Day 5 - John

The Voice of John

Standing at the foot of the cross, among the names we know, was only one of the Twelve:  John. The disciples bet their lives on Jesus. Then, it unraveled. One of them betrayed Jesus. Another denied he even knew him. They all fled. 

At the cross, grief and brokenness crowded out last night’s fear as John watched his Lord tortured, strung up in public. Memories of miracles from Jesus’s finger tips and truths from Jesus’s vocal cords would have conflicted with this offensive scene. Why had it come to this? 

For several years, John and Jesus were rarely separated. The other disciples recognized the deep love the two of them had for each other. John heard the Sermon on the Mount. He was at the Transfiguration.  He was in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed bloody tears over what was coming. John witnessed his wrongful arrest. Now at the cross, he was watching his beloved Jesus die.  Can you imagine what John was feeling as he watched the one he followed…the one he loved being executed on a cross. A death reserved for criminals and enemies of the state.

In the midst of his despair and confusion, John heard Jesus speak to him. Jesus asked John to watch over his mother.  Did John wonder, Why me?  Was it simply because he was standing next to Mary? Or, was it because Jesus knew John’s heart was filled with love? Perhaps Jesus knew taking care of his mom would help John through his grief. 

John 19:26-27 says, “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’  From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”  

No questions asked, no objections. Even while dealing with his own pain, John put Mary’s need before his own grief. John provides an excellent example of loving and caring for others even while we may be walking through our own season of hurt. 

  • Have you ever seen someone demonstrate love even through their own grief?
  • What  opportunities have I missed because I was only focused on myself?
  • How can I demonstrate care even if I am going through a season of hurt?
Read and Meditate on
2 Corinthians 1: 3-7
Devo Day 5
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