Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.—John 19:25-27

Leonard Griehs

John is the only gospel writer to record these words from Jesus on the cross. His reference to "the disciple standing by, whom he loved" almost certainly refers to John himself as he used the phrase frequently in his gospel when referring to himself (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7,20,24).

Sometime during the painful dying process, Jesus committed his mother to the care of this loving disciple, John. Despite intense agony, Jesus thought of those who would be left behind.

This lesson is an important one for us as we enter the Memorial season. Our tendency at times to become engrossed in our own trials and difficulties ought to give way to the more important work of being a burden-bearer for others. Our efforts should be especially directed toward the encouragement and blessing of those who in any measure are under our temporal and spiritual care. How often have we noted stalwart brethren who, while on their deathbed, gave encouragement to visitors who had come to cheer them!

Three Marys

Golgotha was a rocky hill about fifteen feet high and about 30 yards from either the west or north of the present Damascus Gate of Jerusalem, depending on which of two possible sites is correct. No stranger could mistake the fact that this was a place of execution because three upright beams (stakes) stood naked against the sky. Sometimes there were more, but never fewer than three. At the top they had been planed down so that the mortises in the crossbeams, carried by the prisoners themselves to the site, would fit across them.

A crowd would have gathered to watch the public execution, but the soldiers normally formed a perimeter line inside the roads and permitted only a small group to come through to Golgotha. Matthew says "many women were there beholding afar off " (Matthew 27:55) while Mark says there were "also women looking on afar off" (Mark 15:40).

John is the only writer to specifically list Mary the mother of Jesus as one of the women who were there. Neither Matthew nor Mark identify her in this way. Mark includes Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome. Matthew lists Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children (John's mother—see Matthew 4:21). Tradition identifies Salome as the wife of Zebedee, although from Scripture we cannot tell whether these two were the same person. It seems consistent that John's mother accompanied Mary Magdelene and Mary the mother of James to the tomb (Mark 16:1).

 "His mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Cleophas"

Commentators note that the early copyists of the Latin manuscript from which the Authorized Version was translated erred in inserting an h into the name Cleopas. Modern and marginal translations list Cleopas as the correct rendering in the Greek form or Clopas in the Semitic form. The word "wife" is conjecturally inserted in the text; the original reads, "Mary of Clopas." It was normal to identify women by the names of their husbands or other relatives so that this Mary of Clopas might have been the mother of James the Less and Joses mentioned by both Matthew and Mark. This would require, however, that Alphaeus and Cleopas be the same person (Matthew 10:3) and would require that this James, the cousin of Jesus, be the writer of the epistle bearing his name rather than our Lord's half-brother. While it was not unusual for those living in the area to adopt Greek equivalents for their Semitic names, it was rare that one person would be known by two unrelated names.

Clopas was a rare name in Jesus' day, appearing only once in the New Testament and once in the writings of the mid-second-century A.D. historian Hegesippus of Palestine. Hegesippus gives Clopas as the name of the brother of Joseph, our Lord's putative father. If this is correct, then Clopas would have been Jesus' uncle and Mary of Clopas, his aunt; this would make her Mary's sister-in-law rather than her sister. While it is not possible to settle this matter easily, it does seem unlikely that two sisters in the same family would bear the name Mary.

It also seems reasonable to believe Mary of Clopas "followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him" (Matthew 27:55), "brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him" (Mark 16:1), and "in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week," came "to see the sepulcher" (Matthew 28:1), and subsequently "told these things unto the apostles" (Luke 24:10).

Another interesting suggestion can be made concerning this woman's husband, Clopas. According to Luke 24:18, one of the two disciples to whom Jesus appeared on the way to Emmaus, a village about seven miles north of Jerusalem, following his resurrection, was a person named Cleopas. This Greek name is not the same as the Semitic name Clopas, but it was common for Palestinian Jews of this period to be known by both a Semitic name and a similar sounding Greek name. For example, the Greek name Simon was very commonly used as the equivalent of the Hebrew Simeon, and either name could be used for the same individual. It is quite possible that Joseph's brother Clopas also used the Greek name Cleopas and that he was in Jerusalem with his wife for the Passover which was required under the Law for devout Jews. Luke never identifies Cleopas' companion on the road, not even by gender. The unnamed companion of Luke 24:18 may have been his wife Mary who had accompanied Jesus' mother in those difficult days surrounding the crucifixion. Jesus would have verified to her, as he did to the other women who were at his crucifixion, that he had indeed risen. As he expounded on the Scriptures while making the two-hour journey, perhaps she understood for the first time the fulfillment of prophecy in her nephew Jesus.

Mary Magdelene

Magdala, the Greek form of Migdol, or Watchtower, was the name of a town on the south side of the Plain of Gennesaret, where the hills form the base of the lake of Galilee. Today it is identified with the city known as Mejdal.

Mark 16:9 identifies Mary of Magdala as one from whom Jesus had cast seven demons, but the passage from which it is taken is not considered authentic in most modern translations. However, Luke 8:2,3, whose authenticity is not questioned, supports the same origin of Mary Magdalene's initial contact with Jesus: "And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance." Other popular portrayals of Mary Magdalene as the sinful woman of Luke 7:36-50 are part of traditions in the Latin church and likely have no basis in fact.

We can infer that Mary Magdalene was young, probably in her early twenties, from the statement in John 20:2 that upon finding the body of Jesus missing from the sepulcher, "She runneth and cometh to Simon Peter." Only a young woman could have run the one-mile distance separating the sepulcher and the house of Mark's mother where the disciples assembled.

