Jn.11:33-35 – Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and He said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.
The raising of Lazarus from the dead was one of the last miracles that Jesus performed before His death. There is a lot of the heavenly ministry of Jesus pictured in this miracle. The obvious foreshadowing is Lazarus being raised from the dead; Lazarus being raised pictures each of us being raised up when we were dead in our sins. Today’s verse pictures another aspect of the present day ministry of Jesus. Jesus was ‘deeply moved’ by the death of Lazarus and the pain it caused for His friends. This miracle was the outflow of His love for Lazarus and his family. Today, Jesus is moved by our pain and troubles. He prays for us today and represents us before the Father in heaven. Here is how Jonathan Edwards describes this passage.
“And how tender did his heart appear to be, on occasion of Mary’s and Martha’s mourning for their brother, and coming to him with their complaints and tears: their tears soon drew tears from his eyes: he was affected with their grief, and wept with them; though he knew their sorrow should so soon be turned into joy, by their brother’s being raised from the dead. And how ineffably affectionate was that last and dying discourse, which Jesus had with his eleven disciples the evening before he was crucified, when he told them he was going away, and foretold them the great difficulties and sufferings they should meet with in the world, when he was gone; and comforted and counseled ’em, as his dear little children, and bequeathed to them his Holy Spirit …as it were in his last will and testament, in the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of John; and concluded the whole with that affectionate intercessory prayer for them, and his whole church, in ch. John 17.”
Mary and Martha appealed to Jesus for their brother because they knew how much the Lord loved Lazarus. This is also the way we can approach the Lord today. He loves us and will move heaven and earth for us. These are our grounds to approach Christ, He is ‘deeply moved’ by our pain and suffering. Look to Him today, He is our heavenly Intercessor. He loves you deeply and is praying for you.
