Mary knew this day would come, but was still unprepared for it. How could anyone prepare for this? This is insanity. The vacillating crowd followed him with cheers of acclamation one day, and the next, they cursed him with the riotous shouts of the damned.

She remembered standing at the crowd’s edge, staring in disbelief at the three bodies. This was senseless! Why? Why did it happen? Indeed, the two on the outside deserved this. After all, they were thieves, but Jesus did nothing to warrant this cruel punishment.

In the darkness, Mary laid her weary frame on her mat as her mind traveled back over the past six months without him. So much has changed. His followers are in hiding most of the time. They come out boldly, preaching his message during the day, but they hide among the new converts at night.

Jesus made many enemies while he was here. In death, He had attracted more. The stories and the lies concocted to explain his being seen by the multitudes afterward were just the beginning.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she remembered her little boy running across the square to tell her of his latest revelation. So young and yet had so much wisdom. God revealed many secrets to this child He had entrusted into her care. Ruffling His curls, Mary studied the dark eyes that danced with such merriment. His smile never changed. She could see that same smile the last time they were together. He still looked to her like the little boy eager to share God’s truth with her.

As Mary lay on her mat, thoughts pulled her mind in many directions. Part of her struggled with inexpressible grief. Losing Jesus was the most challenging thing she had experienced since losing her beloved Joseph years before. Another part of her rejoiced, knowing that men could never hurt Jesus again. Through His death, He had won His battle for Himself and all who followed Him.

The hardest part of all of this was knowing he was no longer her son; he was now her Savior. He was no longer that little boy with curls. Nor was he that young man who often came to her for counsel. He had fulfilled His Father’s plan for his life and now sits at His right hand.

Mary lay in the darkness, remembering her long battle. She thought on the day that an angel told her she would bear God’s child. He entrusted His plans into her care. She was so overwhelmed that God would choose her for such responsibility and honor. She had loved, protected, taught, and guided Jesus for most of her life. She had to remind herself often that He was not really hers. He belongs to humanity. He came with a purpose, and death was part of the plan.

Now, she understood the price God paid when He placed Jesus in her womb and how it must have broken His heart to let Him go. Their relationship changed, too. He no longer belonged to His Father alone. He now belonged to the world.