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Jesus wept
Beloved:
Every one in the denominational churches always make a great deal this being the shortest verse in the Bible. They are missing the whole point.
Jesus already knew that Lazara was dead. He first confronted martha with her carnal works and then coministerated with mary. I think the culture was and is still today very emotional in their expression..more so than the western world. See the following scripture.
Everyone was focused on the physical ressurection and were totally olivious to being spiritually dead tehmselves. He showed them the carnal ressurection but He groaned in His own spirit twice
(Joh 11:33 KJVR) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
(Joh 11:34 KJVR) And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
(Joh 11:35 KJVR) Jesus wept.
(Joh 11:36 KJVR) Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
(Joh 11:37 KJVR) And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
(Joh 11:38 KJVR) Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
How could He not help crying and groaning ....when dealing with people who were deaf and blind to their own condition and were blind to the One who was amongst them.
I have always been particularly touched by sweet the mother hen and gathering of the chicks metaphor that Jesus spoke over Jersulam as a promise to mankind. Not many real men could say that kind of thing.
Christ isn't crying now...He is antipating the Joy of what is coming.
We on the other hand are witnessing the same things and we are all travailing and groaning like all of nature.
Beloved
Deborah-Leigh:
Hello DizzyD
You ask : what is the significance to point out that Jesus wept at this particular event , when He had raised others and there was no mention of what emotions may have been shown.
Was the culture of that era so that men didn't show emotions and if they did in public it was a statement that awed people or what?
Here are some thoughts about this that have come to me. Caps are used to show emphasis to my mind and are not used to shout or express hostility or self superiority in any way.
I believe that the Jews who upon seeing Jesus weep, came to the wrong conclusion. The Jews assumed that Jesus weeping showed how much He loved His deceased friend Lazarus. I believe the Jews were wrong in their assessments and conclusions. Jesus often referred to the Jewish heirachy as being Hypocrites Snakes and Paul referred to them as dogs.
In my first notes from my studies of Ray Smith's teachings I copied the following teaching from Ray who answered an email. I did not keep the reference just the quote. Here it is : Josephus was the product of his own Jewish race, religion and culture. By the time of his writings, he like virtually all of Judea absorbed most of the pagan teaching of Babylon which came initially out of Egypt. These included immortal soul, transmigration of souls, judgment at death and underworld hell of demons and pagan gods, etc. By the time of Jesus’ ministry, the Jews were PAGAN TO THE CORE.
I can not believe that our Creator loves in the same selfish way that human nature loves. Jesus was entirely UNSELFISH and His actions were not carnal or self seeking. Jesus on hearing that His friend Lazarus was sick, stayed AWAY UNTIL HE HAD DIED!
John 11 : 6 Therefore even when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place where He was.
Jesus knew BEFORE the news reached His Disciples, that Lazarus had died. Jesus told His Disciples
John 11: 11…Our friend Lazarus is at rest and sleeping; but I am going there that I may awaken him out of his sleep. 12. ..the disciples answered, Lord, if he is sleeping, he will recover. 13. However, Jesus had spoken of his DEATH.
Jesus is reported to have wept, when He saw the grief, sorrow and distraught pain, agony and suffering of Mary who had not come out to meet Him when He reached her town. This was the same Mary who in grief had stayed behind and who Jesus had to ask for and only then she came to Him. When she reached Jesus here is what happened. John 11 : 32 When Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw Him she dropped down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 33 when Jesus saw HER sobbing, and the Jews who came with her ALSO SOBBING, He was DEEPLY MOVED IN SPIRIT AND TROUBLED. Why? He knew He was to wake Lazarus and that he would live. So why be moved or disquieted? Jesus LOVED Martha MARY and their brother Lazarus. John 11 : 5 Now Jesus LOVED Martha and her sister and Lazarus. They were His dear friends, and He held them in loving esteem. Mary who had sat at His feet listening to Him while sister Martha occupied herself with more trivial matters than listening and learning, came to Him only when summoned and fell at His feet sobbing, in pain, in loss, in grief and knowing full well that if Jesus had been there, her brother would have been healed because JESUS LOVED THEM. Jesus sent someone to call Mary to Him and she came with disappointment in Him and blame for His absence.
