Scripture Reading: 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
(So much is going on in the world today–hurricanes, floods, mass killings, threats of war, terrorist attacks, discord in the political arena and more. With all that in view, we are going back to a blog posted on June 15, 2016 to remind ourselves that God’s love, compassion and consolation, are ever present in the midst of drama on the world stage and in our own lives. God loves us with an everlasting love, even when we face life’s most horrific moments.)
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 who 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.
