The Elder Son

John 25-30

Have you noticed that often the elder son is the most attentive to the needs of his mother?  That was the case in my family, Fred watched over the needs of our mother and often the young son was busy traveling, and making a living, or just dropped the ball when it came to being responsible.  In the time Jesus walked on planet earth, the mother was dependent on her children and it was the elder son that she looked to for her support.  So as we look at this Scripture, ask the Spirit of Truth to be your helper, that is one of His names.  And how should we ask him to help us, in this manner, to see Jesus as the elder son knowing and loving His mother. 

As Jesus hung on that cross to pay the penalty for sin, we often look at only the physical pain, the suffering, and the mocking, and we forget the elder son.  His death was a very public death, a death for all of Jerusalem and the very large crowd because it was Passover.  This is what was reported to happen at the time of Passover: “During Passover Jerusalem was swollen by pilgrims from 600,000 to 2-3 million. The Passover pilgrims who welcomed Yeshua into Jerusalem slept outside the city walls, oblivious to the actions of the Temple Establishment.”  It is clear that the writer of the above comment is trying to make a point that the people outside the gate were the ones who cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”  And that writer is making a good point: “And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”  (Matthew 21:10-11 ESV)  It sure looks as if there were two groups of people, and so the ones that were crying Hosanna and the ones that cried crucify may not have been the same.  So that’s a sidebar, but the featured story is on the elder son, who looks down and sees His mother, His aunt and Mary Magdalene, and though in great pain, as the elder son of Mary, Jesus made sure that His mother was provided for.  This is John’s account: “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.  (John 19:26-27 ESV) 

As the younger son, often my busy life was my very weak excuse for not putting mother first, but look at Jesus, look at the man, one hundred percent man, yet 100 % God, who chose to depend totally on His Father, and it is the Father’s heart to provide for the mother, it is the duty of the son.  So what happen next; “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30 ESV)  You may ask what was finished: Much was finished, the power of sin’s control over anyone who by faith enters into Christ, and by faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross.  The power of death no longer is to be feared, it is now an open door to the Father’s house.  Look at 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Yes, on that day the pure Lamb, the spotless Lamb, the Lamb of God, Jesus the elder Son, took on sin, death, and it has been conquered and the door is open to all who will bow their knee to the son of Mary, and the Son of God.  He is never too busy and He looks past the crowd, the pain and your many failures to welcome, “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16 b)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice