Day 28 — Near the Cross

“Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and her sister, as well as Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene.”

— John 19:25 (BSB)

On the darkest day in history, when Jesus was arrested, beaten and crucified, where were His followers?

Most of His disciples ran away. They were afraid they’d be arrested too. Peter, who had promised he would never leave Jesus, denied even knowing Him.

But look at who John tells us was standing near the cross:

• Mary, the mother of Jesus. Can you imagine watching your son suffer like that?
• Her sister, Jesus’ aunt.
• Mary the wife of Clopas.
• Mary Magdalene, the woman Jesus had set free.

These women didn’t run away. They stayed. They stood close to Jesus when it was dangerous, when it was heartbreaking, and when it seemed like everything was falling apart.

They couldn’t stop what was happening. They couldn’t fix it. But they could be there. And they were.

That takes a special kind of courage. Not the courage to fight, but the courage to stay. To stay close to Jesus when it’s hard. To stay with someone who is suffering, even when you can’t make it better.

Jesus saw them there. And even while He was dying, He cared for them. He looked at His mother and at His disciple John, who had come back to the cross, and He asked John to take care of her like his own mother.

Sometimes following Jesus is easy and joyful. Sometimes it’s hard and sad. The women at the cross show us what faithfulness looks like on the hardest days: stay close to Jesus.

And they show us how to love people who are hurting. When a friend is going through something terrible, you might not be able to fix it. But you can stand near her. You can stay.

Think about it: Why do you think these women stayed at the cross when most of the disciples ran away? What does it mean to “stay close” to Jesus on hard days?

Try this: Is there someone going through a hard time? Find a way to “stand near” her this week, just by being there.

Dear Jesus, thank You for the brave women who stayed near Your cross. Give me courage to stay close to You on the hardest days. And help me stay near people who are hurting, even when I can’t fix things. In Your name, Amen.