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Daily Devotion: John 11:33-36

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John 11:33-36    "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,  (34)  And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.  (35)  Jesus wept.  (36)  Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!"

"Jesus wept." We know this as the shortest verse in the Bible.  In my days, we were sometimes asked to memorize a Bible verse in school. Everyone wanted this verse to be the one they memorized. At Church camp, sometimes the campers would be asked to have a Bible verse as they went into the dining hall for a meal. Yes, you guessed it. This verse was usually quoted by someone in line.  As I am thinking about this verse this morning, I see something much richer than it simply being the shortest verse in the Bible. The very character of Jesus is shown in these two words.

Why did Jesus weep? For me, the answer is more complex than one simple thought. I believe there is more than one answer to this question.  When Jesus saw Mary weeping, He groaned and was troubled within. We understand what a groan is, but the word carries the thought of being distressed. Jesus was touched by Mary's weeping and her sorrow. This certainly is in line with the book of Hebrews that tells us we have such a high priest who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities.  Yes, Jesus was touched to the very core of His being as He saw Mary's heart broken and tears pouring out of her eyes. Aren't you thankful that we serve the Lord of glory, Who is touched by those things which trouble us?  He is not an impersonal Saviour; rather He cares about us to the deepest extent.  

Why did Jesus weep? Of all the people standing there, Jesus was the only One Who knew what Lazarus was enjoying at that very moment. The Word of God teaches us that when we die, our spirits are immediately returned to our Heavenly Father. We read in Ecclesiastes 12:7, "... the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."  Jesus knew that He was about to call Lazarus back from the perfect and pure eternal heaven to this sin cursed earth. He knew Lazarus would be called from perfection back to the body which was prone to illness and weakness.  He knew Lazarus would be called from being in the presence of the Almighty God to being in the presence of sinful men. Yes, I believe Jesus wept because He was going to bring Lazarus' body back to life on earth.

Though Jesus wept, we also know He was doing the will of the Father.  He declared that at the very beginning of this event.  Jesus said in John 11:4, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."  Everything that would be done by our Lord Jesus while on earth and everything that is done by Him in our lives today is for the glory of God.  Though we may not understand the workings of God in our lives, we can still trust His love and compassion for us that His glory will be seen and our well-being will be experienced. 

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