So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgatha). There they crucified him, and with him two others-one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priest of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The king of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
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Even on the cross Jesus showed compassion. He showed compassion for his mother…wanting her to be taken care of after he left. I can’t imagine the pain in that moment…and yet still being able to consider others above himself. This was his command for you and I. To love God…and to love others as He has loved us. So how are you doing with that? Are you loving the way Jesus loves you? Are you putting the needs of others above your own? It all starts by loving God first. He gives us the perfect example. It’s up to us to follow through with it. Point your eyes outward instead of inward. Let God deal from within. We just need to continue to look up and look out.
A Journey With Jesus 