March to the Cross - Jesus: Compassionate King
Thursday, March 25
Jesus: Compassionate King
Focus: Jesus weeps beside Mary and Martha over the death of their brother and His friend, all the while knowing He would raise him from the dead. Meanwhile, the Pharisees continue plotting Jesus’ death due to their jealousy and fear of losing their power.
Today’s verses:
Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply loved in spirit, and was troubled.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.”
John 11:47-48,53 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council saying…”If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.”…So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.
The loss of a loved one is perhaps one of the most difficult human emotions we experience. The longing for one more hug, one more moment, or one more “I love you” can be excruciating. I honestly don’t know how non-believers handle it. It is the promise of Heaven that helps us get through the pain and the grief of losing those we love.
In today's journey to the cross we see two sisters experiencing the pain of losing their brother. We see Jesus’ empathy as He holds them close and weeps with them. What do you think Martha and Mary were feeling in that moment? I would imagine that underneath their grief was hope because Jesus had arrived. I’m sure they were confident that He could make things all better. But then, for the sisters to see Jesus’ broken heart as He wept with them, perhaps they felt deflated. After all, if Jesus was in tears grieving Lazarus’ death, he was most likely gone forever. But like all things...when Jesus appears…everything changes. As we move on to the next scene in our story, the sisters see their beloved brother walk out of the tomb, on Jesus' command, wearing his grave clothes! Talk about a turn of events! The sisters’ emotions went from desperation to celebration! I imagine them with their hands in the air, praising God for the miracle that they just experienced! What about you? As you think of Jesus embracing Martha and Mary while weeping by their side, what kind of emotions do you think these sisters were experiencing?
For further reading: John 11
Dear Lord, Thank You for knowing our hearts and understanding how we feel in every situation. Thank you for the hope we have in You despite our losses and difficult circumstances. Thank You, Jesus, for the miracles You work in our times of misery. All praise to You, our Compassionate King! We love you! In Jesus’ name and for the Father’s glory. Amen
