John 11:28–37
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
We live in an age that has domesticated the Lion of Judah and turned Him into a housecat. Our modern conception of Jesus is often that of a gentle, therapeutic friend, a celestial grief counselor whose primary role is to affirm our feelings. We picture a soft, sorrowful Jesus, overwhelmed by sadness, weeping out of simple sympathy. It is to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of our King and the nature of the battle He came to fight. This scene at the tomb of Lazarus is not primarily a quiet moment of shared sorrow. He has allowed this family He loves to be plunged into the depths of grief, all for a purpose that transcends their immediate comfort. He has come to Bethany not simply to console, but to conquer. The world misunderstands the tears of Jesus because it misunderstands the wrath of God.