Today we want to focus our attention on the Apostle John. His face beneath the cross is the face of faithfulness.
John 19:17-27 NLT [17] Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). [18] There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. [19] And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” [20] The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. [21] Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’” [22] Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.” [23] When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. [24] So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did. [25] Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” [27] And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
Text:
John 19:25-27 NLT [25] Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” [27] And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
Introduction
We are continuing the series “Beneath the Cross of Jesus”, which is a series of biographical sermons where we look at the faces of the people who were present when Jesus was dying on the cross.
Our first face was of Barabas, the face of favor or grace. Barabbas deserved to die. But in the providence of God, Jesus took the place of Barabbas so this great truth of the gospel might be revealed.
Romans 5:8 NIV But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Then we looked into the face favor, the face of Simon of Cyrene
Mark 15:21 NIV A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.
Simon may have felt that being forced to carry Jesus’ cross was the worst thing that could happen to him, but it soon became his greatest blessing. It changed his life and the life of his family.
Last week we looked into the face of failure…the face of Simon Peter.
Mark 14:72 NLT And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.
Jesus knew that Peter would fail. Peter’s failure came as no shock to Jesus. He didn’t just see him for what he was; He saw him for what he would be and the same is true even when we fail.
Today we want to focus our attention on the Apostle John. His face beneath the cross is the face of faithfulness.
Christianity began with a group of men gathered by Jesus, but at the cross Christianity resembled a women’s movement. Four faithful women stood with Jesus until the end. One of them was Mary, Jesus’ mother. Her sister was also there. Mary Magdalene was another of the four, and with her was the wife of Clopas. Of the twelve men Jesus made apostles, only one was faithful to the end. That faithful man was John.
A study of John’s presence at the cross will help us in the pursuit of our faithfulness. Today i want to talk about;
The extent of faithfulness
The inspiration for faithfulness
The reward for faithfulness
I. What should be the extent of our faithfulness? The scope of our faithfulness? The magnitude of our faithfulness?
Years after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, John wrote a letter inspired by the risen Lord to the church in Smyrna.
Revelation 2:8-11 NLT[8] “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: [9] “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. [10] Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. [11] “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
In the letter, to Smyrna the Lord admonished that suffering church, “Be thou faithful unto death”.
Here is Revelation 2:10 from the KJV [10] Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Instead of saying “be thou faithful unto death”, you could say; “Be faithful for all of your life.” It was a call for faithfulness regardless of what life might bring.
John had this kind of faithfulness. It is the kind that a couple promises to each other in their wedding ceremony: “until death do us part.” It is interesting to ask a couple as they approach marriage, “Under what circumstances will you seek a divorce?” Their answers are always revealing. Some confidently reply, “Under no circumstances.” As a pastor, I like that response, but I also know they will be surprised by the difficulties that will test this commitment to faithfulness.
The cross did not force John away from his commitment to Jesus. He intended to be faithful until the end of his life.
B. Faithfulness unto death.
Scholars debate the extent of the danger actually facing John as he stood at the foot of the cross, But we can plainly see, by their absence, that the other apostles felt there was danger for them at the cross.
Anyone who has seen an angry mob knows that with a mob on the loose no one is safe and Jesus was on the cross because of the actions of a mob.
Luke 23:13-16, 18-25 MSG [13-16] Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and said, “You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It’s clear that he’s done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”[18-20] At that, the crowd went wild: “Kill him! Give us Barabbas!” (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again. [21] But they kept shouting back, “Crucify! Crucify him!” [22] He tried a third time. “But for what crime? I’ve found nothing in him deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.” [23-25] But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.
The danger to John must have been real. Yet he was ready to face even the possibility of death because of his desire to be faithful to the Lord.
Even if it cost him his life, he would not run away. This is the quality of faithfulness that the Lord wants in each of us. If our faithfulness has limits then it is flawed.
II. What was the inspiration for John’s faithfulness?
Why did John stand beneath the cross while the others hid in fear? Was it a sense of duty that compelled John to stand beneath the cross?
