Heb.4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.
I have been thinking of the cross this week as we prepare for our Good Friday and Easter services. I have been thinking about the faces that were there at Golgotha as our Lord was being executed by godless men to pay for our sin. I can see the different people in the crowd with their different responses. I see the angry soldiers taking out their hatred for the Jews on this preacher from Galilee, I see the defiant Pharisees gleefully watching the death of the One they hated the most, then there is Nicodemus and Joseph who are finally getting the courage to step forward. Of course there is the fear in the eyes of the criminals screaming profanities as they died, the silent obedience of John, the awakening eyes of the centurion and then there is the mother of Jesus, Mary. Of all people Mary may have caused Jesus the greatest pain. He had a unique love for her, the kind that sons have for their mothers. Jesus couldn’t stand the pain in her eyes and her unrestrained weeping. Jesus saw all of this and He was deeply effected. Like today’s verse says He was touched with the feelings of our weaknesses.
As Jesus died on the cross that day He was pondering the effect His death would have. He was now beginning His ministry as our heavenly High Priest. He prayed a prayer of forgiveness for the soldiers, “Father forgive them”. Surely many of them were converted to Christ at some point in their lives. The Bible talks about many of the religious leaders being saved in the next few years, Jesus was also praying for those arrogant Pharisees.
He could see Nicodemus and Joseph being strengthened by His death, He prayed for them. They were certainly two of the tools God used to bring priests and Pharisees into the kingdom. Jesus also responded to the dying criminals next to Him telling one of them that he would be with Him in Paradise that day. Of course He saw John and His heart was broken, this young man of God would record what He had seen and would change the world. Finally His eyes turned to His mother Mary. His heart was broken, He was touched with the pain of her weakness, He is touched by the pain of our weakness. His dying prayer was for John to take care of His mom. Jesus is the Son of God but He is also a man, a man who died for all of us and lives today to pray for you the way only a man that has suffered can pray.
Powerful.
Pastor, when you spoke of Jesus looking down upon His mother from the cross, seeing her in great sorrow for her dying son, reminded me of a prayer I prayer to Jesus for my son Myles.
My son was in a life and death crossroad in his life. He was accused by the Lake Charles prosecutor for the killing of two people. It was such a devastating, horrific, stomach wrenching moment in my life. I prayed to Jesus about how His mother felt seeing Him on the cross. The pain in her heart seeing her son nailed to the cross. I pleaded to Him as a mother seeing my son being accused of this evil crime and knowing if they found him guilty he was going to be executed. I asked God to have mercy on son and mercy on me as a mother for deliverance from this atrocious crime. Pleading to Him the pain I was feeling about my son. I told Him here is my son Myles and I lay him at the foot of the cross and took my hands off of Him. My soul was in torment seeing the situation Myles was in. Pastor. That is when the Holy Spirit told me to be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
He calmed my heart. I kept that scripture posted all over my house.
I am glad to report. Myles never went to trail for accusation. God delivered him from the trap of the enemy and put a joy in my heart that will never be quenched. I love my God deeply. 🙌