John 11:35-39

John 11:35-39 Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

When the crowd of friends and onlookers watched Jesus' reaction to Lazarus' death and heard the sorrowful words of Mary, saying Jesus would have been able to prevent her brother's death had He been there sooner, varied emotions must have passed through the minds of the observers. When those who understood the close friendship Jesus shared with this family saw him weeping, they probably said, See how he loved him! Perhaps the less involved or more judgmental members of the group were that ones who spoke out that if he could open blind eyes, why had He not kept this man from dying. Human beings are so prone to make quick judgments based on knee jerk reactions rather than considering the situations before us more carefully, rather than empathizing with the needs of the people before us. When the Lord talks to Samuel about choosing a leader, He tells Samuel he is wrong to look at the outside of a person, for God sees not as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7b) Again in the New Testament Paul asks the church directly, Do you look on things after the outward appearance? (2 Corinthians 10:7)

If we want to know the heart and the mind of Christ rather than following our flawed instincts, we would do well to hold our peace more often than we do, to listen more and to speak less. In today's passage, the Bible shows us Jesus, once more deeply moved, coming to the tomb and saying, Take away the stone. He loved his friend Lazarus; He loved Mary and Martha. But He knew He was there for greater purposes than raising Lazarus from the dead. He was there to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit within him. He was present in their midst that they might know that prophecy was being fulfilled before their very eyes: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:4-7 KJV)

The description of Lazarus' grave reminds us of another tomb, another cave, another stone blocking a place of death. Lazarus was dead; his body lay in a tomb of death and decay, a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. Yet because Jesus knew He could ask anything in his Father's name, according to his Father's will, He approached that tomb in faith and told them to move the stone. Those are the first and most important faith steps any believer must take in answer to the Lord's call upon our lives. We have to know who God is, believe that He speaks to us and has a purpose for our lives. Then we step out by faith and do what He calls us to do. Very soon Jesus would face an identical place of burial; yet He would not die by natural causes. The only begotten Son of God would face mockery, rejection, false accusations; see a criminal set free instead of him; fall beneath the weight of a cruel cross in his human weakness; and suffer the most cruel death known to man. All this He would willingly embrace because He accepted his Father's amazing salvation plan for him to bear the weight of all the sin of the world on his shoulders as a living sacrifice. He would face ignominy, humiliation, and isolation because God so loved a people totally lost in sin and darkness without any hope. Jesus said, "Yes, dear Father, send me. I trust the Holy Spirit to rescue me from the grave that all who believe on my name might reign with us forever." Today, beloved of God: Christ is risen; arise with him! The stone has been rolled away: let Jesus remove the stones that block dark caves in your lives.