Let the Shepherd Lead

Originally Proclaimed: 03/29/20

Intro:

• In the earliest Protestant Catechism, the Heidelberg Catechism, the first question asks believers, “What is your only comfort in life and in death?”

• Just for a moment consider the answer to that question is not being so clear.
• Think about being someone who has never heard of Christ and his atoning work on the cross.

• • What would they say is their comfort in life and death?
    • People who ordinarily would answer that their comfort relates to their physical ease or freedom from pain or constraint would likely pause due to the last words of our question.
    • “And Death” makes it impossible for us to consider comfort as merely some sort of privileged position or lifestyle.
    • Death has a way of tearing down privilege since all of us in the end face the same fate.
    • And yet is there not a huge part of us that still longs for someone to comfort us by easing our distress or restoring our well-being?
• Two dads, independent of one another recently wrote songs to comfort their sons.
  • Jordan Kauflin’s son had a reoccurrence of childhood leukemia.
    • So he wanted to write a song that stood as a reminder that “We have a hope” or “There is a hope”.
    • For he and his family they needed to sing comfort that would remind them of someone and something mightier than cancer and any human trial.
  • Matt Boswell’s oldest son was having a difficult time thinking about death.
    • He was terrified of the prospect as any of us might be when thinking about death.
    • So Boswell wanted to write a hymn based on the Heidelberg Catechism’s answer to that first question, “That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”
    • This was a gift to his son, like most good hymns are, that could comfort him when the darkest thoughts arise.
  • When they both brought their hymns to Keith Getty, a modern hymn writer and publisher, he offered a unique suggest.
  • Rather than publish two hymns, why not bring the songs together into a single hymn.

Hook:

• So Getty’s team recently published this hymn, “Christ Our Hope In Life and Death”.
• Listen to this short excerpt
  • What truth can calm the troubled soul?
  • God is good, God is good.
  • Where is his grace and goodness known?
  • In our great Redeemer’s blood.
  • Who holds our faith when fears arise?
  • Who stands above the stormy trial?
  • Who sends the waves that bring us nigh
  • Unto the shore, the rock of Christ?

• • O sing hallelujah!
  • Our hope springs eternal;
  • O sing hallelujah!
  • Now and ever we confess
  • Christ our hope in life and death.

• Friends, this is the kind of comfort on the mind of Christ at the cross, and it is the comfort that we should seek and emulate in our own lives.
• And this is the comfort that we will think about today in our message.

Message Points:

