Jesus Saw, 28

~ Jesus Christ Cries Over Our Tears ~ 

General Comment  ~  When Jesus saw there was always an appropriate reaction and in each case we can learn from the event.

Today’s Scripture  ~  “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!’  And some of them said, ‘Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?’  Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’  Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go’” (John 11:32-44). 

Application  ~  God knows, understands, identifies with, and feels our emotions.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.  Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer.  Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.  And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation” (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

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

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Tears, 1of2

~ Tears Are Integral to the Human Experience ~

Introduction  ~  Life on earth, since sin entered in the Garden of Eden, is full of pain, sorrow, and suffering.  At times it becomes easy to question the reality, apparent lack of involvement in human affairs of a Creator who is a God of love, and His timing.  We see this throughout the Old Testament.  Consider how Habakkuk opens his book, “The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.  O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear?  Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’  And You will not save” (Habakkuk 1:1-2).  The reality of pain and sorrow on earth is especially clear in the Psalms. 

Sorrow In The Psalms  ~  Here are some examples from the Psalms of cries for relief from the sufferings of this world and for the coming Redeemer-Messiah.  “Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony.  My soul is in anguish.  How long, O Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:2-3, niv).  “How long, O Lord?  Will You forget me forever?  How long will You hide Your face from me?  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?  How long will my enemy be exalted over me” (Psalm 13:1-2).  “How long, Lord?  Will You hide Yourself forever?  Will Your wrath burn like fire?  Remember how short my time is; for what futility have You created all the children of men?  What man can live and not see death?  Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?” (Psalm 89:46-48).  “Return, O Lord!  How long?  And have compassion on Your servants.  Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!  Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, the years in which we have seen evil” (Psalm 90:13-15).

Conclusion  ~  Faith in God and the coming Redeemer is seen in those quoted passages.  Consider a couple more passages—one from the Psalms and one from the prophet Isaiah.  “You number my wanderings; You put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?  When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me.  In God (I will praise His word), in the Lord (I will praise His Word), in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:8-11).  “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.  And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.  This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’” (Isaiah 25:8-9). 

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

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .