John 19:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

NIV: and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.' From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

NASB: Then He *said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

CSB: Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

NLT: And he said to this disciple, 'Here is your mother.' And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

KJV: Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

NKJV: Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

Only a handful of Jesus' followers are present to witness His crucifixion in any meaningful way (Luke 23:49). Of these, only one disciple, John, is identified (John 13:23; 19:26). The rest are women associated with Jesus' ministry (John 19:25). In the ancient world, elderly people depended entirely on their family for support in old age. Women were especially vulnerable, so an older woman without children was in dire straits. Jesus has siblings (Mark 3:31), but they aren't supportive of His ministry (John 7:5). They might even have disavowed Mary for her loyalty to someone they think is crazy (Mark 3:21).

It's also possible Jesus simply needs John to care for Mary until she can reunite with those other family members. That she's said to be taken into John's home, at this moment, suggests something permanent. Either way, Jesus cares enough about His mother to make arrangements for her, even while suffering a shameful, painful death.

John 19:17–30 describes Jesus' unjust execution by crucifixion. The Roman governor, Pilate, ironically puts a sign on Jesus' cross proclaiming Him "King of the Jews." This angers Jewish religious leaders, but the governor refuses to take the sign down or change the wording. As Jesus calls out to John to care for His mother, Mary, soldiers gamble for what's left of His clothes. Jesus pronounces the completion of His atoning sacrifice and dies. Matthew 27:31–56, Mark 15:22–41, and Luke 23:32–49 cover this same series of events.

Pilate recognizes Jesus' innocence, but fears the mob assembled by Jewish religious leaders. He attempts to satisfy them by having Jesus viciously whipped and mocked. This only results in more cries for Jesus' death. The governor then shifts to protect his own reputation, ordering Jesus to be crucified on a charge of being "King of the Jews." John is directly present as Jesus is executed. He notes the fulfillment of several prophecies as Jesus dies. Once He is confirmed to be dead, Jesus' body is taken by two friendly members of the ruling council. They hastily bury Him in the borrowed crypt of a rich man.

When Jesus was first brought to Pilate, His innocence was obvious (John 18:36–38). However, the mob refuses to be satisfied with anything less than crucifixion. Pilate gives in to these demands. John, who is present for the entire gory spectacle, notes several instances of fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 22:18; Psalm 69:21; Exodus 12:46; Zechariah 12:10). Jesus is then buried in the borrowed tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9) to complete yet another Old Testament prediction. A guard will be posted to ensure no one steals the body (Matthew 27:62–68), which will only serve to confirm that Jesus' eventual resurrection was a true miracle (John 20:1–8).

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/5/2024 10:33:02 AM