Jesus on the Cross: A Lesson in Responsibility
A persons first words don’t really matter that much. It in in your last moments that the true character of someone really emerges. Let me give Harry Potter exampleOnly in his last moments did we really get to see who Snape really was. Did we see all the love in his eyes. Severus Snape's last words to Harry were simply "Look at me", to see Lily Evans' eyes once more before he died.And off-course the famous lines - After all this time? Always.Similarly Jesus too had his last words recorded in the Bible and one of the words really stood out to me as Jacob ( our church member ) was talking about itWhen Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.Here is a man, he’s dying. He has a limited number of words to be said before His spirit will depart from Him. He has been tortured for several hours now, He is in deep pain, And yet, two of his last sentences are to make sure that once He is gone, His mother is taken care off. With His thoughts on Mary’s future security and protection, Jesus entrusted her into the care of John, His beloved disciple.Joseph, Mary’s husband is believed to be dead by this time and traditionally, the oldest son in a Jewish family was duty-bound to provide for his mother’s care if she became a widow. So this was a responsibility that Jesus had as the eldest born son to look after His mother. By entrusting Mary to John’s care, Jesus was fulfilling His family responsibility as a devoted son.In His final moments, as blood and water seeped from His wounded side, Jesus looked down from the cross at His grieving mother. The weight of the world's sin crushed His body, yet His thoughts turned to her future care.He could have easily said, "Mother, my Father will provide for you in heaven." He could have remained silent, knowing He would soon ascend and watch over her from on high.But He didn't.Instead, with labored breath, He spoke to John: "Behold, your mother." With these three words, Jesus delivered His final earthly lesson – that our responsibilities are fundamentally our own.Philippians 2:13 (NIV)"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."This verse tells us about the divine partnership: God empowers us with ability and desire, but the action remains ours to take. The Lord doesn't command the hammer to strike the nail – He strengthens our arm to swing it.A Dangerous MisconceptionI've witnessed countless faithful believers reject medical insurance, life insurance, and financial planning with troubling justifications:"I am God's child; calamity won't touch me.""God won't take me before my time.""The Lord will provide for my family if something happens."These statements contain partial truths wrapped in dangerous misconception.The Example We Must FollowLook to Jesus in His final hour. The very Son of God ensured His mother's earthly care after His death. He did not delegate that responsibility to His Father. God gave Him the duty as firstborn son, and Jesus fulfilled it faithfully – even in His dying moments.Are we surrendering back to God the very responsibilities He entrusted to us?When we stand before Him, will we say we faithfully stewarded our responsibilities as Jesus did? Or will we have to explain why we returned unwrapped the gifts of foresight, planning, and provision He gave us to protect those we love?The cross beckons us not only to salvation but to emulation. In life and death, Jesus shows us the way.
