⁹ On the day of his death, Jesus showed in a touching way his concern for the spiritual welfare of his loved ones. Picture the scene. Jesus was on the stake, suffering excruciating pain. In order to draw breath, he evidently had to push himself up with his feet. This no doubt caused him severe pain as the weight of his body tore at the nail wounds in his feet and his scourged back rubbed against the stake. Speech, which involves breath control, must have been difficult and painful. Yet, just before he died, Jesus spoke words that showed his deep love for his mother, Mary. Seeing Mary and the apostle John standing nearby, Jesus, in a voice loud enough for bystanders to hear, said to his mother: “Woman, see! Your son!” Then to John, he said: “See! Your mother!” (John 19:26, 27) Jesus knew that the faithful apostle would care not just for Mary’s physical and material needs but also for her spiritual welfare.b