• As we pick up the account of the crucifixion, Jesus is already upon the cross.
  • Pardon has been on his mind as he prayed “Father, forgive” and assured the thief who sought Him that they would be together in paradise.
  • In John’s gospel just before we read the words of our passage, we see the soldiers dividing his garments.
  • Jewish men traditionally wore five pieces of clothing, a head covering, belt, sandals, a robe, and the tunic or  undergarment which was woven without seams.
  • This was the last of the garments they divided among them and they cast lots to see who would take it home.
  • Erwin Lutzer claims that this undergarment would have likely been made for him and given to him by his mother (60-61).
  • Thus the scene we focus on today likely is meant to be seen in connection with the soldiers dividing Jesus’ garments.
  • Just as the crucifixion robbed Jesus of the tunic his mother gave him, so too would his passion soon take the life Mary had protected and cherished for so long.
• But this was the purpose for which Jesus had come.
  • And this was the fate about which Simeon had warned Mary and Joseph in Luke 2:29-32.
  • Simeon’s exact words “a sword shall pierce through your soul also” would now come to pass.
• At this point we read that several women and the apostle John now gathered at the foot of the cross.
  • This dangerous position was common for the families of the ones crucified, though not without risk.
  • But there is debate about how many had gathered.
    • Some claim that there are three women: Jesus’ mother, Mary wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
    • Others claim that there are four: Jesus’ mother, her sister, presumably Salome the mother of James and John, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
  • I prefer the idea that four have gathered here, seeing the information from the other gospels.
    • Matthew in 27:55-56 says Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph (Clopas’ wife), and the mother of the sons of Zebdee were there .
    • Mark in 15:40 similarly claims that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and Joses, and Salome were there.
  • These women have supported Jesus from the beginning of his ministry.
    • Mary, his mother was likely a widow now since Joseph is not mentioned in the Scripture past Luke 2:42.
      • Mary is a Greek form of the name Miriam which means bitter.
      • Early in his ministry, she joined his brothers and family in coming to talk with him about ceasing his ministry in Matt. 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35, and Luke 8:19-20.
      • His brothers came, likely because they had been given the family business to run in his absence; and they had the responsibility of providing for Mary since Joseph had died.
      • Evidently she did so out of concern for him, rather than any kind of upset at her eldest son.
      • His brothers did not believe until after his resurrection, but here we find Mary.
      • Faithfully she stands with Jesus, ready to drink whatever bitter cup may come her way.
    • Salome’s sister was Jesus’ mother.
      • Her name means peace coming from the Hebrew Shalom.
      • She had means to support Jesus, since Zebedee her husband owned a fairly successful fishing business.
      • Further she had two sons who were apostles of Jesus.
      • But let’s not forget that Salome was not always peaceful
        • According to Matthew 20:20 she manipulatively asked Jesus if her sons could have positions of privilege and power in His kingdom.
        • Perhaps her reason for being at the cross with John was to make sure one of her boys received the position for which she asked.
    • Mary the wife of Clopas.
      • While we know little of her, this too could be a relative of Jesus.
      • Eusebius claims that Clopas was a brother to Joseph, and thus his wife could be Jesus’ aunt as well.
      • If Clopas is identical with Alpheus of the other gospels, it would mean that she is the mother of James the Lessor, Levi better known as Matthew, and Joseph or Joses.
      • Just as the other women, she had much invested in this man Jesus; since a majority of her sons were his disciples. His fate could be their fate.
    • Mary Magdalene came from a town on the sea of Galilee not unlike Capernaum called Magdala.
      • Luke 8:2 tells us that several women accompanied Jesus and the twelve as they travelled.
      • Each of these women were healed by Jesus of evil spirits or infirmities.
      • Mary Magdalene is said to have been freed from seven demons.
      • For Mary, Jesus was her only certainty that the demons of her past would not return.
    • Then of course there is John.
      •  Though he refers to himself as the Beloved disciple, do not mistake it, he too fled when Jesus was betrayed.
      • Matthew 26:56 tells us that all of them fled when he was arrested, including John.
      • They had been warned by Jesus earlier in the evening according to Matthew 26:31.
        • He even told them that they would flee because Jesus’ name and their connection to him offended them.
        • He was scandalous to them.
      • Jesus was asked about his disciples and their betrayal in his trial before the high priest in John 18:19.
      • Jesus according to Pink “had no relief or comfort from any creature and therefore that He might be left alone to grapple with the wrath of God and man.” (63)
      • But John before any of the other disciples returned to Jesus at the foot of the cross a wayward backslider.

