"Jesus Wept" - John 11:35If you want to memorize at least one verse of the Bible, I think think this is the shortest verse. But I believe it's also a verse that has so much weight and meaning to it. If you're not familiar with the background of this story, then I'll do my best to sum it up in a nutshell. Again, I'm not a pastor. So I'll probably make mistakes. Therefore, you should read it for yourself.
There was a man named Lazarus, who was very sick. Mary and Martha, who were very close to Jesus, ask him to come see Lazarus.
"So the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.'" - John 11:3Long story short, Jesus decides to wait two more days before making his way towards Lazarus. Spoiler alert: Lazarus dies by the time Jesus comes to see him, Mary, and Martha. When Jesus arrives, he sees Lazarus and brings him back to life. The end.
But why did Jesus weep when he arrived? He's the one that showed up late. And he knew that he was going to raise Lazarus back to life. If he already knew that Lazarus was going to be revived, why did he weep with Mary and Martha?
The rest of this explanation came from a Judah Smith sermon. Surprise. To put it simply, God is a PRESENT God. Although he is not bound by time, he is a present God for our sake. In this story, Jesus took the time to be present with Mary and Martha. He wept with them EVEN THOUGH he knew what was going to happen afterwards.
Think about it this way. Let's say you're talking to another person. In the middle of your conversation, the person becomes angry because he/she knows what you're GOING TO DO against them. That wouldn't seem very fair, would it? It's ridiculous that a person would be angry at you all the time because he/she knows that you're GOING TO hurt them in the near future.
Think about God's situation. He knows when you're going to rebel/deny Him. He knows exactly what you'll be wearing, where you'll be, what time it will be when you sin against Him. But He loves you as you are in the PRESENT moment. He loves you now EVEN THOUGH you have sinned and will sin against Him. That's how unconditional His love is for you. He will always love you NOW. I think that's amazing.
