Jesus and the story of Lazarus

[Rescued by the Cross]

During different study times, I came back to the story of Jesus raising Lazarus at several different points in the last few months. I am curious as to some perceptions of Jesus weeping before He raised Lazarus.

It has been on my heart that Jesus likely wept more so for the people who were still alive and surrounding Him. As with any part of the Bible, the depth of Gods word is incredible and this is just one of many messages within this story, but this part strikes me as something much deeper God can allow us to discern.

We have probably all read commentaries which reference Jesus weeping as a demonstration of His connection/understanding of humanity. I am curious though on what God says to others hearts though beyond a simple statement of meaning.

I am a firm believer that every detail of scripture is instructive. Anytime our Savior wept it would seem a significant point to reflect upon.

[Meg]

What a lovely topic, Rescued, and an excellent question. I like to do my own reading and my own thinking, and its my opinion that Jesus wept, because the people He was trying so hard to teach weren't quite getting it. He knew what was possible if He could only reach through the horrific blindness of the sin condition, and somehow persuade His people to comprehend the stunning difference between truth and deception. But He was also well aware that in the coming centuries, most people wouldn't. With His ability to see the far reaches of Eternity, what He had on His mind was less likely to be the immediate moment, which was just a sample of the prevailing attitude. What drove Him to tears was, IMO, more likely to be the great loss so many would suffer, because as mortal humans we live in the moment at the expense of the much greater potential...

[micah719]

One of His dear friends was dead, in the grave for 4 days, and stinking. Ever experienced a rotting corpse? In a hot climate, before the modern diet of conservative-laden food slowed the decomposition of the dead by about 30%? Not pretty, and when it is someone you know and love, it hurts. Remember, this isn't roadkill, it is a human being, and it isn't in the sterility of a hospital or the surreal civilised veneer of an undertaker's. It is reality, stark and naked and brutal.

He had come down from His throne to save His people, and as fully human and guided by the Holy Spirit, He was subject to all human limitations, except sin. He did not know all, only what The Holy Spirit chose to reveal to Him. Otherwise His example is not pertinent to us. It does no good to me for Omniscient and Omnipresent God to say "there, see, I did it, now you do it", unless it is possible for me to do it. The false religions will insist you can do it on the strength of your own faith, mind over matter, realise your potential. Balderdash, if I'm to do anything at all worthwhile I need Him to do it for and through me, and I'm more dependent on Him than a newborn baby. He can and will supply the Holy Spirit to those whom He will, but one thing is clear: I'm not God and never will be. So to all the erronous folks that imply "there, now go and be like God" as though I can do that on my own, baloney. And to those that teach we are little gods, beware, read about what The Lord says to those whom He called "little gods", the ones that "die like men". Hmmmm, I remember reading somewhere about a sneaky being that wanted to be like God, and spread that thought to others. Lots of that going around these days.

He wept because his dear friend Lazarus had to die and rot for 4 days, to be brought back to life as a demonstration and proof. Lazarus then had to live as a marked man, the Pharisees wanted him dead. Another physical death awaited him, and the long wait for the first resurrection and the glorification and completion, the body that does not die ever again. All this being necessary to demonstrate to the unbelieving and the yet-to-believe, God's love, power, grace, compassion, wisdom, faithfulness and justice.

[Meg]

One of His dear friends was dead, in the grave for 4 days, and stinking. Ever experienced a rotting corpse? In a hot climate, before the modern diet of conservative-laden food slowed the decomposition of the dead by about 30%? Not pretty, and when it is someone you know and love, it hurts. Remember, this isn't roadkill, it is a human being, and it isn't in the sterility of a hospital or the surreal civilised veneer of an undertaker's. It is reality, stark and naked and brutal.

He had come down from His throne to save His people, and as fully human and guided by the Holy Spirit, He was subject to all human limitations, except sin. He did not know all, only what The Holy Spirit chose to reveal to Him.

John 11:11
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

[micah719]

John 5:30
30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

[micah719]

The Lord's resounding defeat of the devil in the wilderness temptation was by wielding the Sword of God, which is the Word of God.

The first of the temptations was to change stone into bread, which He could have done by His own power. The second was to presume to throw Himself off the Temple, and claim Scripture out of context. The third was to win the crown without going by the cross, by worshiping the god of this world. All of them outside the will of The Father.

But where would that leave His children, to whom He promised that they would do greater things than He, because He went to The Father.

It is because He went to The Father that He was able to send The Holy Spirit to us, to instruct, convict, lead, comfort, protect.

He defeated the devil so resoundingly in the wilderness temptations as an unfallen Man indwelt by the Holy Spirit without measure. This gives me great confidence that He will fulfill His promise to me, when I get self out of the way and let Him do His thing through and in me.

To maintain that He used His own Divine power in His ministry on earth is to imply that His promise that we will do greater things than He did is false. It is at once both an attack on His character and His Word, and robs us of the only means by which we can successfully walk in this world and carry out the orders He gave us.

