Jesus Wept                                   John 11:17-35

I wanted to continue our study of Lazarus’ death that we started last week. At this point Lazarus is dead and Jesus arrives in Bethany. Verse 17 says that Lazarus was in his tomb for four days when Jesus got there.

Jesus was a day’s travel away from Bethany, so the messenger took a day to reach him, and it’s during this time that Lazarus died. Jesus stayed where he was for two days, and then a day’s walk to get to Bethany, so the timing’s right. And as we saw last week, this delay was not an accident, nor because Jesus was unfeeling about it.

Working in a hospital I know that today we have brain and heart monitors that indicate the moment of death. In Jesus day, it was not unheard of for someone to appear dead, and then recover. In fact, because of this, death wasn’t official for a few days. And this is the reason for our modern wakes. Originally, they were a vigil to see if the person would wake up. In Jesus day it was also tradition that people thought the soul left the body for good on the fourth day. Jesus set up this four-day scenario on purpose for maximum impact.

“When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary sat still in the house.” (John 11:20)

The common expression of grief by the family at the time was sitting quietly in the diseased home. Mary was following the custom of the day. Martha, however, went to find Jesus. My one Bible says she ran to find him.

Whether it is the death of a loved one, someone being diagnosed with a disease, or even some kind of disaster in our life, human nature is to let the grief or despair wash over us and keep us pressed down under its weight, when in reality, we should immediately turn to Jesus for comfort. We should turn to Jesus to find the miracle of salvation, and the presence of God in our darkest circumstances.

Verse 21-22 “’Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask.’”

At first, I thought she was chastising Jesus for not being there, and then telling him he needs to ask God to fix this disaster. But after more study, I don’t think that is what is happening. I see Martha showing us the reaction most of us would have, even those with great faith; if you had been here, my brother would not have died. How about, “Where were you when my son died? Where were you when my mother got cancer? Where were you when my best friend died in an accident?”

But I know even now, God will give you whatever you ask. It is this sentence shows us the truth for she’s saying, “Lord, even with this death, even with this tragedy, I know you and God are one, that you and the Father are in control.”

And then after demonstrating her faith, Jesus calmly and simply, tells her the reward Lazarus has for the same faith. Verse 23, “Your brother will rise again.” This is the truth for all who believe Jesus is the Messiah, you will rise again.

Now there are two different thoughts on what happens when we die. Some believe we enter a state like deep sleep, unaware of the passage of time until the last day when Jesus will call us. I subscribe to the other view. Verse 26, “and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” To me this is a sister verse to Luke 23:43, where Jesus tells the one crucified with him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Just like we don’t know where Jesus was for the three days his body was in the tomb, we don’t know exactly what kind of physical being we will be in heaven, but we have an idea. Revelation 7:9, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language.”

Some will say this is about what will come. But if you go to Revelation chapter 4, John describes the door to heaven that Jesus calls him to enter. Revelation 4:2, “At once I was in the Spirit.”

We may not know what we will be like, but these verses together make me confident that when we die, we will lay our heads down here, and sit up again in heaven. We will close our eyes here, and in the next instant we will open them again in heaven.

Next, we have Mary going out to meet Jesus. Verse 28, “(Martha) called her sister Mary aside, ‘The teacher is here,’ she said, ‘and is asking for you.’”

Martha’s words to her sister tells us that no matter what someone is experiencing, Jesus is there and he loves them. Like Martha, we should be telling this to people too. The one grieving a death, the woman who had an abortion, the one with disease, Jesus loves you, and he’s waiting for you.

Like Martha, Mary’s actions show us the life and reactions of all of us. Mary was lost in her grief, unable to do anything but sit there in desperation. But in time, the light of heaven broke through her darkness.

Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of darkness, thy rod and thy staff support me.” Grief is a reality we all face, but allow the light Jesus brings to enter. He is the power and strength to help you pass through the darkness and come out beyond it. And coming out on the other side doesn’t mean you are forgetting your loved one. It doesn’t mean you are again trusting the one who hurt you. It means Christ’s strength held you up in the darkest times and allows you to live again.

Verse 33, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who were with her weeping, he was deeply moved in Spirit, and troubled.”

Jesus knew long before now that he was going to raise Lazarus, so why be troubled? Jesus saw the grief and raw emotion of the people around him. He saw deep grief in his beloved friends, Mary and Martha, and this is why it says plainly in verse 35, “Jesus wept.”

I believe this whole scenario can be explained by Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…” Not just our sin, Jesus empathizes with our grief, our doubt, our distrust, our anxieties, our fears. Jesus is fully a man, he experienced everything we do; Jesus is fully God, he weeps because of what he knows we must experience in this fallen world.

Today Jesus came to Bethany because his friend Lazarus has died and his sisters Mary and Martha are deep in grief. But from their interactions, we can see some things God wants us to know.

In the worst life gives you, don’t sit in despair and grief, run to Jesus. He has the power to lead you, and to restore you.

In the worst life gives you, know that Jesus is God.

In the worst that life gives you, turn to Christ. He is concerned for you. He feels for you. He feels what you feel. And he loves you.

Amen.