   Need is for new wine.

-   It can't come without a deep cleansing
- not in ceremonial water-
-   but through the blood of the cross.

-   John's gospel speaks of the cross as the place where the glory of God is revealed.

-   So significant that - 3 years earlier - when Jesus turned the water for ceremonial cleansing into wine that we read:
-   John 2:1 11    This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. (NIV)

-   Now - three years later - Mary is at the cross.

-   She is loosing her son Jesus.
-   She had already experienced birth pains at his birth.
-   Now she is going through more anguish before the new joy will be hers.
-   John 16:21,22
-   A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.
-   So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

-   So a new joy is coming for her.
-   New family.
-   Together with the resurrection of Jesus she will become mother - as it were - to the spiritual brothers of Jesus.
-   These spiritual brothers of Jesus are personified in the `beloved disciple' who is at the cross with her.

-   26    When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27    and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

-   At the cross we are taken into the home of the Lord.
-   `My Father and I will make our home with him'
-   `Many mansions'

-   `Behold I stand at the door and knock .. if any man hear my voice ...'
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-   Notice, not only must Mary take the beloved disciple as her son but he must take her as his mother.

-   So Christ son of Mary has taken us - the human race - to Himself.
-   He took our sin and sorrow, blood and tears and died our death.
-   We must also take Him.
-   How? or Where?
-   At the cross!

-   Not only accept Christ, but in accepting Him, accepting a new family of His people as our family to be loved and cherished forever.

Significant that those who stayed near to the foot of the cross were the first to see and believe His resurrection.
-   For us, longing for:
    -   new beginning,
    -   new birth and new life for ourselves and this world - we cannot find them without drawing near to the cross and accepting that it was for our sins that He died.