Scripture
“On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask…’”
JOHN 11:17-21
“When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied.
Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’”
JOHN 11:32-36
Quotes/Color
“What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For [Aslan’s] tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his [dying] Mother than he was himself.”
From C.S. Lewis’ ‘The Magician’s Nephew’
Context
One of the toughest questions I’ve come across in my walk with the Lord is this… “What’s the right way to respond to someone who has just gone through tragedy?” Put simply, “What exactly would Jesus do (WWJD) if he had to walk into a hospital room and console a mourning family?”
If you’ve been in that situation before you know it is not easy.
You feel a great amount of pressure to say the right thing, do the right thing, and if the people in mourning are Christians, encourage them in their faith…
If you’ve ever asked yourself the question… “How would Jesus respond in the hospital room?”, I think this passage gives you your answer…
Application
A few notes about the environment around Jesus in this story and then we’ll look at what Jesus did not do and what Jesus did do.
Some Notes on the Environment
(1) Martha and Mary were hurting – The first thing that came out of Martha and Mary’s mouths when they saw Jesus was “If you had been here this wouldn’t have happened.” Could you imagine? Saying that to Jesus?
“You could have prevented this hurt.”
The wound was still very much fresh for Martha and Mary. Their brother had passed. And their God seemed to be absent. They were upset with him.
(2) Jesus Already Knew He Was Raising Lazerus from the Dead – vs. 11 of the same chapter says this… “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
Jesus wasn’t going to the hospital room to see how he could help. He already knew the result. Lazarus was going to rise again.
(3) The Pharisees Were Watching… And Waiting… – The Pharisees and chief priests were looking for every excuse to take Jesus out. They were just waiting and watching for the right opportunity to send things over the edge.
After Jesus raised Lazarus, do you know the heading my Bible uses for the very next group of verses…?
“The Plot to Kill Jesus”
Jesus knew that Mary and Martha were hurting… But he also knew that they wouldn’t be for long. For a couple of reasons.
- He knew that he in fact was going to raise Lazarus. He was not deciding and deliberating over it. He already knew the end result. Lazarus would be raised “so that [others] may believe.” (vs. 14)
- He knew even further that Lazarus would not only be raised from the dead… But he and everyone else who believed in Him would soon be taken from death to life. This was his final act that prompted his sentencing to the cross. He knew the Pharisees would be watching. They would have had enough. And would turn the Sanhedrin against Jesus and send Him to the cross.
Jesus knew these things… He knew Lazarus would be okay… He knew Martha and Mary’s pain would so pass… And yet. How did he respond?
What Did He Not Do?
Jesus knew the Lazarus would be saved. Double saved in fact. He had a plan. And this is the story of Jesus right? At this time the Old Testament had already been written! He could have come in and told Mary Jeremiah 29:11, couldn’t he have?
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
That passage was there and available to share. And it was true, was it not? Jesus did in fact have a plan. And those plans in fact involved giving Martha, Mary and Lazarus hope and a future.
Is that passage true in that situation? Yes!
But did Jesus choose to say it in that situation? He did not.
Did he assess Martha and Mary’s fresh wounds in that situation and think to himself, “I think I am just going to remind them that I have a plan and that everything is going to be alright.”
He did not. (1) It is not what they needed and (2) That was not Jesus’ character in that moment… It was not his natural response in the hospital room with hurting people.
So what was?
What Did Jesus Do?
“Jesus wept.”
JOHN 11:35
Jesus knew that Lazarus would rise. He knew that Martha and Mary’s pain would go away. He knew that he had a plan. He knew all of these things… And yet…
He responded by taking that moment… seeing the people around with fresh wounds… and hurting with them.
If you want to know how Jesus would respond in the hospital room… I think this is your answer.
Jesus did not come in and remind everyone that he had a plan. Even though he did and he does! I don’t think he is doing that in your life when you are going through a hard time. And I don’t think he is doing that in your friends’ lives when they are going through a hard time.
I think, like Digory in C.S. Lewis’ Magician’s Nephew, we would be surprised to see the King of Kings, with lion-like strength, hurting with the people he loves so dearly. And I think that is our response as Christians as well.
Something to Chew On:
- What is your instinctive response to consoling those who are mending fresh wounds?
- Does Jesus’ response to Mary and Martha following Lazarus’ death change the way you’d respond to others in pain?
- How does Jesus’ response in this moment confirm or change your view of God?
Note: I’ll always remember Jesus’ response in this passage. And it was first pointed out to me this way by my college pastor, Blake Sherman. He and his wife are now missionaries in England. A link is provided here if you would like to make a gift to them and bless them.
https://gemission.org/donatemissionary/40545/
GreatValue Proverb:
God has a plan for you when you’ve got fresh wounds. But more than a plan, he’s got a loving heart.