Here Are My Thoughts

When Jesus walked this earth, he did and said a lot of crazy stuff. He called outcasts to follow him and do ministry with him. He amassed large followings only to drive them away with his seemingly outlandish teachings. He turned water into wine. He produced bread and fish out of thin air. According to Michael Scott, he had the power of flight and could heal leopards (I don’t think Michael got this quite right). Whatever you believe about him, one thing is certain: In his time on this planet, Jesus Christ touched people’s lives in extraordinary ways by doing extraordinary things. 

This morning, I was struck by one of these particular moments, a moment where Jesus’s heart for people meets his Divine authority. John 11:1-44 tells us this story, but here’s a quick summary:

Two sisters, named Mary and Martha, had a brother named Lazarus. All three were close friends of Jesus. Lazarus became very ill, so his sisters sent word to Jesus, hoping he could come and heal him. However, Jesus waited a few days, and Lazarus died. Jesus then made his way to his friends’ home. But by the time he arrived, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. Upon arriving, he talked with Mary and Martha, and even wept over the death of his friend. Jesus then went out to the tomb where Lazarus was laid to rest, and after praying, said, “Lazarus, come out!” And sure enough, Lazarus did. Jesus had raised him from the dead.

The timeline of this story is fascinating-Jesus learns that Lazarus is very sick, and yet seems to be in no hurry to go to him. He waits to make a very long trip until Lazarus is either dead or very close to it. We do get clarity as to why Jesus waits so long-John 11:15 tells us that Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so that his disciples may believe. Later, in comforting Martha, he tells her that Lazarus will rise again, then proclaiming that he himself is “the resurrection and the life”. Therefore, we can understand that Jesus intentionally let Lazarus die so that he could raise him from the dead, and by it allowing all who witnessed it to believe and see the glory of God (John 11:40). If you’ve learned or read about Jesus’s ministry before, then this probably isn’t surprising to you-Jesus used his miracles not only to do good by people but also to put on display the goodness and strength of God. 

But what doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story is what happens before Jesus performs perhaps his greatest miracle. In John 11:33-35, we learn that Jesus was deeply moved and wept over Lazarus’s death. Jesus cried over the death of his friend. This, in and of itself, isn’t surprising-we all would do the same. But what is surprising is that he wept while knowing that he was about to bring his friend back to life.

So why did Jesus cry? Was he doubting his ability to resurrect his friend? I don’t think so. Jesus wept because he was fully present in that moment, with those people. Don’t miss this when you read through this passage, don’t dismiss this because “Jesus wept” (John 11:35) is famous for being the shortest verse in the Bible. This is profound-Jesus was present. He was there, feeling everything his friends felt, sharing in their pain, their loss, and yes, even their tears. Doesn’t it comfort you to know that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can be so emotionally present that he can weep over a lost loved one, even while knowing he won’t be lost for long? That, perhaps, if Jesus could be present in their pain, he could be present in yours?

But wait, there’s more. Because as we know, the story doesn’t end with Jesus crying. It ends with Jesus conquering. It would have done no good to anyone if Jesus could weep over Lazarus’s death, but not raise Lazarus from the dead. His presence doesn’t mean that much if it’s not coupled with his power. But thankfully for Lazarus, and thankfully for us, when we get Jesus, we get both.

So what does that mean for us? It means that we have a God that is neither distant or weak. He isn’t distant from our pain, our struggle, or our tears. He feels what we feel. He hurts like we hurt. But unlike us, God actually can do something about it, because he isn’t weak in the midst of our lives, either. He has power-immeasurable power to impact, benefit, and redeem our lives. Power that can save your marriage, overcome your sin, and lead you through the unknown. It means that no matter what you face, no matter the cards you are dealt in life, you can overcome-not by your power, but by the present power of your Savior, Jesus Christ. Like Lazarus, it may not happen in the timing or way that you want it to, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening-it just means that the all-knowing God knows better than you and I.

And so my prayer for all of us today is that we’ll put all of our hope, trust, and faith in a God who is not distant or weak, but fully present and totally powerful. May we fully experience that present power each and every day.

-Brett

P.S. If you want a great resource on how God lives out his emotional presence and absolute power simultaneously, check out John Piper’s “Desiring God”. On page 40, Piper addresses this topic.