Jesus, being fully God and fully man, took time out of the agony of crucifixion to demonstrate the depth of a mother's love for her son and a child's love for their mother. Jesus states to the Apostle John, "John, she's now your mother." He also says to Mary, His mother, "Mary, behold your son," referring to the Apostle John. Mary, in turn, demonstrates her love for Jesus by refusing to leave the cross even though she sees the very son she had carried for nine months being crucified for no fault of His own.

In Genesis chapter 21, we see a similar demonstration between Hagar and her son Ishmael. This demonstration can be broken down into three parts: the break-up, the breakdown, and the breakthrough.