Day 25: John 11:28-44

It is interesting how much emotion is recorded in this chapter. You have Mary and Martha who are grieving the loss of their brother, there is also almost a sense of resentment or anger at Jesus for not coming when they first sent for him. Thomas and the other disciples are scared of what could happen to Jesus if he goes back towards Jerusalem. And then you have Jesus weeping, but you also see that Jesus was angry.

Verse 35 is the shortest verse in the English language, “Jesus wept.” I’ve always joked that if you struggle with memorizing Scripture this is the place to start. But in all seriousness, what an amazing statement of the love of God for us. Jesus knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but yet he still wept. He knew that death was not the end, but yet he still wept. He wept because Martha was weeping, because Mary was weeping. He hurt because they were hurt. That is how our Lord responds to our pain. He didn’t reprimand Martha and Mary because they were hurting. He didn’t tell them to pull themselves together. He didn’t downplay or try to minimize their emotions. He wept with them. God has empathy for you. Whatever you are going through, no matter how you are feeling, Jesus understands. It’s okay to express your emotions to God, you don’t have to try to have it all together when you come to him. He knows anyway. And he doesn’t condemn you or tell you that you shouldn’t feel a certain way. He sits with you and weeps with those who are hurting. He loves us, and so what upsets you upsets him.

But Jesus also got angry. Verses 33 and 38 both say that he was angry. Why was he angry? Because Jesus was sick that the people he loved were having to deal with something that they were never intended to have to deal with. Death was never supposed to be a part of the human experience, at least not death the way that we have dealt with it. Adam and Eve were created and put in the Garden of Eden. They were given the freedom to eat from the Tree of Life, which would rejuvenate and sustain them physically for as long as they ate of its fruit. But when they sinned, they were expelled from the Garden and were no longer allowed to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life. Death was the consequence of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Death entered into our lives because of our sin. Death is the enemy of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that death will be the last enemy to be destroyed. Revelation tells us that Jesus will throw death into the lake of fire, and when the New Jerusalem is established there will be a river that flows from the throne of God, and on either side of the river the Tree of Life will once again be planted and produce fruit to nourish us for all eternity. “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”