Read John 11:20-37
“Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’ And some of them said, ‘Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?’”—John 11:35-37
When told, “he whom You love (Lazarus) is sick,” Jesus remained in place two more days before departing for Bethany. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead four days. As Jesus came to Martha and Mary, the sisters spoke identical words to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32). The grief stricken sisters respectfully but directly told Jesus, “You could have prevented this if You came when we called for you!”
Tragedy comes and we can find ourselves analyzing why things happen, even taking counsel from our doubts and fears. Those doubts whisper, “If Jesus really loved you, this would not have happened. If God really cared, you wouldn’t be going through what you are facing now.” We can find ourselves questioning God, convincing ourselves He doesn’t care; that He has abandoned us.
Then, we see that short but most powerful Bible verse, “Jesus wept.” The strongest man that has ever lived, God in the flesh, cried. Some people explore the deep theological theories into why He cried. But the point that really matters is Jesus encountered the grief and sadness of a family He loved dearly, and His own personal grief, and He cried.
Certainly, Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ death. But as Jesus told the Disciples, “…I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe” (v15). Even in tragedy, God seeks to beckon the world to hear and believe that He heals and loves. Through Lazarus’ death and resurrection we see two truths that apply to every tragedy, every sadness we face: (1) God will get the glory, even out of tragic situations, (2) no matter what He allows to happen in life, God absolutely loves you, and He shares every sorrow with you.
Lesson to Remember: Jesus doesn’t always prevent the pain in our lives, but He ALWAYS shares the pain with us.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”—John 11:25-26
It’s helpful to know and understand this. I felt so alone when my husband died… I didn’t feel as if God really shared. I was hurt, crushed like never before. It’s a difficult concept to understand…