When Jesus told Martha that He would still raise her brother, she reasoned: There is no way, they believed, he can come back to life. As we’ve already read, once Jesus reached Judea, Mary and Martha warned Jesus that it’s too late. Still, the disciples planned to go to Judea with Jesus to die with Him. Jesus intentionally waited to go to Lazarus to bring God glory once Lazarus was raised from the dead. But let us go to him.’ So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’” ( John 11:14-16) “Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake, I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. As they attempted to discourage Jesus from returning to Judea, Jesus responded: They were operating in fear and not faith. When Jesus first told His disciples they would head back to Judea, they reminded Him that the last time He was in Judea He was almost stoned. The second reason Jesus wept was because of the lack of faith He saw around Him. He’s the first one to meet us in our valleys. He’s not afraid to meet us in our despair and darkness. Jesus wanted to take on their pain, reminding us that no matter what hurts or pains we face in life, Jesus is right here with us. There is a Swedish proverb that says: “Shared joy is a double joy. One of the greatest gifts we can give someone who is hurting is our presence and sharing in their suffering. Like a good Father, He does not want to see us in pain, even if He knows that pain will lead to a greater good. God never takes our pain lightly even if He knows He will restore everything we’ve lost. Jesus’ weeping here shows His true care and love for us. When you genuinely care about someone, when they hurt, you hurt. Although He already knows this happened to glorify God and that in a few minutes Lazarus would return to them, He felt their pain. Jesus deeply cared about Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He saw the suffering of the people and the pain death causes. So why the weeping? Here are three reasons why Jesus wept: It was intentional and packed with meaning. This weeping was not something to gloss over or ignore. The two-word verse highlights the fact that the writer wants us to pause here for a moment. When Jesus heard their words and saw the sadness of the people around Him, the Bible tells us He became very moved and wept. “Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” ( John 11:32)Īt this point, people had gathered with Mary and Martha as they mourned the loss of their brother. When Jesus met with Mary she came to the same conclusion: “Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” ( John 11:21) Once Jesus finally arrived, Martha explained: Reality set in that their brother was gone and there was nothing anyone could do about it - not even Jesus. As their hope for their brother’s resurrection faded, their grief grew more and more. Once word got to Jesus about Lazarus’ death, the Bible tells us He waited two more days before he headed to Judea to see Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.Īs the days passed the sisters lost hope. Get your FREE 8-Day Prayer and Scripture Guide - Praying Through the Holy Week HERE, Print your own copy for a beautiful daily devotional leading up to Easter. Surely He would raise their brother from the dead. Healing the sick and giving sight to the blind. They knew Jesus personally and knew of the miracles He could perform. The sisters were very sorrowful at the passing of their brother, though early on they still had hope. Martha had previously welcomed Jesus into her home, although she was distracted at the time. Mary was the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with ointment and wiped them with her hair (John 11:2). Lazarus, the brother to Mary and Martha, was dead. Towards the end of Jesus’ ministry, word got to Him that one of His dear friends had died. Let’s zoom out of this two-word verse to gain a fuller context of what was happening that brought Jesus not only to tears but to weeping. No matter what challenges He faced He knew how all of this would end. Why was Jesus weeping? He was God in the flesh. Though short, this one verse raises many questions. It is the easiest verse in the Bible to memorize, with it being the shortest.
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