God bless you and greetings in the name of Jesus Christ
Yesterday we saw the discussion, and now we will see the dilemma as Jesus deals with Mary and Martha’s hearts.
John 11:18-21:
Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
In her hurt, Martha spoke these words. They could have been very condemning if Jesus would have taken them that way. It could have been very hurtful to him. We will see that Jesus ends up crying with Mary and Martha. He ends up linked with them in their sorrow and their grief, but these words of Martha could have been very hurtful. But he understands their pain; he does not take it personally. He does not say, “Aw, I wish you had not said that.” or “Man, that hurts.” He understands what she is going through.
John 11:22-24:
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto her, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
She had her theology right. She knew how it worked. He is going to rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
John 11:25:
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
In our administration, when we apply it to Romans 10:9 and 10, and give people that Word. They are dead in trespasses and sins; yet, they will live, because Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Though he were dead, yet shall he live…
John 11:26-27:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
What a great declaration! She believed in him; she believed. That was the basis on which she rests her faith. That was the basis on which she rests herself. He is the Son of God; he will do what he says. Do you know a better basis on which to rest. Do you know a better foundation on which to build?
John 11:28-32:
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. Y The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Again, look at the hurt, “Oh, I wish you would have been here; you could have kept him alive.”
John 11:33:
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned [embrimaomai] in the spirit (that’s usage 4; he groaned in himself), and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept.
Embrimaomai, only appears five times in the New Testament. Two of those times are found in this account (John 11:33 & 38). It has to do with anger and indignation, and means to be moved with anger or admonish sternly. It springs out of displeasure, anger, indignation or antagonism expressing indignant displeasure. It is used outside of the Bible of horses snorting with angry rage.
Jesus was angry that Satan had stolen Lazarus away by death. He was angry about the hurt of Mary and Martha. His groan indicates how He feels about sickness. He saw it as a malignant foe. He was not going to allow the enemy to get away with this murder of one of His closest friends. Jesus groaned because he really cared for Lazarus and his sisters. He cares for us the same way.
He was a man of like passions like we are. He had feelings; he had emotions; he loved these people. Outside of the apostles and his immediate family, these were probably the closest friends that he had. These are the people that put him up every time that he went to Jerusalem. He stayed in Bethany with these guys. He stayed in their home, and he walked back and forth to Jerusalem. These were among his best friends. This hurt. This was dear; and he wept; he cried.
I know there is a lot of debate whether they were tears of joy or tears of sadness; but, you know what, it does not make much difference, as far as I am concerned, because they are still tears. They are still emotions. It still shows you that he is involved in life, and whether he is crying out of their hurt–identifying with their hurt–or if he is crying out of tears of joy because he knows he is getting him up. They are still tears, and he still had to endure this.
John 11:36-37:
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved them! 37 And, some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind [referring to the healing of the man born blind in chapter nine], have caused that even this man should not have died?
Although Jesus knew from the beginning that Lazarus had died and that he would raise him from the dead, his sisters did not. Neither did their Jewish friends who came to comfort them in their grief. Jesus works through this difficult or perplexing situation to arrive at the deliverance we will read of tomorrow.