It's been a rough week. Not the worst, but rough. The kind of week where you need to hang on to God's goodness. When I have weeks like this there is one place I always turn to. It's a passage in the Bible that blows me away again and again. That grabs me by the guts, that shouts in my frazzled exhausted brain above the various other voices and noises that have lodged themselves in there.
Here it is:
"Jesus wept" (John 8:35).
And here is why I love this passage so much:
1) Jesus knows Lazarus is going to die. He loves him. And he lets it happen.
We are told Jesus loves Lazarus and his sisters, that he knows he is sick. Yet he waits two days, until he is able to tell his disciples for certain that Lazarus is dead before going to them at Bethany.
2) Jesus knows that Lazarus' death is for God's glory
When discussing Lazarus' sickness with his disciples Jesus says, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” And when Martha objects to opening the tomb of her dead brother Jesus says, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”. He is about to raise Lazarus and he knows that it will glorify God as it will lead many to believe in him and his resurrection.
Here it is:
"Jesus wept" (John 8:35).
And here is why I love this passage so much:
1) Jesus knows Lazarus is going to die. He loves him. And he lets it happen.
We are told Jesus loves Lazarus and his sisters, that he knows he is sick. Yet he waits two days, until he is able to tell his disciples for certain that Lazarus is dead before going to them at Bethany.
2) Jesus knows that Lazarus' death is for God's glory
When discussing Lazarus' sickness with his disciples Jesus says, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” And when Martha objects to opening the tomb of her dead brother Jesus says, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”. He is about to raise Lazarus and he knows that it will glorify God as it will lead many to believe in him and his resurrection.
3) Jesus knows Lazarus' death will result for his disciples' good
Although he clearly loves Lazarus, Martha and Mary very, very much he waits until Lazarus is dead before going to them. He waits two days until he knows he is dead and he tells his disciples, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." Jesus allows Lazarus to die for his disciples sake, so that they might believe in him as the resurrection and the life.
4) Jesus knows he is about to reverse the death of Lazarus
He knows that in a very short time he is going to raise Lazarus from the dead, that is clear from the very beginning of the story to the very end. The pain and suffering around him is about to turn to joy and celebration.
And yet...
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled, 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept."
He sees their pain, their grief, their ache of loss, the confusion of death which seems so empty and senseless and as if it should never have been. And in spite of all he knows he weeps.
God, my God, weeps for me. For the pain I feel in the fallen world I live in, for my ache and loss and confusion. Even though he allows it. Even though it will be to his glory. Even though it will result eventually for my good as I see in it more of who he is. Even though one day he will reverse it and restore all that was lost and damaged, because he is the resurrection and the life. All that knowledge, all that truth doesn't make him rationalise away my pain. He doesn't excuse it, or justify it, or try to make it better with words or logic. He just hurts and weeps with me.
Of course in time all the other things are true and will help, which is why they are here in this passage too. Suffering is for God's glory, for Christians he will redeem it for good, he will reverse it and restore what is lost. But the precious truth for me here is that there is nothing cold in God towards my suffering. So when he says in the moment of swirling anguish and darkness, trust me, I'm here, I haven't forgotten you, I see and I hear and it matters to me that you hurt, I know I can trust him. I've seen him weep.
35 Jesus wept."
He sees their pain, their grief, their ache of loss, the confusion of death which seems so empty and senseless and as if it should never have been. And in spite of all he knows he weeps.
God, my God, weeps for me. For the pain I feel in the fallen world I live in, for my ache and loss and confusion. Even though he allows it. Even though it will be to his glory. Even though it will result eventually for my good as I see in it more of who he is. Even though one day he will reverse it and restore all that was lost and damaged, because he is the resurrection and the life. All that knowledge, all that truth doesn't make him rationalise away my pain. He doesn't excuse it, or justify it, or try to make it better with words or logic. He just hurts and weeps with me.
Of course in time all the other things are true and will help, which is why they are here in this passage too. Suffering is for God's glory, for Christians he will redeem it for good, he will reverse it and restore what is lost. But the precious truth for me here is that there is nothing cold in God towards my suffering. So when he says in the moment of swirling anguish and darkness, trust me, I'm here, I haven't forgotten you, I see and I hear and it matters to me that you hurt, I know I can trust him. I've seen him weep.
