Deeply Moved by Death – April 2, 2020

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb.
John 11:38

Deeply Moved by Death

Does death make you sad? Do you cry at funerals? If so, you’re in good company because Jesus did the same thing. Death hurts. The pain of death is sharp, and it can linger far too long. Jesus’ friend Lazarus had died, and when Jesus arrived at the tomb, he wept.

Isn’t that amazing? Not only does Jesus share in our humanity, but he also shares our pain over death. It hurts him because Jesus knows that death is not natural. He knows it is not the way God wants things to be. The Bible tells us, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God didn’t create Lazarus to die. Sin caused him to die. God didn’t create you to die, but sin will cause you to die too.

And so, Jesus weeps at death. But he did more than that. He did something about it. He went to his own death to pay for the sins that cause death. You see, Jesus died on the cross because of sin. Only, it wasn’t his sin. It was the sin of the world, including yours. He took it away from you, made it his own, and he died for it. Sin was no match for him—he paid for it. Death was no match for him—he rose from it.

It is okay to mourn and to miss your departed loved ones. Jesus knows your pain. But more importantly, Jesus wants you to know that he has gone through death ahead of you and for you; and then conquered death ahead of you and for you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for dying and rising to give me hope even when I weep. Amen.