WHY DID JESUS WEEP?

.....The passage of scripture in John 11: 1-44, is the story about Lazarus being raised from the dead. It also contains the shortest verse in the whole Bible, John 11: 35, "Jesus wept." May I share with you today a little bit of Revelation received from God through my personal studies about why Jesus wept.

.....One of Jesus' best friends, Lazarus, was sick. Mary and Martha sent someone to go and find Jesus. Yet when Jesus heard the news, He remained where he was for two extra days before coming. He told his disciples, (John 11: 4) "This sickness is not unto death, but for the Glory of God, that the Son of God maybe Glorified through it." The story was an example of God's Divine Sovereignty in the midst of human suffering demonstrating His Purpose and Grace through His Son Jesus. Jesus explained in John 11: 9 - 10 that His orders came from His Father and His relationship with His Father determined His actions. He went on to explain to the disciples in John 11: 11, that Lazarus, His friend, was only asleep and He would go and wake him. Lazarus represents the Church today, not dead but asleep, needing a Revelation of Jesus to awaken them today. Jesus finally arrived in Bethany and Lazarus had now been inthe tomb for 4 days. At this point, Martha and Mary both confronted Him when He showed up and each said, "Lord, if You had only been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus told them that their brother would rise again, but they did not understand what He meant by this. So He tried to explain to them further in John 11: 25 - 26, saying, "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." Then He asked Martha if she believed this, and she said in John 11: 27, "Yes, Lord, I believe You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world. Jesus then groaned in the Spirit and was troubled when He saw Mary and the Jews that were with her crying. He asked them where they had laid him. And then He wept.

.....My question today is why did Jesus weep and who did He weep for?

.....He could not have been weeping for Lazarus, for three reasons:

.....1. Lazarus was asleep.

.....2. This sickness was not unto death, but for the Glory of God, so that the Son of God maybe Glorified through it.

.....3. Whoever believes in Me shall never die, he shall live.

.....You see at this point it struck me why He wept, and who He wept for. Jesus was weeping for Mary, Martha, and all the Jews (the people), not for Lazarus. Follow me back in time for moment.

.....In 2 Peter 3: 8 its says, "One day with the Lord is as 1000 years, and 1000 years is as one day." From the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden and their fall, to the fulfillment of all the Prophecies of the Messiah coming was 4000 years. Hence, the reason Jesus waited 4 days to go and see Lazarus. Lazarus in a way represented all of Mankind, God's creation that was in a fallen state, sick, dying under the curse, and separated from God, because of the force of Sin being released upon the Earth.

.....So here was the Messiah, the Christ, who came into this world to make things right again, and reconcile man back to God, fulfilling the Law, standing there before them and yet they still doubted and could not believe. This is truly why He wept. Jesus had been with Mary, Martha, the Disciples, and the Jews at this point for a few years, doing many miracles before them and shared many things with them and yet they still could not understand. You see, in the presence of the Messiah the Law is fulfilled, the curse is reversed, and death had no power or right to hold Lazarus in the tomb. Jesus was trying to show them it was only temporal and not eternal upon the completion of the Finished Work of the Cross.

.....In John 11: 38 Jesus went to the tomb and a stone was laying against it. The stone represented an obstacle, the bondage, those things that stand in our way to believing in the Word of God. Jesus told them to remove the stone. Yet they questioned Jesus saying, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for Lazarus has been dead for 4 days." Jesus then asked them about their Faith in John 11: 40 when He said, "Did I not say to you that if you believe you would see Glory of God? (Life in Christ- F.R.E.E.D.O.M.-Fully Renouncing Every Evil Dominion Over Man.) They then removed the stone. Jesus then lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing here before Me, I have said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Jesus then cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" Showing that the Messiah, and the Word of God spoken, brings forth Life. Lazarus then came out, bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. (Walking toward the Light, The Truth, Taking little steps.) Jesus said to those around him, "Loose him, and let him go." Signifying that those around him, now believers from seeing the Miracle, had a part in helping to set the captives free. This is the responsibility of the Church today. The Body of Christ.
.......................Whom the Son Sets Free, is Free Indeed!

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