Day 34 | The Resurrection of Lazarus

Read John 11

As you read this chapter, you’ll notice the intense love between Jesus and the family of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, whom He often visited. Mary and Martha run to tell Jesus that their brother Lazarus has died. Any crisis that we experience can be used for God’s glory. But the question is when we go through trials, how do we respond? Martha, Mary, and all these Jewish mourners responded humanly to death: sorrow, defeat, and abandonment. They treated death as the end of life, as the final defeat, a sign that God had deserted them.

How did Jesus respond to their doubts, weeping, and mourning? When Lazarus died, “Jesus wept.” It is the shortest yet arguably the most potent verse when it comes to Jesus modeling the vulnerability of tears and strength in a natural response to great heartache. Yet Christ did it knowing He would soon raise His friend from the grave. Have you ever been hurting so much that no words would help? Maybe you’ve experienced unimaginable pain and grief. In those moments, it’s rarely the right words that fix our broken hearts. It’s usually someone sitting with us in our suffering that makes the difference.

Jesus understands us because He became human. Jesus experienced pain, loss, grief, and sorrow. Even though Jesus knew how the story would end, He still wept in the middle of it. Raising Lazarus is a miracle that reminds us God can resurrect our souls from disappointment, grief, and pain. He can take what’s lost and make it whole again. When we experience sorrow, we don’t have to push it aside. The end of the story for all believers is victory and eternity with Jesus. What do we do in this lifetime? It’s okay to weep in the middle because weeping can still be worship when we invite God into it. Invite God into our present pain. Ask Him to
experience His joy during trials. God is near the brokenhearted. When we weep, Jesus is with us. He understands us. He sees us. He meets us in our pain and disappointment.

Pray for 10 minutes