![]() Jesus Wept Because He Knew the Imminent Cost of SinĪ third reason for weeping was the cost that he was about to pay to purchase not only Lazarus’ short-term resurrection, but his everlasting life. Tears of anger and longing were mixed with Jesus’ tears of grief. It had taken Lazarus, and it would take him again before it was all over. Death had consumed almost every human being he had created. And ever since the fall of Adam and Eve he had endured sin’s horrific destruction. But sin grieves God deeply and so do the wages of sin: death ( Romans 6:23). As God the Son who had come into the world to destroy the devil’s works ( 1 John 3:8), Jesus was about to deliver death its deathblow ( 1 Corinthians 15:26). Jesus Wept Because He Understood the Weight of SinĪnother reason Jesus wept was over the calamity of sin. And as “the image of the invisible God” ( Colossians 1:15), in Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus we get a glimpse of how the Father feels over the affliction and grief his children experience. No, Jesus is sympathetic ( Hebrews 4:15). Even though Jesus always chooses what will ultimately bring his Father the most glory ( John 11:4)-and sometimes, as in Lazarus’ case, it requires affliction and grief-he does not take delight in the affliction and grief itself. “For he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men” ( Lamentations 3:33). But this did not mean Jesus took the suffering it caused lightly. He had really good and merciful and glorious reasons for doing that. It is true that by not speaking healing from a distance like he did for the centurion’s servant ( Matthew 8:13) or by his delay in coming ( John 11:6) he had let Lazarus die. One reason is simply the deep compassion that Jesus felt for those who were suffering. But he was “greatly troubled” ( John 11:33) and he wept. So one would think that Jesus would be a confident, joyful calm in that storm of sorrow. He had come to Bethany to bring these mourners the best news they could have imagined. He knew that in a few short minutes all this weeping would turn to astonished joy, and then tearful laughter, and then worship. Except that Jesus had come to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead.
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