Summary:
Mary’s place near the cross (19:25) fulfilled Luke 2:34,35. The “sign” of His virgin birth (Isa.7:14) was “spoken against” when they implied He was a bastard (John 8:41). The signs of His miracles (Isa.8:18) were also spoken against (Mt.12:24; Luke 6:7). These signs were symbol-ized and summed up by the sign Pilate put on the cross saying “King of the Jews,” a claim they also spoke against when they crucified Him. That rejection pierced His heart spiritually as well as physically (John 19:34), and Mary’s heart was pierced that day as well as she watched it happen.
Mary is a type of Israel. Everyone thinks Revelation 12:5 speaks of her and Christ because of Revelation 19:13,14, but His birth was history when John wrote Revelation 12:5, and Revelation is a book of prophecy (1:3). There’s no history in the book. So 12:5 is talking about Israel bearing saved Jews who will rule the earth (2:26,27). Revelation 12:5 sounds like Mary and Christ because she is a type of Israel. Her look at her pierced Son was a type of Zechariah 12:10, when a sword will pierce Israel’s heart when they will “wail” and “mourn” (Rev.1:7). The name “Mary” means “bitterness” (cf. Zech.12:10).
Mary’s sister-in-law Mary was also at the cross (John 19: 25). Her husband Cleopas had given up on the Lord (Lu. 24:18-21) and so was not at the cross. Being named Mary, she too is a type of Israel, for Zechariah says that after they look on Him they pierced they will mourn apart from their wives (Zech.12:10-12), as symbolized by Mary & Cleopas.
Mary Magdalene was also at the cross (Jo.19:25), out of whom the Lord cast 7 devils (Lu.8:2). This Mary is also a type of Israel, for the Lord will have to cast devils out of Israel at His Second Coming. He cast Satan out of them at the cross (John 12:31), but the Lord warned that generation that unless they were filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, the devil would return with seven other devils (Mt.12:43-45). Had they been filled with the Spirit, the devil could not have re-entered them, but he found it swept and garnished with religion, but no Spirit. It didn’t happen to that genera-tion because the dispensation of the mystery interrupted prophecy, but Satan will move back in during the Tribula-tion with seven other devils and the Lord will cast them out at the Second Coming, as typified by Mary Magdalene.
That makes 3 Marys at the cross, bitterness times three! All predicting Israel’s future of looking on their pierced Christ, mourning for Him apart from their wives, with Christ casting the devil out of them after that. Some say “Mary” means rebellion and speaks of the rebellion of Eve, which was being fixed by His work on the cross.
The 12 fled when He was arrested but came back (Lu.23: 49). John doesn’t mention that his own mother was there (Mt.27:55,56), which might be why the Lord asked him to care for His own mother (Jo.19:26,27). Notice Mary was close enough for the Lord to talk to, but the soldiers moved her away when He died (Mt.27:50-55). This is important, since Rome claims she suffered for our sins too when her heart was pierced so near the cross, but the Romans moved her away, and He paid for them “by Himself” (Heb. 1:3). The disciple Jesus loved (Jo.19:26) was John (21:20,24).
Since Mary had other kids (Mt.13:55), was the Lord ignor-ing the rule He later gave Paul (ITim.5:3-16)? No, because His brethren didn’t believe (Jo.7:5) and He wanted believ-ers caring for His mother. But giving His mother to Mary was a type of giving Israel to the 12 and not to her unbe-lieving leaders, and the 12 took over her care at Pentecost.
Notice He didn’t ask Mary to care for John, though millions look to her for help with their lives. She is worshipped as sinless, but only sinners need a Savior (Lu.1:47). And notice that the angel didn’t say, “Blessed art thou above women (Lu.1:42). The Lord rebuked a lady who spoke too highly of her (Lu.11:27,28) and once refused to see His mother (Mt.12:47-50). At Pentecost, she was praying with the disciples, they weren’t praying to her (Acts 1:14). Lastly, Rome teaches that she was a co-mediator between God and man, but the Bible teaches clearly that there is only “one mediator” between God and man, “the man Christ Jesus” (ITim.2:5).