How many blame Jesus for the death of a loved one. How many blame Jesus for the state of our wicked world. How many who listen and learn and adore Jesus when the chips are down, also fall at His feet and blame Him for being absent to their loss and remote to their feelings. This had to have torn at the soul of Christ to experience this deep error in perception of the carnal mind. And DESPITE all this, THIS SAME MARY was to be given an unmatched gift that Jesus already knew He would give her yet still, He wept for and with her. Why? Because our Lord is Compassion and Love and He suffers with us, for us and because of us. Jesus knows the beginning from the end and still He wept! Why? Because JESUS HAS FEELINGS! This was to be the Mary of whom Jesus would say AFTER RAISING LAZARUS FROM DEATH Jesus would say of her Mark 14 : 9 And surely I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the entire world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. ( what had Mary done to receive this high acclaim? Does Babyon obey what Jesus said that when the GOOD NEWS is proclaimed in the entire world what Mary did will be told in memory? Of course not. Babylon does NOT PREACH ANY GOOD NEWS.) Here is what Mary did. Jesus said Mark 14 : 8 She has done what she could; she came beforehand to anoint My body for the burial. 6. She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me, praiseworthy and noble. What Mary did was John 12 : 3 Mary took a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard, a rare perfume that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. to break a jar of costly and precious perfume to pour over His feet which Jesus said was a beautiful thing that was praiseworthy and noble as the anointing of His body for burial. Paul writes to the Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of all the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies (alabaster perfume jars perhaps? Our costly to ourselves and precious to our self worth selves) presenting all your members, and faculties as a living sacrifice, holy devoted, consecrated and will pleasing to god, which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship. Rom 12 : 1.
What I find so interesting is John 11 : 45 Upon seeing what Jesus had done, ( He raised Lazarus to life) many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Him. But why did Jesus weep. For me Jesus wept because THIS WAS THE MARY who Luke 10 : 39...who seated herself at the Lord's feet and was listening to His teaching. This was the Mary of whom Jesus said to her sister Luke 10 : 41 Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; 42 There is need of only one, Mary has chosen the good portion which shall not be taken away from her. this was the Mary who after her brother Lazarus was raised from the dead was the Mary who was blessed to anoint the body of Jesus in preparation for His death. This was the Mary who LISTENED to Jesus and adored Him yet suffered enormous grief and disappointment when her brother died.
Before Mary had the experience of her brother being raised from the dead and returned to her, she was kneeling at the feet of Jesus in sobs and tears while saying to Jesus "If YOU had been there he would not have died! " These SAME words were spoken to him by Mary's sister but Marthas words did not make Jesus weep. I do not think Martha was crying! I do not think Martha was broken like Mary was by the grief of loosing her brother. She did not approach Jesus in the same way as MARY came to Him.
Only AFTER Mary saw her brother live again did the pain disperse. Did Mary feel remorse for her staying behind her sister Martha when Jesus came to town? Did Mary have regret for her sense of hopelessness that reflected in her words to Jesus that observed that had He been there then her brother would not have died? The scriptures do not tell us how Mary felt after she saw her brother come back to life. We hear of how Peter felt after he denied Jesus but with Mary, the next time we read about Mary we see her proceeded to be able to break a most expensive jar of perfume and in front of the whole house, anoint the feet of Christ and wipe the excess off with her hair.
So between her grief and her tears that I believe moved Jesus to also weep, her love shone through for her brother, in mirror reflection of the Love that Christ has for the World. In this way too we should love.
This one's for you brothers! :)
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
YellowStone:
--- Quote from: Beloved on October 14, 2007, 03:55:56 PM ---
How could He not help crying and groaning ....when dealing with people who were deaf and blind to their own condition and were blind to the One who was amongst them. Beloved
--- End quote ---
This has been a great discussion and there have been many wonderful responses. However, Belolved, I believe you nailed it completely. I am sure any teacher, whom after much special tution and undevided attention, would feel the the same towards their students if they still "did not" get it.
Of course, his tears could have been for the deat of his friend; yet as pointd out by Bud, why were his tears mentioned at this time if this were really the case?
Love to all in Christ our redeemer,
Darren
javajoe:
--- Quote from: YellowStone on October 14, 2007, 05:21:48 PM ---
--- Quote from: Beloved on October 14, 2007, 03:55:56 PM ---
How could He not help crying and groaning ....when dealing with people who were deaf and blind to their own condition and were blind to the One who was amongst them. Beloved
--- End quote ---
This has been a great discussion and there have been many wonderful responses. However, Belolved, I believe you nailed it completely. I am sure any teacher, whom after much special tution and undevided attention, would feel the the same towards their students if they still "did not" get it.
Of course, his tears could have been for the deat of his friend; yet as pointd out by Bud, why were his tears mentioned at this time if this were really the case?
Love to all in Christ our redeemer,
Darren
--- End quote ---
I agree with beloved also. I have heard a teaching on this that Jesus was grieved because of their unbelief, and he knew even after this miracle, they still would be blind to who He was and their own condition. He gave them the proof, that He had power over death, but they still wouldn't believe - culminating in His Crucifixion.
I think he was in tears also when he said in Matthew 23:37
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing"
I think it was this longing that made Him weep, knowing that even raising the dead wouldn't do the trick.
My thoughts,
ciao,
JavaJoe
jER:
…could it have been both:
(1) A disappointment in conjunction to their constant disbelief?
"…groaned in the spirit, and was troubled." (John 11:33) …vexed His Spirit.
And,
(2) that, He took no pleasure in the death of Lazarus?
"Jesus wept." (John 11:35) …silently shedding tears, himself.
It would seem to me, that Beloved, Kat, Arcturus, Darren and JavaJoe are all correct.
"…that they may believe…"
-jER
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