What did Jesus say to his mother Mary up on the cross?

Answer 1

Answer # 1

John 19:25-27-- "By the torture stake of Jesus, however, there were standing his mother and the sister of his mother; Mary the wife of Clo′pas, and Mary Mag′da·lene. Therefore Jesus, seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, said to his mother: "Woman, see! Your son!" Next he said to the disciple: "See! Your mother!" And from that hour on the disciple took her to his own home".

The reason Jesus said these things is that Jesus' half-brothers had not yet put faith in him. John 7:3-5 says: "Therefore his brothers said to him: "Pass on over from here and go into Ju·de′a, in order that your disciples also may behold the works you do. For nobody does anything in secret while himself seeking to be known publicly. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world." His brothers were, in fact, not exercising faith in him".

Since Joseph was dead already (or he would have been by Mary's side at Jesus' death), Jesus, being the oldest son and spiritual head of the house, was responsible for his mother's spiritual needs. He therefore placed his mother with his disciple and apostle, John. By doing that he knew that his mother would be living in a Christian home and environment, instead of an unbelieving Jewish home.

Answer # 2 [improvements in progress]

Now there stood by the crosse of Jesus, his mother, and his mothers sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy sonne. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that houre that disciple tooke her unto his owne home. (John 19:25-27, 1611 KJV)

Here, theologians and scholars have often commented that when Christians place themselves at the foot of the cross in this scene during prayer, meditation or reflection, Jesus extends a profoundly intimate and personal invitation to allow His words to resound and find a home in the depths of their hearts: Behold thy mother.

That is, Christ loves all of His disciples in every age, just as He loves the beloved disciple John. His words Behold thy mother, have therefore found a home in the hearts of Christians of every generation. Indeed, beholding Mary as one's mother bespeaks of a familial relationship with her. Though John, the son of Zebedee, was certainly an outsider to the Holy Family, Jesus was nevertheless inviting him into His Holy Family through a relationship with His Mother. In the same way, Jesus has invited outsiders of every generation to be members of the Holy Family through His words: Behold thy mother.

Thus out of the tiny company gathered at the foot of the cross a new community is formed with the mother of Jesus as its matriarch. Of this incident Alan Culpepper has written:The impact of this scene has been tremendous. Here are the man and "woman," the ideal disciple and the mother he is called to receive, standing under the cross of the giver of life. There is the beginning of a new family for the children of God. (Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel, p. 134)

As the prologue [of the gospel of John] promised, those who believe in the Word made flesh receive a power to become children of God (1:12), and a new family is created. (Kysar 1993, p. 150)

Comment on 'Torture Stake' in New World Translation

It is worth pointing out that there is a common consensus among Reformed and Catholic theologians alike that the New World Translation has serious deficits in scholarship. It is read primarily among Jehovah's Witnesses, and is very rarely cited in Catholic or Reformed exegetical literature.

One such difficulty presented here is the translation of the Koine Greek word stauros as 'torture stake' rather than 'cross'.

The implication of this translation is that a) there was no patibulum, or crossbeam, and that b) both Christ's hands were fixed above his head with a single nail to the stipes, or vertical beam. The artwork in WatchTower magazines commonly illustrates Christ in this manner: with a singularnail through both hands above his head.

Perhaps the most striking difficulty this translation finds is in the account of St. Thomas' desire to encounter the Risen Lord:

But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called The Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. Consequently the other disciples would say to him: "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails [plural]and stick my finger into the print of the nails [plural] and stick my hand into his side, I will certainly not believe." (John 20:24-25 New World Translation)

Here it can be seen that even in the New World Translation, Thomas' desire for a twofold affirmation of the resurrection through sight and touch is in reference to the nails (plural); i.e. he wants to see what the nails (plural) did to Christ's hands, and he wants to touch what the nails (plural) did to Christ's hands.

St. John later on points out that testimony such as St. Thomas' concerning the nails (plural) is not a fictional or imaginary account. Rather, concrete details such as this are precisely what he draws upon to help his community understand the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus:

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life-- for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us-- what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3 NAB)

REFERENCES

The Bible Museum. The Bible: 1611 King James Version: 1st Edition, 1st Printing, (Goodyear, AZ: The Bible Museum, 2006).

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. The New American Bible, (Iowa Falls: IA, World Bible Publishers, Inc. 1991.)

Kysar, R. John The Maverick Gospel - Revised Edition, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993).

