Jesus Wept

Introduction

John 11.

If there’s one thing that clear throughout the gospels, it’s that Jesus loves and cares for people.

This is made clear through the gospel of John.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 13:34 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

John 15:9 ESV

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

It’s clear that Jesus loves us.

This biggest example of this is in John 11.

John 11:35–36 ESV

35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

So, in this lesson we are going to learn some things about the Love of Jesus from John 11.

Jesus’ Love is not always what we expect

John 11:1–7 ESV

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

This is surprising.

This is not how we are.

So, Jesus loved this family, so he stayed two days longer. It’s not what they wanted or expected...

John 11:17–22 ESV

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

Martha wanted Jesus to save her brother.

John 11:28–32 ESV

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Mary wanted Jesus to save her brother.

As we know, Jesus did save Lazarus, but Jesus - out of his love for them - allowed Mary and Martha to suffer.

Jesus’ love wasn’t what they expected...

Application

...Jesus’ love is sometimes not what we expect either.

It reminds me of Paul.

2 Corinthians 12:7–9 ESV

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God loved Paul, so he left the thorn in his flesh.

Has this ever happened to you?

Have you ever prayed for a loved one to be healed, but they weren’t?

Have you ever prayed for safety, but didn’t receive it?

Have you ever prayed for God to calm the storms of this life, but he doesn’t?

From this story we see that sometimes we don’t receive these things because our God loves us. How can this be?

It’s because Jesus is looking at things from a different perspective

Jesus’ Love is always what we need

Again… What did Mary and Martha want…? They wanted Jesus to stop Lazarus’ death.

Since Jesus loved them, he didn’t give them what they wanted… He gave them what they needed

John 11:13–15 ESV

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Lazarus has died, but Jesus is glad… why? Because through Lazarus’ death and miraculous resurrection, people received what they truly needed: Faith in Jesus.

The point of Jesus’ sign was to get others to believe, so that they would glorify God.

John 11:4 ESV

4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

This miracle was a big sign that pointed to God’s glory, and that’s exactly what these people needed.

Application

What was true back then is true today as well.

Our God may not give us everything that we want in the way that we expect, but we can trust that God is looking out for our spiritual wellbeing.

2 Corinthians 12:7–9 ESV

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Why did God not remove Paul’s thorn in the flesh?

So that he would not become prideful.

Maybe God’s doing the same thing to us.

Jesus’ Love Provides Life

From the beginning, the problem has been death.

The book of Genesis begins with life.

But it ends in death.

From that moment, death has reigned over mankind until the time of Jesus. This story shows us that Jesus has the power, not only to stop death, but to give life.

John 11:21–25 ESV

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and the disciples needed to know this.

Application

We need to know it as well.

One of the biggest problems that we face in this life is death. We need to know that God isn’t going to shield us from all of our problems

Instead of taking a detour around death, God takes us through death.

We may face a lot of problems in this life… That’s OK because we are going to have to face the biggest problem of all.

God doesn’t take us around death. He takes us through it.

Conclusion/Jesus’ Love requires a response

John 11:25–26 ESV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus asked Martha if he believed that he was the resurrection and the life.

This is the same question that we must answer.

After Jesus raises Lazarus we see two responses

John 11:45–46 ESV

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Some people believed, but others told the pharisees… what did they want to do?

John 11:53 ESV

53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

So there are two responses:

Some people believed in Jesus

Others wanted to kill him

We have the same two choices in front of us.