A Time To Talk To Your Mother

              A TIME TO TALK TO YOUR MOTHER.

John 19:25-27 (NKJV)

When Jesus saw His Mother , ... (26)
John draws our attention to the four woman who was standing at the cross of Jesus
His Mother, Mary
His mother's sister, Salome. #Salome:The Most Hidden Woman In The Gospels
The wife of Clopas, Mary
Mary Magdalene

1) The Wife of Clopas;

What about Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Mary the wife of Clopas?

Matthew identifies two Mary's in Matt 27:56, and adds in verse 61 that Mary Magdalene and 'the other Mary' sat watching the placement of Jesus body in the tomb. He has just mentioned Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James the Less and Joses. Almost in the next breath he speaks of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, now sitting down to watch the burial of Jesus in the tomb.
Matthew here seems to tie the Other Mary to his previous mention of the Mother of James and Joses. Her children are clearly known and mentioned as the sons of Alphaeus (Matt 10:3, Luke 6:15).

John identifies this Mary, as the Sister of Jesus mother, and wife of Alphaeus in John 19:25. Alphaeus is mentioned several times in New Testament scripture. The Hebrew form of this name is Cleophas, or Clopas according to Easton's Bible Dictionary. He is mentioned as having been with the Disciples on the day of the resurrection, and after hearing the tales of Jesus body missing from the tomb and the women telling of Angelic beings saying Jesus had come alive again, he leaves to journey home to his house in Emmaus.

Luke 24:13 "Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. "
Luke 24:18 "Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have you not known the things which happened there in these days?"

We can therefore identify Cleopas (Alphaeus) as one of the followers of Jesus. His wife had been at the Cross and the empty Tomb, and was the 'other Mary' who was Jesus Aunt! Cleopas was thus actually Jesus' Uncle.  When Jesus began his ministry He called a Tax Collector, (a Publican) to be one of His disciples.
Mark 2:14 "As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, 'Follow Me.' So he arose and followed Him."
Levi was another name for Matthew the writer of the first Gospel.
     The conclusion is that the 'other Mary' was Matthew's (Levi) mother, Alphaeus (Clopas or Cleophas) his father, and James the Less was his brother.

His Mother's Sister; 
SALOME NO. 2

The Woman Who Wanted the Best for Her Sons

Scripture References—Matthew 20:20-24; 27:56; Mark 10:35-40; 15:40, 41; 16:1, 2

Name Meaning—See Salome, No. 1. Mark alone gives her name. Matthew designates her as “the mother of Zebedee’s children.”

Family Connections—Legendary attempts had been made to connect Salome with Joseph by a previous marriage, and therefore link her up with the family of Mary; or to make her a daughter of Zacharias. Inadequate attempts have sought to identify her as the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, using John 19:25 as the basis of association. Scripture is silent as to her genealogy. All we know is that she was the wife of Zebedee, the prosperous fisherman who had hired servants. The only glimpse we have of him is in his boat, mending his nets when Jesus came upon him and called his two sons to follow Him. That Zebedee shared his wife’s devotion to Jesus is evidenced by the fact that there was no action on his part to detain his sons from leaving his fishing business to accompany Jesus. Reading between the lines, it is not difficult to detect the harmony in that Capernaum family, concerning the call and claims of Jesus (Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19, 20).

Her Devotion

Salome, one of the saintly women who followed Jesus in Galilee and ministered unto Him, appears to have been one of His disciples from the outset of His public ministry (Mark 15:40, 41; Matthew 20:20-28). She had no doubt whatever as to His Messiahship, and faced no difficulty in persuading her sons, James and John, to accompany her in obedience to the Master’s word. Both Zebedee and Salome by their life and teaching prepared their children to follow Jesus. That they never forgot their home influence and instruction is seen in the depth of devotion, wide range of vision and a godly joyousness the writings of James and John, who became apostles, clearly reveal. Salome remained a faithful disciple of Jesus up to the very end. She was present at the crucifixion, beholding that grim scene afar off, even when her two sons had withdrawn.

