Tears, 2of2

~ Jesus Shed Tears ~  

Introduction  ~  Jesus as the incarnate Son of God was fully human.  One of the many characteristics of His humanity was His shedding tears.  An important aspect of this is that it shows His sensitivity to the human condition—you can be assured that He is sensitive to your sufferings. 

Tears of Sympathy   ~   “Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’  They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’” (John 11:32-36). 

Tears of Sorrow  ~  “Now as Jesus drew near, He saw Jerusalem and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation’” (Luke 19:41-44).

Tears of Suffering  ~  “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’  As He also says in another place: ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’; who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.  And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest ‘according to the order of Melchizedek,’ of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:5-11).

Conclusion  ~  Jesus, the Holy Son of God, was not ashamed to show emotion and sorrow.  We are to follow in His footsteps.  Part of the solution which He provided at Calvary is a future time when we will no more be burdened down with sorrows and tears.  “‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.  God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’  Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’  And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’” (Revelation 21:3a-5).  “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16-17). 

additional note:  If you identified with this posting you might enjoy a previous ALN post entitled “Why Real Men (& Women) Cry: Resolve to Shed Tears” (December 29, 2009).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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