Called at the Feet of Jesus

Bible Verse for Today

“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”

John 19:26-27

Devotion for Today

Called at the Feet of Jesus

There were so many people at the foot of the cross, I can’t imagine being singled out by Jesus. But that’s what happened to John. John was standing there grieving and Jesus called on Him to care for His mother after His death. This may have been a defining event in John’s life, because in the next chapter he refers to himself as “the one whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2, 20).

And I wonder if I grasp the depth of Christ’s love for me? John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son for us. But God doesn’t just love the people of the world collectively. He loves us individually. That’s what I think John saw at the foot of the cross.

In Isaiah 43:1, it says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Chapter 49 tells us that He has written our names on the palms of His hands (v. 16). Flip toward the book of Matthew and Jesus said that God has the very hairs on our heads numbered (10:30). Psalm 56:8 tells us He keeps track of all our sorrows. That He collects our tears and records them in His book. That’s a love that goes beyond a collective. It’s a love that’s personal. More than that, He has given us His Spirit to live inside of each of us (Romans 5:5).

Way back in the book of Genesis, Hagar named God El Roi: the God who sees me. God saw Hagar in the wilderness, and He sees us wherever we are. That’s why in Psalm 139 David wrote about how much God loved him personally. “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” David asked, knowing God was omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time. He is unavoidable[1]), and that is true for us, too.

At the foot of the cross, John was called out by Jesus to live for Him, and we are all called to do the same (1 Thessalonians 5:24). He speaks directly to our hearts (Ezekiel 34:11 and Revelation 3:20).

God saw Hagar in the wilderness, and He sees us wherever we are. Share on X

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[1] “Omnipresent Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster. Accessed November 16, 2023. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omnipresent.