Salome, along with the other women “stood afar off,” probably because of the malicious crowd, the rough soldiers, and the horrors of the cross, all of which was sufficient to make them timid. They were full of love and sympathy, even though they stood afar off. With tear-filled eyes with which they had shown their devotion on the way to the cross (Luke 23:28), they still beheld Him as He hung there in death. Salome was also with the women who came to anoint the body of Jesus, and shared in the glorious news of His Resurrection (Luke 24:10). They hastened to perform their last service for their Lord, but were not at the tomb soon enough to perfume His body with spices. Their devotion was rewarded by the revelation of the angel that He whom they loved and mourned was alive forevermore. They went forth to proclaim the blessed truth of the Resurrection—a miracle which Salome’s son, John, was to give emphasis to as he came to write the last book of the Bible (Revelation 1:17, 18).

Her Demand

Salome was ambitious for her sons, and ambition is commendable when it is in full agreement with the mind and purpose of God. Ambition, when divinely directed, can lead to the heights of honor but when selfishly pursued can cast one down to the depths of degradation. Salome knew she was an honored mother because her two sons, James and John, were two of Christ’s best-loved disciples and along with Peter formed the inner circle among the Twelve. On different occasions, Peter, James and John are grouped together. Salome knew that Christ was the Messiah, but as a millennialist could not separate Him from Israel’s temporal glory. Feeling that the kingdom would soon be established, she requested that her sons be placed one on Christ’s right hand and the other on His left when He inaugurated His kingdom. Although such a demand arose from maternal pride and jealousy, it did not arise from true faith. She knew not what she asked (Matthew 20:20-24; Mark 10:35-40) when seeking seats of honor for her sons.

In His rebuke of Salome for her misguided ambition Christ did not reject the request of the mother for her children, but corrected it, and accepted it in a way mother and sons did not anticipate. To be intimately near Him on His throne meant fellowship with Him in His sufferings. Our Lord did not treat Salome’s ambition as if it were sinful but he was compassionate because of the ignorance behind the request. Salome did not know “what manner of spirit” she was of (Luke 9:55). In effect, Jesus asked if her sons were prepared to drink the cup of martyrdom, and implied that James and John would share His throne of suffering. This they did, for James was the first apostolical martyr and John, the last. Salome’s dreams of the kingship of Christ with her sons sharing His rule were rudely shattered as she saw her much-loved Messiah dying as a felon on a wooden gibbet. Along with others she thought that it would have been “He who would have redeemed Israel,” but there He is, hanging on a cross in agony and shame. Salome came to learn that the only way to sovereignty is through sacrificial service. “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26, 27). The mother sought earthly crowns for her sons, but through losing their lives for Christ’s sake, they gained greater honor in heaven.

As we leave “the mother of Zebedee’s children,” it is with the realization of the influence of a godly mother in, and over, the lives of her children. So often it is from a mother’s tender affection that her child imbibes the love of God, so that it becomes almost part of the child’s nature. Further, there is no more potent antidote against sin within or without than faith in God generated by the holy life and teaching of godly parents. Salome and Zebedee were the Lord’s and both of their sons became His followers and died for His cause. Happy and grateful are those Christian parents who live to see their offspring wholly dedicated to the service of the Lord.

Mary The Mother Of Jesus

No one had ever paid unusual attention to young Mary.  She was born in a poor family from the insignificant town of Nazareth. She didn’t appear to stand out from her peers and would probably not have been voted ‘most likely to succeed.’ Eventually, however, she was engaged to a man named Joseph who could not promise her affluence but was a kind man with a stable reputation.

While Mary was growing up unknown by the outside world, God had taken note of her and was delighted.  One day, to Mary’s astonishment, an angel appeared to her.  “Greetings, favored one!  The Lord is with you,” the angel said.  “Do not be afraid for you have found favor with God.” The angel proceeded to tell her she would conceive and give birth as a virgin to the Son of God himself.  Instead of recoiling in terror or objecting stubbornly, Mary submitted completely to a pregnancy she had to know would give rise to the ugliest of rumors and accusations.

Then shortly after Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary took him to the temple to be dedicated.  That is when the godly Simeon told Mary, “This boy will be the greatest joy to some, but others in Israel will cruelly reject him.  And a sword shall pierce your soul…”At that time Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. The elderly Elizabeth was miraculously pregnant with a baby who was to become the mighty John the Baptist.  When she saw Mary she cried, “Blessed are you among women!  And blessed is the fruit of your womb.  What an honor that the mother of my Lord should visit me!”  Spontaneous joy overflowed from Mary’s heart in those days.

Perhaps this was Mary’s first omen of what was to come.  But she did not shrink from forebodings nor did she attempt to speculate to others of her son’s future.  As Jesus grew, and multiplied events pointed to his unique identity, his mother silently pondered and treasured up all these things in her heart.

