Images of Mustard Seed Songs first musical "His Story"
“Uplifted” from Mustard Seed’s first musical His Story – featuring the Mustard Seed Soul Band – album recorded and produced by Ross Gill
In his Gospel, John writes in Chapter 19 verse 25 “Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. “ (New International Version) Some versions have “Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and His mother’s sister. “
So how many women were there at the cross – three or four? If you interpret the verse to mean His mother, His mother’s sister, who is Mary wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene then its three. If you interpret it as Mary the mother of Jesus, His sister, together with Mary wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene then it is four.
So if you go for the former interpretation then Mary wife of Clopas is the sister of Jesus’ mother i.e. Jesus’ aunt. Furthermore if Mary is the wife of the Cleopas who met with Jesus on the way to Emmaus that would, of course, make Cleopas, Jesus’ uncle.
Now let’s look at the interpretation that there were, in fact four women at the cross. Mark 15:40 tells us that Salome was there watching, so many therefore believe that she and not Mary wife of Clopas is the sister of Mary mother of Jesus. Matthew 27:56 refers to this woman as the mother of Zebedee’s sons and we learn from Mark 1: 19 that Zebedee’s sons were the disciples James and John. So we can therefore deduce that Salome (the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus) and Zebedee are husband and wife and the parents of James and John. They are also aunt and uncle to Jesus with James and John His cousins.
That John was a relative (and also one of some means – see blog April 30th) may have been the reason why Jesus, as He was dying on the cross, told John to look after His mother. John 19:25 “Dear woman here is your son and to the disciple – here is your Mother. From that day on this disciple took her into his home. “
Featured song is again from the Mustard Seed Soul Band – “Uplifted” from Mustard Seed’s first musical His Story and also the title track of the album “Uplifted.” It was inspired by the soul classics “In the Midnight Hour” “You don’t know like I know” and “Higher and Higher” (see blog April 30th)