Subscription Lists
Refreshment in Refuge
by Gina Burgess
A person can cry for multiple reasons.
I believe that Jesus wept because of a deep compassion for their grief. Not the professional mourners... but those who loved Lazarus.
I go to funerals for the living, not for the dead. If one of my friend's has a loved one who dies, I go for that friend and lots of times, I cry because they are grieving. When we know the person who died is a Christian because of his fruit, we know he is in a better place. (I am usually very jealous that person is in heaven--at least for a few minutes anyway.)
However, our hearts have an Eternity factor in them because of the eternal Holy Spirit. When a person dies, that breaks the eternal fellowship for a time and the grief caused by the breaking of fellowship is because of this hiccup in the eternal flow. I am quite sure Jesus felt this, too, because He was fully human in a frail, physical body. Yet, He was fully God and the battle between the physical and Spirit sides must have been fierce at all times. He knew what He was about to do, but the pain of grief must have overwhelmed Him. We know we will be with Him soon, yet when a loved one dies, the pain is great and hardly bearable.
Yes Jesus knew what He was about to do. He'd planned it four days before. Yet, it still does not stop His compassion from being exercised for those whom He loved. Those few days of grief must be borne so that the joy of new life may be all the sweeter.
In Luke 16:31, Abraham tells the rich man, "...they have Moses and the prophets, if they do not believe them, they will never believe even if one rises from the dead." Jesus wept because he knew they would never believe.
Another time He wept is when He mourned over Jerusalem.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, putting to death the prophets, and stoning those who are sent to her! Again and again would I have taken your children to myself as a bird takes her young ones under her wings, and you would not! How His grief poured over Jerusalem when He said, "See your house is laid waste."
The grief of rejection. Jesus had so much to give and He knew that if only the gift was accepted the loved one would not suffer the Wrath of God... that could make any ordinary person go crazy or even make one angry. But...
Jesus wept.
Rate it:
Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.
She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.
If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Refreshment in Refuge" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.