The Grands Letter (Jn/GLJ)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D. on February 11, 2020 7:38 pm (CST)Dear Grands,
John 11:31-35, “The Jews then who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they
saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the
tomb to weep there.
32Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him,
‘LORD, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He
was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled,
34and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’
35Jesus wept.”
Young school children are running on the playground, when one falls, hurts himself, and commences to cry. “There, there,” says the consoling teacher, “boys don’t cry.” Oh, but they do! And so do they, even when they become grown-up men.
Lazarus had died and His sisters, Martha and Mary, called immediately for Jesus. Now, He is there, and Mary has rushed from the house to meet Him. Lazaruz has been dead and in the tomb for four days. Broken-hearted, Mary says, “LORD, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” It was not a rebuke for His late arrival. It was simply a notable truth. Her heart was broken. She was weeping profusely. Jesus’ was deeply moved, and tenderly asked, “Where have you laid him?” And Jesus wept.
Those two words that occupy all of verse 35 demonstrate clearly the humanity of Jesus Christ. As God, He knew what He was going to do to erase the hurt of the two sisters; but as Man, He was deeply moved by the expression of their tears of sadness. Never were two words so filled with consolation as these: “Jesus wept.”
This was not the only time Jesus wept, however. He wept over Jerusalem, where His words overflowed with pathos,
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
(Matt. 23:37)
He wept again in the Upper Room, when He said of Judas Iscariot,
But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me
on the table. 22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was
determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
(Lk. 22:21-22)
Indeed, one can weep within his heart without a flow of tears. Do you weep like that for those who do not know Him? Does your heart break when those you love turn their backs on Jesus? Far too often we have hardened our hearts against the tenderness of love; and we do so when we seek and delve into things that titillate
If you doubt me, embrace Mary’s words, and “Come and see.”
Heartily in Christ Jesus,
(Dado III)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America
“We never know that God is all we need
until He becomes all that we have.”