Jesus in the face of death

I work at CMS (Church Missionary Society) as an editor, and the International Director there is Peter Rodgers. I've been so thankful that during this time of illness I've just been able to keep on working from home or even from hospital, as the case may be. CMS as employers have been incredibly fair and supportive in finding ways for this to continue.

I mention this as background to something completely different, which is how Jesus responded to news of his friend Lazarus' imminent death. Here is just a little of the story, from John 11, that sets up the scene:

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

It's well worth reading the whole chapter, in which Jesus is implicitly rebuked for his slowness in coming to his friend's side. Surely he could have prevented the experience of death that he now witnesses firsthand? But he hasn't come in time (or so it seems), therefore he weeps.  

The afore-mentioned Peter Rodgers wrote a brief piece about how Jesus responds to his friend Lazarus' death. It is a response that by clear implication shows us something of how we, too, can face the reality of the deaths of those around, or even our own. 

In his short article Peter asks this key question: Why did Jesus weep?

Weeping is normal at the death of a loved one. In some cultures, weeping is done almost in private, and expressions of grief are muted. In other cultures, a public display of weeping is important, even to the extent of employing professional mourners.

In John 11, when people hear the unexpected news of Lazarus’ death there are natural expressions of grief.

“When Jesus saw her (Mary) 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.

The expressions of grief from Mary and Martha and the others with them are expected.

But why does Jesus weep?

Jesus already knew that Lazarus had died and what he would do for the sake of God’s glory (verses 4,14,15). So, if Jesus knew he would raise Lazarus from the tomb, why does he weep?

There are some lessons we can learn.

Jesus is not indifferent to suffering. He loved Lazarus (verse 5). We see here the great heart of Jesus: the Son of God, God himself—weeping, sobbing—at the death of his friend, and the grief it has caused his other friends. This is the normal and right response to death – even for Christians. For whilst we do not grieve like the rest of the world, we still grieve. Here we see that weeping is a right response to death. And the Son of God has so entirely entered into humanity that this includes entering the depths of sorrow. Jesus wept.

But Jesus does not weep out of despair as we might. In verses 25-26 he has already declared these magnificent words.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” 

Unlike us, Jesus is not powerless. Jesus proves the truth of these words by calling Lazarus out of the tomb!

 It may seem odd to us that someone who has the power to raise people from the dead should weep. Odd that Jesus can be all powerful and yet burst into tears. This is the mystery of the person of Jesus – who is man and God. We don’t need to spiritualise away his tears and anger. We need to accept he is God, but still fully a man. He trembles in anger, weeps in sorrow and then raises the dead with a shout.

Eight chapters later the Jews will be shouting for Jesus’ death.

Of course, Lazarus grew old and died again. His resurrection, as amazing as it was, is just a shadow, a glimpse of what happened just over a week later when Jesus was crucified and his dead and mutilated body laid in a tomb. And three days later he rose from the dead, once forever, never to die again. Jesus is literally “the resurrection and the life”. These were not empty words spoken just to comfort people in their grief. These are life giving words spoken by the only person in all history to have defeated death and now live forever.

At a basic level, Jesus' tears should encourage us to weep with those who weep. We should allow grieving people to feel right anger at death and suffering. In fact, death and suffering should make us indignant wherever we see it. We need to become better carers of those who suffer. Christians who know that we have a God who has wept at death should never be indifferent to death.

But more so, although in the face of death we are powerless, we can point grieving people to Jesus, who not only grieves with them, but is himself the resurrection and the life.

The Christian response to death and dying is not stoic acceptance. Nor is it a triumphalistic lack of awareness, nor even a resigned despair. It is exactly and precisely the response Jesus gave: to weep over its horror, and to trust to the power of God to completely reverse and upend and defeat its power over us.

As I'm writing this blog post on a Sunday, how about you join me in singing this hymn? Or scroll down to the video and let the Welsh do it for you.

1. Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore;
Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and evermore.

2. Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing waters flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

3. When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee;
Songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee.