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compassed me; the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me; they
pierced my hands and my feet.” “They parted my raiment among them,
and for my vesture they did cast lots.”
The eyes of Jesus wandered over the multitude that had collected
together to witness his death, and he saw at the foot of the cross John
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supporting Mary, the mother of Christ. She had returned to the terrible
scene, not being able to longer remain away from her son. The last
lesson of Jesus was one of filial love. He looked upon the grief-stricken
face of his mother, and then upon John; said he, addressing the former:
“Woman, behold thy son.” Then, to the disciple: “Behold, thy mother,”
John well understood the words of Jesus, and the sacred trust which
was committed to him. He immediately removed the mother of Christ
from the fearful scene of Calvary. From that hour he cared for her
as would a dutiful son, taking her to his own home. O pitiful, loving
Saviour! Amid all his physical pain, and mental anguish, he had a
tender, thoughtful care for the mother who had borne him. He had
no money to leave her, by which to insure her future comfort, but he
was enshrined in the heart of John, and he gave his mother unto the
beloved disciple as a sacred legacy. This trust was to prove a great
blessing to John, a constant reminder of his beloved Master.
The perfect example of Christ’s filial love shines forth with
undimmed luster from the mist of ages. While enduring the keen-
est torture, he was not forgetful of his mother, but made all provision
necessary for her future. The followers of Christ should feel that it is a
part of their religion to respect and provide for their parents. No pretext
of religious devotion can excuse a son or daughter from fulfilling the
obligations due to a parent.
The mission of Christ’s earthly life was now nearly accomplished.
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His tongue was parched, and he said, “I thirst.” They saturated a sponge
with vinegar and gall and offered it him to drink; and when he had
tasted it, he refused it. And now the Lord of life and glory was dying, a
ransom for the race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath
upon him as man’s substitute, that made the cup he drank so bitter, and
broke the heart of the Son of God. Death is not to be regarded as an
angel of mercy. Nature recoils from the thought of dissolution, which
is the consequence of sin.
But it was not the dread of death which caused the inexpressible
agony of Jesus. To believe this would be to place him beneath the