What Jesus Did : Matthew 27:56 - Not by Herself
by Phil Ware
Not by Herself - Matthew 27:56
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were there. (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
We can't know what it was like for God watching Jesus die. We can imagine it. We can put our words and emotions into it. But we can't know. He is God. He had the power to stop it, but didn't. He had to withhold what was rightfully his to use because our salvation was more important than his own pain. I can't know what that means.
However, God does give us a window through which we can see the whole story of Jesus. Through this window we can be profoundly touched because we can imagine the confusion, the exhilaration, and the pain. The Gospel can be told through the eyes of Jesus' mother. Mary is there when the angel announces that Jesus is conceived and that she will bear the Son of God. She is there to bear the brunt of rejection, ridicule, and misunderstanding after Jesus is conceived. Mary is there when Jesus is born and placed in a manger far away from home. She is there when Shepherds come and announce to them what the angels had said. She is there when the Magi come from far away bringing gifts for the King of the Jews. She is there on the journey to Egypt to preserve her son's life. She is there when they move into a carpenter's shop in Nazareth. She is there when Jesus is found in the Temple because he had to be in his Father's house. She is there when he turns the water into wine. She is there when all the family thinks he is crazy because he spends all his time curing and helping and teaching strangers. Mary is there ... She is even there at the Cross, as John tells us, and she is there at the empty tomb and she is there at Pentecost.
Mary becomes our eyes and our heart. If we let her, she can open for us the emotions of loving Jesus and being bewildered at his greatness and crushed with his pain and overjoyed at his victory. But thankfully, Mary is not alone. Beside her, and in addition to her, are several other women who stay with her and love her son in a way they love no other. Each of them has a story to tell about Jesus almost as rich as her own. While a few share her name, all of them share her pain. So instead of Mary agonizing alone, she takes this journey with others who help her bear it and share with her in the joy and glory of her boy who was also God's Son.Today's Prayer
Father, thank you that I can see Jesus' story through the eyes of real people who loved him, who suffered with him in his agony, and who rejoiced in his victory. Forgive me when I have tried to go about my walk alone. Lead me to the followers of Jesus who can help me shoulder my load, who can rejoice with me in your victories, and who I can bless because we all love your Son, Jesus. In his name, my Lord and Savior, I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
At noon the whole country became dark. This darkness continued for three hours. At about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" This means, "My God, my God, why have you left me alone?" Some of the people standing there heard this. The people said, "He is calling Elijah." Quickly one of the people ran and got a sponge. That person filled the sponge with vinegar and tied the sponge to a stick. Then he used the stick to give the sponge to Jesus to drink from it. But the other people said, "Don't bother him (Jesus). We want to see if Elijah will come to save him." Again Jesus cried with a loud voice. Then he died. When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn into two pieces. The tear started at the top and tore all the way to the bottom. Also, the earth shook and rocks were broken. All the graves opened, and many of God's people that had died were raised from death. Those people came out of the graves. After Jesus was raised from death, those people went into the holy city (Jerusalem), and many people saw them. The army officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus saw this earthquake and everything that happened. They were very afraid and said, "He really was the Son of God!" Many women were standing away from the cross, watching. These were the women that followed Jesus from Galilee to care for him. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were there.-- Matthew 27:45-56 (ERV)
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