Hello Advent Family,

When is the last time you were moved to tears?  Maybe it was an emotional moment in your life.  Something you were going through.  Perhaps a touching video or movie that choked you up.  Maybe it was even a moment of joy that brought tears to your eyes.  Crying is a very human and healthy thing to do.  Today I want to focus on one of the shortest verses in scripture – Jesus wept.  I’ve included a longer section for context but lets look at John 11 together today.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 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. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

To me it is incredibly comforting to know that my Creator, my God, my Savior wept.  It means that He understands the times in my life where I weep.  I have often wondered what led to Jesus weeping.  Perhaps it was seeing the pain of Mary and Martha.  Perhaps it was realizing that His friend, Lazarus had to have suffered before He died.  Perhaps He was even grieving over the necessity of death in general.  It certainly wasn’t because he thought it was permanent because He was about to bring Him forth from the dead.  Whatever the reason, Jesus understands when we experience deep emotions that lead to tears.  He experienced them himself.  Shortly after this he is even anguished to the point of sweating blood.  Whatever joy or pain or challenge you are walking through today know that you have a God who loves you, who is with you, and who understands. 

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave