John 11:38 – Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
This passage reminds us of the humanity and the coming priesthood of Jesus. As Paul said, “Jesus was touched with the feeling of our infirmities”. In other words the things that trouble you also trouble Him. When I hurt Jesus actually hurts. This is the main point of His humanity, to identify with us so that He could rescue us from our sinful predicament. The death of Lazarus profoundly affected Jesus. Lazarus was one of the Lord’s closest friends and the suffering that Lazarus and his family were experiencing hurt Him deeply. So rather than joining in with the pity party a righteous indignation rose up in Him. He saw this sickness and death as an enemy and He was going to confront it head on. After all, He is the Resurrection and the Life. Bishop Ellicott wrote about this word “groaned” and the Lord’s response to the death of Lazarus.
“The word rendered ‘groaned’ occurs, besides in this verse and John 11:38, three times in the New Testament…the original meaning of the word is “to snort, as of horses.” Passing to the moral sense, it expresses disturbance of the mind—vehement agitation. This may express itself in sharp admonition, in words of anger against a person, or in a physical shudder, answering to the intensity of the emotion. In each of the passages in the earlier Gospels the word is accompanied by an object upon which the feeling is directed. In the present context it does not go beyond the subject of the feeling. Here it is “in the spirit”; and in John 11:38 it is “in Himself.” Both mean the same thing; and point to the inner moral depth of His righteous indignation; the object of it, however, is not expressed.”
Now this is how this whole situation applies to you and me. If Jesus loves you and me like He loves Lazarus (and I believe He does) then my problems become His problems. He cares for us deeply and is deeply affected when we are attacked. He is praying for me and maybe snorting a time or two when I am facing troubling situations. He will defeat death if necessary for His glory and His testimony. So go ahead and listen for the snorting outside your tomb because next He will be calling your name.