We must admit that such a sense of duty helps us to be faithful in hard times. A sense of duty keeps a soldier in his place of danger when others might flee. It keeps a son or daughter faithfully attending to the needs of aging parents. But the real secret of faithfulness goes much deeper than just a sense of duty.
John gave a clue as to why he was there by the way he identified himself. It's in our text
John 19:25-27 NLT [25] Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” [27] And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
John identified himself as “the disciple he loved”.
Now we know that Jesus loved all of the apostles just as much as he loved John, but this man, John, seemed to have a special capacity to receive that love. He had a special awareness of that love. He seemed to know better than the others that Jesus was bound to the cross by his love for them. John's presence at the cross was a response to that love.
I want to read something that Jesus said to His disciples after the Last Supper and before His arrest. It's in John chapter 15.
John 15:9-17 NLT [9] “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. [10] When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. [11] I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! [12] This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. [13] There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command. [15] I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. [16] You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. [17] This is my command: Love each other.
If Jesus could die on a cross out of love for him, John could surely stand by the cross through the ordeal. Gratitude and love compelled him to do it.
This is the secret of Christian faithfulness. Thankfulness and love will keep us faithful in our service. It will keep us faithful through all kinds of persecution. It will make survivors out of us.
Matthew 22:34-40 NLT [34] But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. [35] One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: [36] “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” [37] Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
If we waver in our commitment, we need to be renewed by a fresh awareness of how much we are loved by Jesus.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”
1 Peter 3:18 NLT [18] Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
III. What’s the reward for faithfulness?
John’s faithfulness beautifully illustrates the rewards that faithfulness to Christ will bring. Faithfulness will bring the approval of Christ and it will bring the trust of Christ.
Jesus showed approval to John for his faithfulness. It may have been conveyed to him by a look from the cross. Can you imagine the difference in the look John must have received from that which Peter received in the moment of his denial? The look Peter received sent him into the night weeping in shame, but the look John received sent him home to take care of Jesus’ mother. While John does not describe that look, we can imagine the look of trust and love Jesus must have conveyed to him..
Jesus promised in one of His parables that faithfulness to him will result in a final and blessed, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Remember the parable about the three servants where the master gave each of them money for them to invest. Two of them invested what they were given and they doubled it. They were faithful with what was entrusted to then by their master. Here is the result of their faithfulness:
Matthew 25:21, 23 NLT [21] “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together! ’
[23] “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Here's what the master said to the unfaithful servant
Matthew 25:26-30 NLT [26] “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, [27] why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ [28] “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. [29] To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. [30] Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
B. The trust of Jesus is the greatest reward for faithfulness.
John received this trust in Jesus’ special request from him from the cross. As Jesus neared death, he thought of his mother, Mary.
While she stood by the cross brokenhearted, her firstborn Son made provisions for her needs.
John 19:26-27 NLT [26] When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” [27] And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
Although Mary had other children, John was the one who cared for her. Jesus trusted John with a very special responsibility.
Could anything be greater than the Lord of glory trusting us with a special assignment? Special assignments are reserved for those who have proven themselves to be trustworthy through their faithfulness.
Matthew 28:18-20 NLT [18] Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Conclusion
John’s example of faithfulness is especially encouraging for those who are facing trials. Maybe you feel like you are in an extremely difficult place. What should you do? Jesus says “Be thou faithful unto death.” Do it because of Jesus’ love for you! You will find the rewards for such faithfulness to be more than enough. As you meditate on Jesus’ love, take a place of faithfulness with John beneath the cross.
Thank you, God, for the life you have blessed us with. Thank you for the opportunities that we have been given and for the strength to make the most of them. Thank you for guiding us through difficult times and for giving us the courage to face whatever comes our way. Most of all, thank you for your unconditional love and support, which has seen us through every challenge and kept us going. You are an ever-present source of comfort and hope, and we are deeply grateful for all that you have done for us.
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