At Calvary, John and Mary "drew near" to Jesus, and there they received mercy and found grace to help them in their time of need. Mary was given a son to care for her and John, a mother who would love and care for him. Still today, Jesus helps all who draw near to Him because, on the cross, He purchased and secured for us all the grace, mercy, and help from God that we will ever need.
There is an old hymn titled Moment by Moment whose last verse describes the sympathy Jesus’ has for us:
Never a weakness that He doth not feel,
Never a sickness that He cannot heal;
Moment by moment, in woe or in weal,
Jesus my Savior, abides with me still.
https://hymnary.org/text/dying_with_jesus_by_death_reckoned_mine
And the reason Jesus can not only feel our weaknesses and sympathize with us, but also save, heal, and deliver us, is His death on the cross. The hymn writer knew this too and made it the foundation of the song in the first stanza:
Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine;
Living with Jesus, a new life divine;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.
https://hymnary.org/text/dying_with_jesus_by_death_reckoned_mine
Because Jesus Christ died for us, and we died in Him, He can heal, save, and abide with us. Jesus sympathizes with us in our weak flesh, but He doesn't just feel bad for us; by His wounds, He heals us (1 Peter 2:24). He purchased our healing on the cross. Oh, what love and care Jesus has for us! It is powerful; it changes us from the inside out.
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16 NIV
We noted earlier that Jesus provided for His mother through John. And this is the way of Jesus' love; it compels us to love and care for others. Note how the Apostle Paul commanded the church to exhibit the same love and care for each other:
“...encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. Honor widows who are truly widows.” 1 Timothy 5:1-3
Question 4. How does the instruction Paul gave in 1 Timothy 5:1-3 compare with the love and care Jesus demonstrated on the cross for his mother?
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Paul instructed Timothy to love, care for, and provide for his congregation as if they were family because they are. We, believers, are an eternal family. For Jesus’ sake, we are to show genuine affection for each other, and special attention is given to widows. Jesus' mother was a widow, and Jesus made sure to make provision for her before He died, and His desire was fulfilled by John, who "from that hour...took her (Mary) into his home" (John 19:27).
Paul gave broader but similar instructions in Romans 12:9-11:
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Romans 12:9-11
Question 5. Paul’s instructions to the Romans, among other things, was for them to "love one another with brotherly affection" and to "outdo one another in showing honor." How did Jesus Christ do both of these things while on the cross?
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