Answer 2

Answer # 1

John 19:25-27-- "By the torture stake of Jesus, however, there were standing his mother and the sister of his mother; Mary the wife of Clo′pas, and Mary Mag′da·lene. Therefore Jesus, seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, said to his mother: "Woman, see! Your son!" Next he said to the disciple: "See! Your mother!" And from that hour on the disciple took her to his own home".

The reason Jesus said these things is that Jesus' half-brothers had not yet put faith in him. John 7:3-5 says: "Therefore his brothers said to him: "Pass on over from here and go into Ju·de′a, in order that your disciples also may behold the works you do. For nobody does anything in secret while himself seeking to be known publicly. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world." His brothers were, in fact, not exercising faith in him".

Since Joseph was dead already (or he would have been by Mary's side at Jesus' death), Jesus, being the oldest son and spiritual head of the house, was responsible for his mother's spiritual needs. He therefore placed his mother with his disciple and apostle, John. By doing that he knew that his mother would be living in a Christian home and environment, instead of an unbelieving Jewish home.

Answer # 2 [improvements in progress]

Now there stood by the crosse of Jesus, his mother, and his mothers sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy sonne. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that houre that disciple tooke her unto his owne home. (John 19:25-27, 1611 KJV)

Here, theologians and scholars have often commented that when Christians place themselves at the foot of the cross in this scene during prayer, meditation or reflection, Jesus extends a profoundly intimate and personal invitation to allow His words to resound and find a home in the depths of their hearts: Behold thy mother.

That is, Christ loves all of His disciples in every age, just as He loves the beloved disciple John. His words Behold thy mother, have therefore found a home in the hearts of Christians of every generation. Indeed, beholding Mary as one's mother bespeaks of a familial relationship with her. Though John, the son of Zebedee, was certainly an outsider to the Holy Family, Jesus was nevertheless inviting him into His Holy Family through a relationship with His Mother. In the same way, Jesus has invited outsiders of every generation to be members of the Holy Family through His words: Behold thy mother.

Thus out of the tiny company gathered at the foot of the cross a new community is formed with the mother of Jesus as its matriarch. Of this incident Alan Culpepper has written:The impact of this scene has been tremendous. Here are the man and "woman," the ideal disciple and the mother he is called to receive, standing under the cross of the giver of life. There is the beginning of a new family for the children of God. (Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel, p. 134)

As the prologue [of the gospel of John] promised, those who believe in the Word made flesh receive a power to become children of God (1:12), and a new family is created. (Kysar 1993, p. 150)

Comment on 'Torture Stake' in New World Translation

It is worth pointing out that there is a common consensus among Reformed and Catholic theologians alike that the New World Translation has serious deficits in scholarship. It is read primarily among Jehovah's Witnesses, and is very rarely cited in Catholic or Reformed exegetical literature.

One such difficulty presented here is the translation of the Koine Greek word stauros as 'torture stake' rather than 'cross'.

The implication of this translation is that a) there was no patibulum, or crossbeam, and that b) both Christ's hands were fixed above his head with a single nail to the stipes, or vertical beam. The artwork in WatchTower magazines commonly illustrates Christ in this manner: with a singularnail through both hands above his head.

Perhaps the most striking difficulty this translation finds is in the account of St. Thomas' desire to encounter the Risen Lord:

But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called The Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. Consequently the other disciples would say to him: "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them: "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails [plural]and stick my finger into the print of the nails [plural] and stick my hand into his side, I will certainly not believe." (John 20:24-25 New World Translation)

Here it can be seen that even in the New World Translation, Thomas' desire for a twofold affirmation of the resurrection through sight and touch is in reference to the nails (plural); i.e. he wants to see what the nails (plural) did to Christ's hands, and he wants to touch what the nails (plural) did to Christ's hands.

St. John later on points out that testimony such as St. Thomas' concerning the nails (plural) is not a fictional or imaginary account. Rather, concrete details such as this are precisely what he draws upon to help his community understand the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus:

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life-- for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us-- what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3 NAB)

REFERENCES

The Bible Museum. The Bible: 1611 King James Version: 1st Edition, 1st Printing, (Goodyear, AZ: The Bible Museum, 2006).

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. The New American Bible, (Iowa Falls: IA, World Bible Publishers, Inc. 1991.)

Kysar, R. John The Maverick Gospel - Revised Edition, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993).

Answer 3

When Jesus saw His mother , and the disciple (John) whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" (John 19:26).

Answer 4

well he said to his friend

"look after her for her, will you?"

Answer 5

Jesus told Mary that john is her son and he told john that Mary is his mom

Answer 6

Mother this is your son (John).