JESUS WEPT

John 11:35

Every Children’s Bible Story book will have a chapter on Jesus’ raising Lazarus back to life.

It is no wondr that they do that.

The raising of Lazarus is remarkable for a number of reasons:

1. Because he had been dead four days

There are other people who were raised from the dead in the Bible.

Jesus had raised back to life, 

• The widow of Nain’s son and
• The Jairus’ daughter

In the Old Testament

• Elijah raised back to life the widow of Zarephath’s son
• Elisha raised back to life the Shunammite woman’s son

One one man came back to life after touching Elisha’s bones.

But none of them had been dead four days. 

That’s long enough his body would have already begun to rot and to stink.

2. Because he was already buried in the grave

The one dead guy touched Elisha’s bones because they were going to bury him there, but they had not finished doing it.

The widow of Nain’s son was in his funeral procession, but he wasn’t buried yet.

Lazarus is the only one, besides Jesus, who was dead, buried and closed up in the grave, when he raised back to life.

3. Because Lazarus is the only one that I am aware of that people wanted to kill after he came back to life.

Given the importance of the raising of Lazarus back to life it is understandable that it would be included in any list of amazing Bible stories.

But,

• Given that part of the reason I wanted to do this series is because of the children in our Sunday evening services and
• Given that one of the things the children who come to quote verses think is funny to do is to quote John 11:35

I decided to bring a message tonight specifically on that verse.

• I know the kids sometimes do that to be mildly mischievous.
• I know they think it is funny to quote such a simple verse
• I know that parents are supposed to correct kids for being mischievous and funny at a serious time in the service

But I just want to say that John 11:35 is a very important verse in the Bible!

With that said allow me to show you three important Bible truths implied in just two words.

The first thing we see is

I. THE DEITY OF CHRIST

This is found in His name, Jesus

The name Jesus means “Saviour.”

This is not the only name that means Saviour because 

• Joshua means the same thing and 
• Isaiah means “salvation.”

And Jesus Christ is not the only one who was ever named Jesus.

Even today we find the name Jesus pronounced “hey soos” in the Spanish language.

But the name Jesus is significant with Christ because God gave Him that name!

In Matthew 1:21 the angel of the Lord told Joseph that Mary’s first born child was to be named Jesus

“For He shall save His people from their sins.”

This child will be more than named Saviour,

HE WILL BE THE SAVIOUR!

In Luke 1:31 the angle spoke to Virgin Mary this time.

He told her that she would have a child “conceived of the Holy Ghost.” (vs 35)

And that she was to name Him Jesus.

Then the angel said,

“And He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.”  (vs 32)

God gave Jesus His name not because He liked it but to describe who He is.

• The Saviour of the world
• The Son of the Highest.

The Bible exalts the name of Jesus.

Psalms 113:1-2 (KJV)

Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

Acts 4:12 says

There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

Romans 10:13

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The Bible actually uplifts the name of the Lord - Jesus!

Even God the father exalts the name in Philippians 2:9-11 (KJV)

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Again, it is not just the word “Jesus” because nobody else who has the name can make the same claims as Jesus Christ.

The name Jesus is exalted because it is the God given name of our Lord and Saviour.

By the way, this is why it is important to put the proper name on your Saviour.

God hasn’t several Saviours out there to choose from.

• Mohammed
• Allah
• Sung Yun Moon
• Buddha

are not the names of God’s only Saviour.

Those who go back to the Old Testament and call Him Jehovah instead of Jesus are also making a serious mistake.

Jesus is Jehovah.

But 

• Jehovah could not save man because Jehovah had no blood to shed.
• Jehovah wasn’t the lineage of David
• Jehovah was not in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.

It was essential to the plan of salvation that God become incarnate because God, before becoming flesh, could not save us.

So lift up the name of Jesus!

Praise God that He became flesh and dwelt among us in the Person of Jesus Christ our Saviour,

Going on:

II THE HUMANITY OF JESUS

In Jesus Christ we find God in flesh, experiencing the weaknesses of the flesh.

We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities....

Jesus Christ knows the pain of human existence because He has experienced it.

He, “made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men

Philippians 2:7 (KJV)

Hebrews 2:16

For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.

He became a man, born a Jew.

Because of His manliness He has experienced

• hunger
• thirst
• exhaustion

• He has cried over the death of a loved on - His step dad, Joseph.
• He knows what it feels like to be rejected by friends and family and 
• He suffered death as we will one day.

All of this because He became a man.

But more than this, in His humanity He was able to die for men.

Hebrews 2:9 says

But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

There is that form of religion that believes that God made this universe and now just lets it go and ignores it.

This is just the opposite of Bible truth.

The Bible portrays God as keenly interested in this world; enough so to come and visit it in the Person of Christ.

Now I want to speak about the

III. LOVE OF JESUS

Surely we find in the two words, Jesus wept, His love.

Jesus wept at the graveside of a dear friend named Lazarus.

His grief was over the death of this man.

Christ knew that Lazarus would raise again from the dead.

Instead of crying over the death of Lazarus, He was weeping over the grief of Mary, Martha and the other mourners.

He displayed genuine concern for the feelings of these people who had lost a loved one.

This teaches us of Christ’s love for us when we are suffering and grieving.

Can you find a blessing in that?

Does it not cheer your heart to know that when you are bowed down with grief Jesus Christ is weeping with you?

• God is not a hard God but rather a loving God,
• A God who loves us and desires to be near to us.

We Baptists preach against sin but only so that we, being convicted of our sins, can confess those sins and have a close and loving relationship with the Lord!