John 19:16-27
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be
crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called
Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his
mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his
mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
For those who have seen the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” the most heart wrenching moment is watching Mary’s reaction to the suffering of Jesus. We all want to
forget about Good Friday and jump to Easter so we can get away from the bad feelings of the brutal death of Jesus Christ. It is why Christmas and Easter are the best Sundays of the year because they allow us to celebrate the great heights of joy. But we would have neither if it were not for the death of Jesus. This is like our lives. Our days are not filled with innumerable joys. We have good days and bad days. We endure moments of great joy and pits of
extraordinary pain and sorrow. Take a moment now to think about your life. Think about the ups and downs in your
history. Thank God for both.
