It's the shortest verse in the Bible. "Jesus Wept." Have you wept today? There are many reasons we weep and cry. Many moms are weeping today over the baby they did not meet, or the child who went to be with the Lord earlier than they had hoped. Where is hope for them, for you, today? Be assured that Jesus knows what it's like to weep and to cry. "Jesus wept." John 11:35.In John Chapter 11, we see Jesus coming to the tomb of Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary. Martha and Mary loved Jesus. They had asked him to come and to heal Lazarus. But Lazarus died before Jesus came to Bethany. In fact, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days when Jesus came to the tomb. When Mary meets Jesus, she is weeping (v 33) – my NIV bible says the Greek word used for weeping when Mary wept meant a wailing. Yet, in verse 35, the Greek word for “wept” when Jesus wept means a quiet weeping or shedding tears. Scripture teaches us that Jesus knows the thoughts of those around him ( “Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” Luke 5:22; “But Jesus knew what they were thinking” Luke 6:8). Jesus not only heard Mary's wailing on the outside, He knew Mary’s heart and what was in her thoughts. He silently wept at her pain. Did you know dear ladies, that Jesus has compassion on your pain and your grieving? He does.
And what does Jesus do out of his compassion? He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43).
There was a time before Lazarus when Jesus had compassion for a grieving family member. In Luke 7:11-17, the story is told of Jesus having compassion on a widow who is in a funeral procession for her only son. Verse 13 says “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don't cry.’” (NIV). The King James version says He “had compassion on her.” The word for compassion which is used here is splagcnivzomai, which is used of Jesus and the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). This compassion is a compassion of action and involvement. It is not just kind words. Jesus cares and He’s got a plan of action. For the widow of Nain, He restored her son’s life – He raise him from the dead. This resurrection also showed Jesus’ compassion and his power over death.
Dear friend, Jesus has compassion on you – He hears and sees your pain. He has a plan for you and for your life. Know that He is a God of compassion and of action. He is good. His plan is good. “Jesus wept.” You may be in the midst of your grieving and praying for God to restore life to that precious life lost. Know that Jesus is there having compassion on You. Remember that He bottles up your tears (Psalm 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. NLT ). He has a plan. Look to Him.
Please be assured that one day, you too, will find this truth to be clear from the pain He has allowed in your life – I thank Him daily for this truth from 2 Corinthians 1:3-5:
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
I am praying for you, dear ladies, as you are grieving. I pray you are seeing the character of Christ through His Word and are leaning on His Word and on Christ – the true anchored hope.
I just found your blog through a friend, and although I haven't read through all of your posts, I have been working my way from the start. You are an amazing writer and your words are so heartfelt and so full of God's love.
ReplyDeleteI have two boys, ages 3 years and 8 months. In between I suffered a miscarrage at 6 weeks, was pregnant the next month and then at 18 weeks went in for an ultrasound and there was no heartbeat. I delivered my precious little boy, Daxton. This was by far the hardest time in my life, especially in my faith. I became very bitter and distant, as I could not make any sense of the ordeal. I have had a long road back in my walk with Christ, and some days are still hard for me. Thank you for taking the time to spread God's word and to encourage woman during such trials.
Dear Haylee. I am praying for you tonight. Thank you for your encouragement. Grief is a journey that each of us walks on in our own way. But God's Word is healing balm to each person on that journey. I am praying you are seeking His Word and seeing His plan of healing and hope.
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