Jesus Wept

As a young teenager, I remember my Sunday school teacher encouraging us to memorize a Bible verse.  Being the smart-alec I was, I chose John 11:35, which happened to be the shortest verse in the English Bible.

It wasn’t until recently in my adult life that the magnitude of this verse struck me.

The story begins with Jesus and His disciples receiving the news that their friend Lazarus was gravely ill.  Jesus tarries for two days before traveling to Bethany and by that time Lazarus had died, and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were mourning.  When Mary was told that Jesus was near, she went out to meet Him, and fell at His feet in tears.  Jesus was “deeply moved” and “greatly troubles”.  He inquired where they had laid his body, and Mary showed Him.  Then something peculiarly amazing occurred.

Jesus wept.

The all-knowing, all-mighty, all-holy, Jehovah incarnate was overcome with grief and shed tears.  Why is this peculiar?  Jesus knew Lazarus’ death was temporary.  He was not surprised when Lazarus walked out of his tomb nine verses later.  He knew that Lazarus’ death was for the glory of God.  He knew Lazarus would live again.

And furthermore, Christ knew of the impending victory over death and the grave through His own death and resurrection.  The plan of redemption was no mystery, Christ knew the path to the cross.  He knew that His temple would be destroyed and that He would raise it up again after three days.  For Christ, being raised from the dead, is never to die again, and so death no longer has dominion over Him.

Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, swallowed up death in victory.  And not only this, but He has shared the victory with us who believe.  In so much that, even though we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive together with Him.  Thanks be to God that He gives us the victory over sin and death!  Through Him we are more than conquerors.

Jesus was aware that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  Christ knew that He was in fact the way, truth, and life; and that anyone who believes in Him would inherit eternal life.

O death, where is your victory!?  Where is your sting!?

And yet, Jesus wept.

Jesus loved Lazarus and Mary and Martha.  In His humanity He empathized with thier pain, He was acquainted with their sorrow.

The death of a believer is an intersection where joy and sorrow collide.  Joy in the hope of the resurrection and eternal life in and with Christ Jesus.  Sorrow because our loved on will be missed.  The blessing that was their existence in this harsh world has been taken away.  The pain of separation, though temporal as it may be, is acute. We grieve, however, not as those who do not have hope, for we know that Christ will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.

So with tears of hope and grieving, we celebrate life, both in this world and in Heaven.