Christ unites the Virgin and St John (John 19:25-27)

As Christ was dying on the cross, he had an important conversation with his mother and St John, the beloved disciple. It was recorded only in St John’s gospel, as one of his precious memories from that momentous day.

Pope St John Paul II explained: “After recalling the presence of Mary and the other women at the Lord’s cross, St John relates: “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’. Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’” (John 19:26-27).”

He continued: “These particularly moving words are a “revelation scene”: they reveal the deep sentiments of the dying Christ and contain a great wealth of meaning for Christian faith and spirituality. At the end of his earthly life, as he addressed his Mother and the disciple he loved, the crucified Messiah establishes a new relationship of love between Mary and Christians.”

The pope explained: “The words of the dying Jesus actually show that his first intention was not to entrust his Mother to John, but to entrust the disciple to Mary and to give her a new maternal role. Moreover, the epithet “woman”, also used by Jesus at the wedding in Cana to lead Mary to a new dimension of her existence as Mother, shows how the Saviour’s words are not the fruit of a simple sentiment of filial affection but are meant to be put at a higher level.”

Since St John is described in a general way as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, here he also represents all of Christ’s disciples. Referring to Christ, Pilate said to the crowds: “Behold your king”; in turn Christ said to the faithful, in the person of St John, “Behold your mother.”

After Christ had established this new spiritual relationship, we read: “And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” We see this closeness of St John and the Virgin Mary reflected in the rest of his gospel – for example, he alone includes the significant story of the wedding at Cana, where she was present. 

In this dramatic copper sculpture, we see St John and the Virgin standing beneath the crucified Christ. This exterior scene is found in the church tower of St Paul the Apostle, in Shettleston. It was designed and produced by the sculptor Jack Mortimer in 1958. Mortimer produced various works of art for Jack Coia, who designed many modernist churches across Glasgow.

Here the Holy Spirit descends on the crucified Christ in the form of a dove, while St John and the Virgin pray with their hands raised. Unusually, the Virgin is featured with her back to the viewer, holding a hanky, with only her veil visible. In this angular sculptural group, St John and the Virgin appear to be floating, suggesting their rise from the physical to the spiritual through their presence at the cross.

See the full image:

Where to find this work of art
St Paul the Apostle, Shettleston

Read the relevant passage
John 19:25-27

On a similar theme

• From the Old Testament: As Joseph lay dying, he gave spiritual instructions to his family.
• From the New Testament: Both St John and the Virgin were also present at the Ascension of Christ.