May 11, 2025

Background:

• Our mothers know us better than we know ourselves
• Each child has a uniqueness that the mother knows
• A mother knows what each child needs
• Some children need more help than others and can depend upon their mother
• We should value them in our hearts no matter how old we get
• A man that loves his mother is a man that will love his family as well
• These are qualities that a woman should look for in a husband
• Mothers are not perfect
• God's love is forgiving and our love ought to be forgiving as well
• Mothers sometimes don't live up to our expectations, but we must still respect them
• They didn't get everything right
• Love is a choice that we must make
• Moms made a lot of sacrifices that we can get to where we are today
• They sometimes go without food so that we could eat
• Love benefits others
• Love is not inwards, but outwards (it expresses itself outwards)
• We cannot love until we learn to love God

Key Sermon Points:

1. Mary's love for Jesus overcame her fear

• Just about all of the time, fear will cause us to miss out on God's blessings
• Fear paralyzes us
• Jesus' mom went to the cross and didn't worry about her own life while other disciples were hiding behind locked doors
• Jesus' mom and the other women overcame their fears
• When he was young, she could minister to him...but couldn't do anything now, but did what she could do by standing by her Son
• The only man standing by the cross was John
• Jesus knows who to pick...even to stick with him in his death
• John talks about the love he experienced with his Savior (1 John 4:18-19)
• Mary's heart was pierced at the cross (Luke 2:34-35)
• Even as Jesus was dying on the cross baring man's sins and the wrath of God, Jesus cared for the care of his own mother
• Jesus gave his mother  over to his beloved
• Two events came together: the creative pain of motherhood and the creative pain of the crucifixion where salvation was won for us on the cross

2. Jesus demonstrated the care He had for his mother

• Jesus couldn't commit the care of his mother to his own brother because they were not yet believers...he entrusted her care into the care of John
• His care for his widowed mother reflected his love
• He established a new spiritual family
• John treated her as his spiritual mother and took care of her
• Jesus obeyed God and obeying God pleases God
• We must take care of our mothers...and not put that on other people
• Jesus, while dying on the cross, demonstrated his love for his mother
• It is our responsibility to care for our mothers

3. Jesus honored His mother

• This is the first command with a promise
• It means speaking well about them and showing respect
• If we treat our mothers well, when she is gone we won't have any regrets
• Jesus made sure in his dying hour to obey the law
• Parents have a special place in god's sight
• We must honor our mothers and fathers that our days may be long on the earth (Exodus 20:12)
• Honoring our parents demonstrates love and respect
• There is always a blessing in honoring our mothers
• Jesus was a Rock in a rock and got up out of the grave with ALL power in his hands
• Death where is your victory or sting
• Jesus paid the price!
• His resurrection is our receipt that we can go to heaven
• Death is just a gate