Friends with Jesus.

Friends with Jesus.  Scripture:  John 11.1-44, “Lazarus, wake up!”

Click to read: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2011.1-44&vers...

Key points: “Lord, your dear friend is very sick…”  Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus…he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea . . . Lazarus is dead.  When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days … They told him “Lord, come and see.”  Then Jesus wept.

This is such an incredible story, and full of details that we do not want to miss, so let’s move a little closer to Jerusalem, where we find our Lord.  We remember that upon Jesus’ claim that he was the Son of God, one with God, the Jewish leaders again picked up rocks to stone him.  They tried to arrest him, but Jesus slipped away, and returned to the Jordan River area, where his ministry had begun.  It was during this time, Jesus taught the beloved story of the Prodigal Son, which reveals the tender heart of God, (Luke 11), the same compassionate empathy we will see here in our Lord.

Jesus seemed to be at home in an outdoor setting, where crowds gathered; he was comfortable with his band of disciples, refreshed by his alone time with his father, and equally at ease in intimate settings with his closest friends.   I love to think about Jesus’ friends.  First, could you imagine being part of Jesus’ inner circle—known to be a dear friend of his!  That was the case with Mary, Martha and Lazarus—siblings who lived together in a home in Bethany.  And so, when Lazarus got sick, it was natural that his sisters would send for Jesus, knowing that he could heal their brother.

But for Jesus to go to their home meant that he willingly put himself in harm’s way, as Bethany was just two miles from Jerusalem, a stone’s throw from those who wished to kill him.  Counting the cost, Jesus went.  Martha ran to meet him, telling him what he already knew—Lazarus had died.  And then Mary ran to meet her dear Lord as well, as all around, people wailed their grieving sorrow.

And Jesus, taking all of it in, wept.  He wept in empathy with his dear friends, Mary and Martha; he wept because he was moved with sympathy.  Jesus wept because he was a true friend.  What are you going through, my friend?  Jesus understands.  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize…”

Jesus ~ your friend.

Christine

 PastorWoman.com