Taking Your Grief to the Man of Sorrows

In Matthew 14 we find the account of John the Baptist’s death. This beloved brother lived a life of truth, full of commitment to the message of Christ, and bold in the face of sin. In Matthew 14:12 we read, “And his disciples (the disciples of John the baptist) came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.”

As we look at this text today I believe we may, in some manner, find ourselves easily able to empathize with the disciples of John the Baptist.

These disciples have witnessed the powerful ministry of their beloved teacher who has unwaveringly preached Christ as Messiah. However, as we look in this text they must be consumed with grief as they witness the death of their beloved mentor. There is no doubt in my mind that this was unexpected. The Jews of the time were expected the Lord to come as a conquering King who would overthrow their enemies and here is the One claiming to be Messiah and He is John’s own cousin and Christ spoke so highly of him! Yet Christ, in His way which we cannot understand, allows John to die.

This was unexpected, but it was also painful. A disciple was not just some young guys trying to learn how to sound fancy. They were men who admired their teaches, who longed to learn from their teachers and wanted to learn and apply the truths that they lived out in their everyday lives. John would’ve been a fatherly figure to them leading, teaching, and correcting them. And now, seemingly in an instant, he is gone.

This was a time of unexpected grief for them. And it is for me, for you, and for us all.

But as we look at the verse again we read, “And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.” And here we will encounter Unbelievable Grace.

Hebrews 4:15 reads, “15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Did you know that Jesus relates to you? He’s not afraid of your emotions, your pains and questions. Because He has felt the same pains and temptations you have, but He never sinned. And I believe that we sometimes make Jesus an emotional statue of a man, don’t we? We tend to believe that He came to Earth but hardened His heart like a robot and went through the things He had to face so He could get His job done, but that’s not so. He hurt, deeply. And He knows your pain.

He experienced poverty as He chose to be born to a carpenters son. When Christ came into the world He didn’t even have a nice crib, but was born into a manger which would’ve been a nasty feeding trough. And as He gets older He didn’t strike it big in the oil industry, no, He tells us in Luke 9:58 “58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

He felt the pain of rejection as His own earthly brothers didn’t believe He was the Saviour until after He rose from the dead. He felt pain as He was rejected and almost killed in His home town of Nazareth in Luke 4. He felt the pain of rejection as He was rejected by His own who He came to save and was condemned to die.

He’s felt alone as He tells His disciples in Matthew 26 “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” And as we read on we see that they wouldn’t even stay awake an hour with Him. He no doubt felt alone as all of His disciples, who He spent years investing in, rejecting Him and fleeing for their lives. And He felt alone as He hung on Calvary and says, “Eloi, Eloi, Llama Sabacthani! Meaning My God, My God Why hast thou forsaken me!”.

And yes, He feels your pain today for He wept at the graveside of His dear friend Lazarus

As we consider the disciples of John coming to Him we know that they knew He would be someone full of compassion toward them. As we read Matthew 14:13, “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people heard thereof, they followed Him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.”

Here we see that the news of John’s passing strikes Christ with such force that He simply needs to be alone to grieve. Yet even in the midst of His heartache needy, broken people find Him. And I would’ve totally understood if He said, “DON’T YOU PEOPLE CARE THAT I’M HURTING? LEAVE ME ALONE!” But this isn’t how He works. No, as He looks upon them His hearts melts within Him and He has compassion to go around.

Today, our Lord can sympathize with you in your pain.

My favorite story of Nanny and Papa

Yes, Christ sympathizes with us as He has experienced all of the pains of this life. And as we read Isaiah 53:1-6 we will find that He has done more that taste the pains of this life but He is the very Man of Sorrows, which is plural. And the glad message I have for you and I today is that He has bore our sin, the greatest of all sorrows. This is beautiful news! Beloved, the reason we weep today, the pains and heartaches of this life are all because we are in rebellion against a Holy God, Romans 3:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” and the only reason Nanny told me she had peace, and the only reason I have peace today is because God the Father sent Christ to Earth and crushed Him underneath the wrath that belongs to me and if you, this afternoon, see yourself as a sinner who one day will close their eyes in death only to face a wrath filled God you too can come to Him repenting of your sin, trusting not in your works but in the death and resurrection of Christ and you can be saved. The gift of God is eternal life today! If He is calling you, come! Find peace in Him! Stop working to achieve peace with God because that will only send you to Hell tired! Stop worrying over whether you will be accepted on that final day, leave all of your sin behind you and cling to Christ! He will give you the greatest of comforts!