Artist: James Tissot from the Brooklyn Museum Collection
Most Christians would know this sentence as the shortest verse in the Bible. Just three words, two in other translations. In those words, Jesus showed His solidarity with the human race.
This verse, John 11:35, will always be remembered as the shortest, but leading up to this verse and those following it displayed how God cares for those He created. You will also read here that Jesus got angry when He was told that Lazarus was already in his grave for four days.
Jesus got angry. In my limited knowledge of Bible interpretation, iI got the impression upon reading this that Jesus got angry not because He did not arrived on time, remember, Jesus delayed His coming for two days, but because His friend, who He loved died of something that could have been prevented. Death was not part of God’s original plan for man, and Jesus, confronted with the death of someone He loved in human form, experienced what every man experiences, pain and suffering.
Then He wept. Jesus mourned for Lazarus! The Son of God mourning for His creation. Even though Jesus knew every thing, being incarnated in the flesh did not exempt Him from experiencing the consequences of sin.
Jesus experienced everything there is to be experienced by fallen man. He had to. In doing so Jesus had every credential to be the sacrificial lamb who would take away the sins of the world. Your sins and my sins.
Reading this part of Scripture gave me a deeper understanding of God’s love for man. The Bible says that we are His friend, His family, brothers and sisters. His co-heirs. If Jesus hadn’t wept, i cannot imagine how we can be saved.