It is a very subtle poison fruit of the doctrines of demons, and has spawned the likes of the WoF crew, like Bentley, Copeland, Schuller, and even your sabellian idol Jakes. In another thread you lamented the loss of that luminary. If you truly have forsaken that broken cistern, then be thankful and praise The Lord that He has had grace on you to free you from that bondage. If you are resenting this, then go back and have your ears tickled some more, but don't complain when more of what has been befalling you comes your way. I don't tell you this to hurt you, it would be most unloving to allow you to continue in error and spread error without speaking up. There's many people and instances where I will give account to The Lord for not speaking....but in this instance and with you, I've done my duty. If only more would stand for Truth, we wouldn't be in this mess.

This is why I am now replying for the 3rd time in this thread. May I remind you that we are in a war with no neutrals, this is not a game, it is deadly serious. Stop repeating the enemy's propaganda.

[Rescued by the Cross]

Meg, excellent points in the same vein that my understanding has been led. Jesus knew Lazarus was in Heaven and in a better place than what we have here on earth. If He cried for Lazarus, I could see it from the standpoint that He was calling him back from paradise.

I really see Jesus weeping in the broader context of a lack of faith among us here on earth. We have all probably experienced the difference between a Christian funeral and a funeral where the families are lost. It is an incredible difference based upon faith. It is not that we as Christians don't mourn the separation, but it is from an entirely different viewpoint and further tempered by the promises of our Father.

As another point that I heard expounded about Lazarus coming back, it is a beautiful picture of rebirth. Lazarus comes out of the tomb made alive by Jesus/God, yet He is still bound by his wrappings. Jesus commands that He be freed from the bindings. Lazarus then lives out a powerful life witnessing to the power of Christ which made him dangerous in the eyes of the Pharisees (and their father).

[readytogo]

JMHO, He was weeping because being fully human (besides being fully God) He was mourning the loss of His friend and the effect that his death had had on close friends---even though He knew that it was temporary, He knew that Mary and Martha had been suffering because THEY didn't know that

Secondly, He was mourning the fact that death even had to exist at all.

Lastly, although when dying, Lazarus would not have gone to the abode of God (until after the cross), being in what was referred to as the "bosom of Abraham", he was still in a much better place that he had been on earth and He was having to "call him back".

[Robert]

The Lord's resounding defeat of the devil in the wilderness temptation was by wielding the Sword of God, which is the Word of God.

The first of the temptations was to change stone into bread, which He could have done by His own power. The second was to presume to throw Himself off the Temple, and claim Scripture out of context. The third was to win the crown without going by the cross, by worshiping the god of this world. All of them outside the will of The Father.

But where would that leave His children, to whom He promised that they would do greater things than He, because He went to The Father.

It is because He went to The Father that He was able to send The Holy Spirit to us, to instruct, convict, lead, comfort, protect.

He defeated the devil so resoundingly in the wilderness temptations as an unfallen Man indwelt by the Holy Spirit without measure. This gives me great confidence that He will fulfill His promise to me, when I get self out of the way and let Him do His thing through and in me.

To maintain that He used His own Divine power in His ministry on earth is to imply that His promise that we will do greater things than He did is false. It is at once both an attack on His character and His Word, and robs us of the only means by which we can successfully walk in this world and carry out the orders He gave us.

It is a very subtle poison fruit of the doctrines of demons, and has spawned the likes of the WoF crew, like Bentley, Copeland, Schuller, and even your sabellian idol Jakes. In another thread you lamented the loss of that luminary. If you truly have forsaken that broken cistern, then be thankful and praise The Lord that He has had grace on you to free you from that bondage. If you are resenting this, then go back and have your ears tickled some more, but don't complain when more of what has been befalling you comes your way. I don't tell you this to hurt you, it would be most unloving to allow you to continue in error and spread error without speaking up. There's many people and instances where I will give account to The Lord for not speaking....but in this instance and with you, I've done my duty. If only more would stand for Truth, we wouldn't be in this mess.

This is why I am now replying for the 3rd time in this thread. May I remind you that we are in a war with no neutrals, this is not a game, it is deadly serious. Stop repeating the enemy's propaganda.

Micah, I know you most likely won't read this, but you are forgetting something:

"As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love". Ephesians 4:14-16, NASB, emphasis mine)

and:

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB, emphasis mine)


Now, all that said: I agree that Jesus was sad that Lazarus had died. being fully God and fully human, he understood death, nut was grieved at the loss of Lazarus. God did not originally create death; that came into existence as a condition should Adam and Eve break the instructions he gave at the Garden (which they did). It was a poignant reminder of the fall, and worse still, that a majority of those who lived or would ever live would die and go to hell. God cries with us in our misery, and he hurt just as much as Mary and her sister did when Lazarus, his friend, died.

As humans, there is a tremendous sense of loss when someone dies that we care for, short of resurrection, god won't use his power to prevent that feeling. It to us is a solemn reminder of the fall and its' lasting, chilling effects. only when we are translated into heaven will we be free of the cold, cruel grip of the Grim Reaper. And at the Great White Throne Judgment, Christ will once and for all deal with death, as he tosses that malevolent skeletal scavenger into the lake of fire, there, never to harm the living again in all of eternity.