F.E. Marsh :: 232. Jesus at the Grave of Lazarus

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1. The Sympathy of Jesus (John 11:35). We might call this verse “Jesus wept,” the shortest verse in the Bible with the greatest meaning. The heart of Jesus ever beats in sympathy with the need of humanity, as His hand is ever ready to meet the need He sees. Mr. Spurgeon has well called this verse “a unique verse,” and said, “I have often felt vexed with the man, whoever he was, who chopped up the New Testament into verses. He seems to have let the hatchet drop indiscriminately here and there, but I forgive him a great deal of blundering for his wisdom in letting these two words make a verse for themselves, “Jesus wept.” This is a diamond of the first water, and it cannot have another gem set with it, for it is unique. Shortest of verses in words, but where is there a longer one in sense? Let it stand in solitary sublimity and simplicity.”
   Three times we read of Jesus weeping. He wept tears of personal suffering (Heb. 5:7), tears of compassion (Luke 19:41), and here tears of sympathy.
2. The Command of Jesus (John 11:39). There was a work which those who were standing by the grave had to do, before Christ spoke the life-giving word that raised Lazarus from the dead, and that was to remove the stone which lay at the tomb’s mouth. There are many stones that believers can roll away which keep the unsaved from hearing Christ’s voice. Here are some stones to roll away:—
   • The rocky stone of ignorance.
   • The granite stone of unbelief.
   • The slaty stone of error.
   • The lime-stone of prejudice.
   • The hard stone of doubt.
   • The slippery stone of inconsistency.
   • The dazzling stone of fear.
3. The power of Jesus (John 11:41-44). Disease, devils, and death had all to submit to Christ. The miracles of Christ in His earthly life are but illustrations of what He can do now in resurrection power by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel. Those who are dead in ceremonialism (Rev. 3:1) He can quicken; those who are buried in the pleasures of the world (1 Tim. 5:6) He can raise to delight in the pleasures that last for evermore (Psalm 16:11); those who are devoid of spiritual life and love, like the prodigal in the far country (Luke 15:24), He can robe and rejoice (Luke 15:22-23); and those who, like the Ephesians, are ruled by the powers of darkness (Eph. 2:1-3; Acts 19:19) He can raise to the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6), and make them fight against the powers that once held them in their grip (Eph. 6:12).