As the Son of God reached manhood and launched out into his public ministry, Mary ushered Him onto center stage and faded into the background.  Little is mentioned of her throughout Christ’s public ministry, but we do detect a few cases in which confusion about Jesus’ words and actions appears evident.

And what was Mary to think when this great Messiah she had birthed came more and more under intense opposition and was finally railroaded to death when she knew he could have demonstrated his divine power?

We do know, however, that Mary was standing with John, the disciple, at the Cross as the sword of grief pierced her soul.  She was also with the select group of disciples when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. It would be wonderful if we knew more about this remarkable woman—if we could gaze into her soul and learn her most intimate thoughts and emotions during those astounding times.  Perhaps the deepest glimpse we have into that soul is in the words of her Magnificat:

My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden;
Behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed,
For He that is mighty has done to me great things and holy is His name,
And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation,
He hath shown strength with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts;
He has put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree,
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent empty away,
He has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His seed forever.

Mary Magdalene
Who is she?

She is the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons. Her name was such because she hails from Magdala, a city on the Southwest Coast of the Sea of Galilee. She was one of the woman who supported Jesus' public ministry. Lots of speculations surrounds Mary Magdalene. 

1) She was said to be the woman in the city who was a sinner, who washed Jesus' feet,(Luke 7:37) Also because she was from Magdala and it had a reputation that many prostitutes lived there. Then, the fact that Luke mentions her immediately following the account of the sinful woman equates the two. Also being portrayed as such by popular portrayals. Yet with no Scriptural basis.

2) The woman whom Jesus saved from being stoned (John 8:1-11). The movie,"Passion for Christ", makes this connection It is possible but not likely, and certainly not Scriptural. 

3) Recent fictitious novel, "The Da Vinci Code", makes claim that Jesus and Mary Magdalene was married. Some heretical non-biblical early christian writings hint at a special relationship between Jesus and mary Magdalene. Again no Scriptural hints to this believe.

She witnessed most of the events around the crucifixion and the resurrection;

1) At the mock trial of Jesus
2) She heard Pontius Pilot pronounce the death sentence
3) Jesus being humiliated by the crowd
4) Stood close to Jesus  during the crucifix to comfort him
5) The earliest witness to the resurrection of Jesus
6) Sent by Jesus to tell the others
7) With the 120 in the upper-room, waiting for the promised Holy Spirit.

WHAT KIND OF WOMAN IS YOUR MOTHER?

It Is Time, To Talk, To Your Mother.
Jesus was nailed to the cross as a criminal. His mother could only stand there and stare at whst is happening to her son (child). Many questions flooded her mind.All the time they accused Him of doing certain things, but she didn't believe them. He was always just in the home whilst growing up. When I was looking for him, He was in the workshop helping his father. At the age of twelve, he astounded the priest in the synagogue with His knowledge of the Talmud and His wisdom. She remembers how He turned the water into wine, made the blind to see, healed the sick, made the lame to walk again. He raised Lazarus from the dead.
There were times that He called Himself the Son of God, or even that He is God Himself....That is blasphemy. One of the many things they have accused Him of. To them it was blasphemy, to us, we know, it was the truth He was saying.  He is my Son.(child)

Woman Behold Your Son!
It was one of the seven sayings of Jesus Christ while Jesus was hanging on the cross, before His death. What about it makes it so significant? Let me repeat those words that Jesus uttered and together we will the see significance of those words. 
Lu 23:34 Jesus said, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.
Lu 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise
Jn 19:26  He said to His mother, "woman behold your son. And to His disciple, Behold your mother!"
Mt 27:46 Jesus cried out, ...My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"
Jn 19:28 "I am thirsty."
Jn 19:30 "It is finished".
Lk 23:46 "Father into Your hands I commit My Spirit."
The significance about those words were, it had nothing to do with the crucifixion. So Jesus in His agony, in His betrayal, in His pain, in His dying moments, talks to His Mother. He finds a time to have a conversation to His mother. Right after He gave his mother to one of His disciples, who was one of his cousins, His God, who is His Father, forsakes Him. What a lonely cross!!!
Jesus triumphed victorious over death. He arose from death, Oh! death where is your sting.
What is your relationship with your mother? with your child? Create now, make now the time to talk to your mother, to your child.