Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:25
The women who were faithful followers, who loved Jesus, stood with Him until the end and beyond, intending to prepare His body for the grave. It is what the women did and still do. They did not deal in confrontation or in denial or in doubt; they simply did what needed to be done. Standing near, preparing the body were no glamorous tasks or even noble, though they were quietly heroic. It had to be so painful to watch and follow His struggles and finally His death, yet devotion required them to be there. The womanly virtues of caring for and standing near in loyalty are apparent here and throughout history. Not all women demonstrate this in their character and many men do, notably in this instance John the beloved disciple at the cross.
Why is this worth considering? For me, it is much more important than debating whether this passage refers to three or four of the women who stood at the cross. It is about the most basic of Christian character traits, being close and supportive of not only Jesus, but all of His children with whom we come into contact. Loyalty and commitment and devotion to the end, not for fame or our own comfort, but for others and ultimately for God, is shown by example in these women, and by God's grace, in our own lives.
Susan Tabatsko
