Trust that Jesus Sees Raw Grief
John 11:28–31 (ESV) — 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Trust Jesus for how he Feels About the Damage Sin Causes
John 11:33–38 (ESV) — 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
Trust Jesus for the Final Solution to Sin and Death
John 11:39–44 (ESV) — 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Discussion Questions
- When pain and sorrow visit we cry out to the Savior for comfort. Do we ever think about Him calling for us? Isn’t that comforting?
- Is it okay to express our disappointment when we are grieving and disappointed? Isn’t it good to know that we have a God who wants to hear from us?
- Amid our own grief, do we ever consider how the Savior is feeling our situation? He was a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, isn’t it comforting to know that He has endured all trials and temptations?
- Are we honest enough with ourselves to admit that we respond like the crowd?
- Don’t we expect that because we are Christ’s, that He should take care of wants, needs, desires, pain, and sorrow?
- When we are in the deepest darkest moments of life, do we think about how sin grieves our God?
