John 19:25
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

May we likewise stand by the cross of Jesus. May our devotion go with Him to the end. May we remain faithful amid uncertain and tumultuous times. May we stand near and claim Him for our own. May those of us who follow Him never leave His side, no matter where it may take us, who may be offended, or what it may cost us.

How devoted are we to our Lord, and how far are we willing to go? Is it all the way to Calvary? Will we go there simply because Jesus is there and we can’t bear to be apart from the one we serve? Is there a place in our hearts that seeks His will above our desires? Do we set limits on how far we will allow Him to lead us? These can sometimes be difficult questions to ask ourselves, and only we can answer for ourselves, but God knows the hearts of each of His followers and how near we stand to Jesus.

Let’s go with these women, in our minds, to the cross of Jesus. Let’s see Him there bleeding and in pain. Let’s imagine the one we love, the one who has made our lives feel so complete and so right and so whole, gasping for every breath, suffering beyond anything we can know. Let’s see the grace He still possesses, the strength in Him even in that humiliating position. Let’s see how His love for us seems to overcome anything He is enduring. Can we see Him there and turn away, or will that cause us to draw nearer still?

Will we stand by the cross of Jesus in our lives? Will we raise His cross as the banner we stand behind? Will we demonstrate to the world that we are trusting in Jesus’ death on that cross as our only way of salvation? To whom else can we go? Jesus has the words of life. Jesus gives redemption and brings light to an eternal darkness. He is the King and reigns over all. He is the Lamb that was slain for the whole world. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the one who holds the keys of death. He is the Bridegroom, the precious mate of His true church. He is the Friend of sinners. He is the Son of man and the Son of God. And if we call Him our own, then let us not forsake Him for anything. Let us stand by His cross and stand up for Him.