by When Jesus spoke His third phrase – John 19:25-27 – there were 5 familiar faces at the foot of the cross, 4 women and 1 disciple. None of His siblings were present, likely because of their unbelief recorded in Mark 6:3 and John 7:5. What siblings would not be by a parent’s side at the death of one of their other siblings? For whatever reason, their absence was fulfillment of the Messianic implication in Psalm 69:8.
Mary had been standing in the shadow of the cross. She needed this shade of comfort more than any time in her life. Her motherly heart stood reaching up helplessly to where her hands could not touch. Her ears heard the taunts of false accusations, mockery and scorn from a vicious crowd. Her eyes looked upon the One whom she had never witnessed a sin. Her soul grieved at Jesus being hated, despised, hanging as a common criminal, and dying in such a horrific way. Then she hears her son call her “woman” and not “mother.” That word would have taken her soul back to the beginning, recalling the sword Simeon prophesied that was now piercing her own soul (Luke 2:34-35). Her grief became unbearable.
Thus, Jesus’ words were spoken in comfort, not as her son, but as her Great God and Savior (Luke 1:47; Titus 2:17). His comfort was to appease her grief by having John take her away before witnessing the inhumane results of His grueling and bloody crucifixion. In three days, Jesus would rise again to fulfill the Gospel. He would then appear before His disciples, and Mary would likely be present since she was taken to John’s house for those three days. Mary is not mentioned around the resurrection, but is found forty days later in Acts 1:14 at a prayer meeting shortly after Jesus’ ascension. When Mary is mentioned again, Jesus’ brothers are present, showing they believed His resurrection (Romans 10:9).
The shadow of the cross is a place all believers need to frequent for comfort in this sin-cursed world. Reading Psalm 91 we see what is afforded to God’s people, born-again believers today, if we “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91). To experience this shadow of peace and protection, we must humble ourselves in the sight of God and draw nigh to His shadow, and He will draw nigh unto us (James 4:8-10).
