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Raising of Lazarus
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and his sisters wept with breaking hearts, while his friends mingled
their tears with those of the bereaved sisters. In view of this human
distress, and of the fact that the afflicted friends could mourn while
the Saviour of the world stood by, “Jesus wept.” The Son of God had
taken human nature upon Him, and was moved by human sorrow.
His tender, pitying heart is ever awakened to sympathy by suffering.
But it was not only because of sympathy with Mary and Martha
that Jesus wept. Christ wept because the weight of the grief of ages
was upon Him. He saw the terrible effects of the transgression of
God’s law. He saw that the conflict between good and evil had been
unceasing. He saw the suffering and sorrow, tears, and death, that
were to be the lot of the human family of all ages in all lands. Woes
of the sinful race were heavy upon His soul, and the fountain of His
tears was broken up as He longed to relieve all their distress.
Lazarus had been laid in a cave, and a massive stone had been
placed before the entrance. “Take ye away the stone,” Christ said.
Thinking He only wished to look upon the dead, Martha objected,
saying that the body had been buried four days, and corruption had
already begun its work. This statement, made before the raising of
Lazarus, left no room for Christ’s enemies to say that a deception
had been practiced. When Christ raised the daughter of Jairus, He
had said, “The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.”
Mark 5:39
. As she
had been raised immediately after her death, the Pharisees declared
that the child had not been dead, that Christ Himself said she was
only asleep. They had tried to make it appear that there was foul play
about His miracles. But in this case, none could deny that Lazarus
was dead.
When the Lord is about to do a work, Satan moves upon someone
to object. Martha was unwilling that the decomposing body should
be brought to view. Her faith had not grasped the true meaning of His
promise. Christ reproved Martha with the utmost gentleness: “Said
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I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the
glory of God?” You have My word. Natural impossibilities cannot
prevent the work of the Omnipotent One. Unbelief is not humility.
Implicit belief in Christ’s word is true humility, true self-surrender.
“Take ye away the stone.” Christ could have bidden the angels
close by His side to remove the stone. But Christ would show that