Tre-Ore Worship April 3, 2026
“Your Son; Your Mother” John 19:25-27
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
(This sermon was preached at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Centennial, Colorado)
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)
Just the other day I had a funeral for one of the dear saints at Ascension. It was at that funeral that I ran into a lady whom I had not seen in years. I had visited her and her husband when he was dying and later, I conducted his funeral. They shared their home with her sister and after finding out how she was since her husband’s death, I asked about her sister. “Oh, I don’t see her anymore. We went our own ways. Things happened.”
Do you know how common that is? I think I read that over 50% of families have some family members who have been forgotten by other members of the family. They no longer talk to each other. They no longer get together for events. They are ghosted or unfriended on Facebook or other social media. I bet there are some painful stories among us about fractures among those who are own family.
But not here. “Dear woman, here is your son.” “Here is your mother.” Jesus had four brothers – James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. He had at least two sisters. (See Mark 6:3) But they weren’t there at the cross. They weren’t followers of Jesus at this stage of their life. So Jesus had a burden for His mother. He gave that burden to John, the apostle, who in amazement and joy always described himself as “the one Jesus loved.”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “They are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” It is the accusation from some who are not believers make about those who are believers. They are suggesting that some believers have a difficult time living their faith in practical ways.
That might be true for us. But it wasn’t true for Jesus. We have seven phrases, “seven words”, seven discussions that Jesus spoke from the cross. They are substantial. To the thief – “Today – you’ll be with in paradise.” One word changed that man’s life. “Father, forgive them.” Absolution spoken from the cross!! How about that word of trust? “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” The word of terror? “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The word of triumph. “It is finished!” It is paid for. Redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation between God and man has been made. These are other-worldly words.
This word is very earthy and very practical. “Mom, who is going to take care of you?” “John, you do this.” “From this time on, this disciple took her into his home.”
Should our faith, deeply rooted in the truth that we are given God’s salvation solely by the work of Jesus Christ, make a difference how we treat our own family? Can these two relationships even be connected? Do we have a “church face” and a “real face”? Should the meal that we enjoy at The Lord’s Table flow into the table we share with our brothers and sisters in the flesh? Should the washing in Holy Baptism, where we are made a new creation and purified from all sin, also mean that we live in a new way with other people?
This day is deeply spiritual. He died for me. He died for you. But He also died for them. The Lord’s Prayer deals with the deepest matters of the heart. When evil speaks its ugly and deceptive lie, we ask God that we wouldn’t fall so quickly to our demise. When temptation and despair want to lure us into our weakness, we seek the very presence of God so we can stand tall and strong. “Holy be Thy name,” “Thy kingdom come”, “Thy will be done” – all eyes look up. We, willingly, put God in the right place.
But how practical the Lord is! “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” “Give us this day our daily bread.” We pray for good government and good weather, a good family, blessed children, enough food to eat, shelter from the elements. Jesus, so to speak, prayed for His mother’s “daily bread”, her daily care, with one of the last words His spoke that day.
He delights in bringing forgiveness to us. He desires us to live in peace with Him though His forgiveness, and also, He desires us to live in peace by our forgiveness to others.
Last year, at this time of year, The Wall Street Journal ran an article titled, “Easter and Passover Lesson: It’s Never Too Late.” Peggy Noonan was emphasizing that the account of the thief on the cross taught us a lesson: It’s never too late. She writes, “The story, in Luke’s Gospel, is understood as a moment of grace and redemption, and it is all those things, but it’s also a story involving the simple idea that it’s never too late.” (Saturday/Sunday April 19-20, 2025 A-15) New York City’s Former Cardinal Timothy Dolan adds, “For Christians the story resonates because ‘we’re talking about all of us – if the thief got in, we could all get in; if he receives mercy, we all got a chance.’”
I’m glad it isn’t too late for us and our families, for our children and our parents to care for each other, just as Jesus cared for His own mother. Jesus cared about the total person in all situations and difficulties. He took care of your soul. He wants to take care of our families. “Behold your mother; behold your son.” Amen!!