Although she is portrayed in popular stories about Jesus as being his constant companion, she appears nowhere in Scripture between her initial contact with Jesus and his crucifixion. It is not likely that the women disciples of Jesus accompanied him and his disciples as they went from place to place. Most of them were likely married and had husbands and children to consider. As Luke 8:3 indicates, they probably extended the hospitality of their homes when the apostles were in their districts, and rendered services such as the provision and mending of clothes. Only at the tragedy of the cross do we find that the women, including Mary Magdelene, were drawn together to be with Jesus in his last hours. It is here that we are touched with the depth of Mary Magdalene's care.

She remained at the cross until the crucifixion was over and the body was taken down and laid in Joseph of Arimathea's tomb. She appeared at the tomb at the earliest dawn of the first day of the week along with Salome and Mary the mother of James—-those who had been witnesses at the cross with John (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2).

As Mary and the others found the sepulchre empty, she saw the angel telling her that Jesus had risen (Matthew 28:5) and ran to tell Peter and John. Returning to the sepulchre, she lingered thoughtfully, weeping at the door of the tomb. Jesus appeared to her, but she did not recognize him until he uttered the familiar "Mary." It was then that she uttered in joy, "Rabboni!" Her teacher had indeed risen and shown himself to her.

This is the last reference regarding Mary of Magdala, who then returned to Jerusalem. Perhaps she returned to the small town on the shores of Galilee and became one of the pillars of the early Christian congregation there.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

As the mother of the Savior, Mary had a role in history that set her apart from all women of the Bible. Sadly, she has become as much a subject of adoration in art, music, and poetry as her son. It is not an exaggeration to say that no woman has been so honored and adored by the world as Mary. Yet Jesus never instructed his disciples to pay her any special homage.

In Luke 1:28, the angel Gabriel announced Mary's pregnancy with the words, "Blessed art thou among women." It was every Jewish girl's desire to bear the Messiah. While much has been written and said about Mary's life following Jesus' birth, the Scriptures contain almost nothing about her life or family once Jesus begins his ministry. She is a relatively minor character in the gospels, often unnamed and usually silent. She is simply called "the mother of Jesus" at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11), when traveling with Jesus to Capernaum (John 2:12), and when standing in the crowds of followers (John 6:42). Only at the foot of the cross does John identify her by name.

It was a sorrowful gathering for those at the cross. Mary's heart was undoubtedly heavy when she saw her son nailed to the cross as a public criminal. None must have grieved more. While others jeered and taunted Jesus, she wept. "If thou be the son of God, come down from the cross" (Matthew 27:40). This is not dissimilar to our own experiences. As our brethren and loved ones bear criticism and persecution for the things they believe, our hearts can only hang heavy and our eyes shed a sympathetic tear as we hear of and witness their trials. Just as our Lord had a heart-union with his Father which outward trial, persecution, and adversity could not chill, so with us his followers. Our faith and commitment allow us to endure, to gain strength, in the face of certain death. Jesus' own agony did not deter him from thinking of his mother and making provision for her comfort by entrusting her to the one disciple he especially loved, John.

The One Whom Jesus Loved

The gospel of John has many touches that must have been based on the recollections of eyewitnesses. This incident is one of those and is recorded only by John. He and his mother remained with Jesus during his crucifixion (compare Matthew 4:21 and Matthew 27:56). As one of the "sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17) John must have possessed great courage and strong character even before he received the holy spirit from God.

As Jesus cast his eyes upon his mother and John, he entrusted his last earthly tie to John. This closeness of Jesus and John is noted throughout this gospel. John was the one who had the special place of favor during the last supper (John 13:23). John's loving, tender disposition, his zeal for the Lord, and finally his courage to be near his dying master in his closing hours at the risk of his own life gave Jesus great confidence in him. What a fitting testimony for us to follow! Let us cultivate these same qualities in ourselves so we may be similarly trusted by the Master!

Why was it necessary for Jesus to commit his mother to John or anyone else? We are told that Mary had several other children: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him" (Mark 6:3).

In none of the passages concerning Jesus' family is Joseph mentioned (Matthew 12:46; 13:55; Mark 3:31,32; Luke 8:19,20; John 2:12; 7:3-5). As the oldest son, Jesus appears to lead the household: "After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days" (John 2:12). Mark 6:3 only notes Mary as a parent. These Scriptures seem to confirm the popular belief that Joseph had died and Mary had not remarried. John 6:42 from the Authorized Version makes it appear that Joseph was still alive: "And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?" However, Rotherham indicates it is the lineage of Joseph being especially noted, not Joseph himself: "Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, of whom we know the father and the mother! How is it then that he now saith out of heaven have I come down?"

As the oldest son and unmarried, Jesus would assume responsibility for his mother's support (see Luke 7:12-15). As he began his ministry, Jesus gave up whatever family home there had been: "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). Mary apparently had traveled with him much of the time (see Matthew 12:56; Luke 8:19; John 2:12). Jesus appoints John as her surrogate son in this matter, using the expression ide ho uios with the article ho (the) before uios (son). The Greek grammarian Bechtel states that had there been another son to perform this responsibility, the expression would have omitted the article before the Greek uios (son). Apparently James, Jesus' younger half-brother (Galatians 1:19), was not part of the believing body until after the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7) and was in no position to take the role Jesus had performed. No reason is given in Scripture for James' reversal following the resurrection. However, it is a fact from Scripture that Jesus wanted his mother in the hands of one of his followers.