With Jesus at the Cross

"Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?"---African-American spiritual first printed in 1899

There’s an old spiritual that asks if you were present when Jesus was crucified.

The song implies that in our imaginations we can travel in time to stand at the foot of Jerusalem’s Cross.

For God, time does not exist. He dwells outside of time in Eternity. In our minds we can go back there to Calvary on this Good Friday.

There we can participate by expressing our love and gratitude to the Lord for bearing our sins on his body and for dying in our place.

Listen to his last words, beginning with “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!”

Among seven sayings from the Cross, Jesus said to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son,” and looking directly at John, Jesus added, “Behold your mother.” And from that hour John took the mother of Jesus into his home.

The nation of Israel is going through a very dark time. And the Lord is entrusting his family, the Jews, to chosen believers who will intercede for Israel’s deliverance and salvation from the powers of darkness that want to create a second holocaust.

Despite his intense sufferings, there's something infinitely moving in the fact that Jesus had the character, dignity and presence of mind to make provision for his mother. He remained a faithful firstborn son by placing her under the protection of his beloved and trusted disciple who stood with Mary at the Cross.

I've often meditated on this saying that Jesus gave special honor to John by making him the guardian of Mary, and in this dangerous End-time hour Jesus wants to entrust his beloved brethren, the Jewish people, to intercessory believers who will take them to our hearts just as John adopted Mary.

Jesus still suffers today because many of the institutional churches have turned their backs on the Jews and fallen prey to anti-semitism once again.

Sadly, tragically, Jesus cannot entrust his blood kin to many of the institutional churches who are boycotting his people Israel.

When God removes a person from our lives he often raises up another to care for us. The deepest relationships in life are not always genetic but can be spiritual. John didn't resent having to care for the mother of Jesus because those who truly love the Lord are glad to serve however he directs.

The Jewish nation gave us the Bible and the Saviour. This relationship is reciprocal. Now we take Israel’s hostages, soldiers and entire populace to our hearts to guard them in prayer. We also love our Christian brethren in Gaza who are taking refuge in a Gazan church during this time of war, and we pray for their protection also.

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