• Friends, it was Comfort that led those grieving to the foot of His cross (19:25-26).
  • Many types of grief, but each one came to the foot of the cross.
    • His mother was grieving because the child that she had carried, guarded, and suffered to raise for God’s glory was now dying what seemed like a pointless death.
    • His aunt Salome was grieving because the hopes she had of a future in which her sons were the right hand men of the king were dying upon that tree.
    • His other aunt Clopas’ wife grieved because she saw the possibility of her own sons being hunted down and crucified as well.
    • Mary Magdalene grieved because the only freedom she had ever known from her demons had come at the Word of Jesus–a Word she would no longer hear.
    • And John grieved because when it really mattered he betrayed his master and backslid into unbelief.
    • What do we bring to the cross? I had to bring my angst that I no longer have a living mother.
  • So friends, that should teach us that no matter what our grief; and what type of comfort we seek, we should bring it to the foot of the cross.
    • But we should be aware, that Jesus’ cross is the tool of God to clarify our confusion and offer us real comfort.
    • Most of us want the type of comfort that is convenient.
      • We do not want to change.
      • We are like the church member who refused to put a church bumper sticker on his car.
        • When asked he quickly jabbed back, “not only will that ruin the paint job, but I don’t want to have drive like a Christian.”
        • Do we genuinely have a desire to go through life acting like Christians?
        • If we are honest with ourselves, how many of us would prefer to claim Christ, but live far from His cross and the change it demands.
        • Yet the griefs we face in life cannot be resolved by continuing to live for the temporary comforts we can receive.
    • When we really come to Jesus’ Cross and live near to it…
      • We will actually see the bloody, agonizing, disastrous cost for our sin.
      • We will see that our example in life and death gave up his privilege to suffer for us.
      • The cross crushes our selfish desires and motivates us to please God. After all when Jesus’ mother and brothers came to confront him in the other Gospels he asks, “Who are my mother and brothers? For whoever does the will of god, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
      • We cannot help but change when we come to the foot of the cross; and in that change there is comfort.
        • No longer must we chase our plans, ambitions or be tormented by our anxieties and fears.
        • Christ crucifies sin, suffering, and selfishness so that we can be free to live for Him.
  • Which brings us to verse 19:26 which tells us that Jesus in anguish, bearing the wrath of God and man for our sin, sees His mother and His beloved disciple.
    • Perhaps it was that He heard the soldiers dividing that special tunic that made him think of her.
    • Perhaps it was one of those tortuous breaths that caused his eyes to fall upon John as He exhaled and He remembers his words “this is my body, given for you” spoken just hours earlier to this man.
    • Perhaps it was their tears and sobbing that drew his attention.
    • When Jesus saw them, comfort was on His mind.
      • Jesus according to Hebrews 12:2 “for the joy set before Him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame”
      • The comfort upon Jesus mind was not the temporary trappings of life in this world, but the eternal comfort and joy in a job well done – a life well lived.
      • Just as He had when his Joseph and Mary found him in the temple in Luke 2, Jesus reminded His mother and His beloved disciple that there is comfort and joy in doing the Father’s business.
  • Friends mark it down, Comfort allowed the Savior to see past his suffering (19:26).
    • “Honor your father and mother that you might live long in the land” says the 5th commandment in Exodus 20.
      • Paul repeats this in Ephesians 6:1-4.
      • But he especially makes it plain in 1 Timothy 5:8, “Anyone who does not provide for their own relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
      • By saying to Mary, “Woman here is your son,” Jesus keeps the 5th commandment, even when He is facing his own terrible death.
    • Jesus does not deny His faith in the revealed Word of God.
      • Rather He displays the genuine comfort there is in believing God enough to act upon our beliefs.
      • So friends, what keeps you from believing God?
      • If Jesus could see through the agonizing pain of crucifixion, with all the wrath of God poured on Him rather than God’s divine favor, what keeps us from seeing how to please God in our struggles?
  • But we still have one verse remaining. And this verse tells us that Jesus speaks to John and says to Him, “Here is Your Mother”.
    • This disciple who had betrayed Jesus but returned was not an outcast but given a unique and special mission by his master.
      • These two who knew Jesus’ love best were called to care for one another as mother and son.
      • Each would comfort the other as they had been comforted by Jesus.
    • Consider 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
      • True comfort comes from God.
      • Its purpose is to release us to comfort others.
    • As the most important implication of Jesus’ words in these verses, we can see that Jesus by asking this of His mother and of John was assuring them that a new day was dawning.
      • For every person who kneels humbly at Calvary, there is life that comes after death.
      • There is a new identity given to us by God when we choose to lay aside all our past failures and selfishness.
      • That newness of life is the comfort of God.
  • So, Comfort releases us to give what we have received (19:26-27).
    • Jesus was comforted by His Father, so he could offer comfort to all of us.
    • Mary and John were comforted by Jesus, so they could offer comfort to each other, and those around them.
    • And friends, we are comforted so that we might be an instrument of comfort to others.

Conclusion:

• Friends, if we were asked what is our comfort in life and death, what would we answer?
• If any of us cannot answer that Christ is our hope in life and death, then today, it is my prayer that we will look to the foot of that cross and see that there is comfort for those who would come to that cross.