Photo to right: This is believed to be the actual Tomb of Lazarus in Israel where Jesus raised him from the dead nearly 2000 years ago.
In John chapter 11 we read concerning a man named Lazarus, who lived in the town of Bethany with his sisters. Lazarus was sick unto death and his sisters frantically sent message to Jesus to come heal him. While waiting for Jesus, Lazarus died. Great was the emotional sorrow, for Lazarus had been loved by many people. Jesus finally arrived, but 4 days later, after a funeral had been held and Lazarus already entombed.
When Jesus first arrived, Martha ran out to meet Him, because she had been watching and waiting for the Savior. Martha had great faith in Jesus and said to Him in John 11:21-22, "If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." Martha expressed her faith in the Savior. In sharp contrast, we see her sister Mary and many of the Jews doubting in John 11:31-35, "Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept."
Many people today have the WRONG notion that
Jesus was only weeping because he loved Lazarus, and was moved by the
emotions of the crowd. This is not so. The Bible is clear that
Jesus wept because of the UNBELIEF of the people. We read in verses
37-38, "And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes
of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus
therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave..."
Jesus groaned with grief because of the naysayers and skeptics, i.e.,
because of their sinful unbelief. The popular
Book
For Teens being sold on the market today misinterprets this
Scripture. The authors claim that Jesus was weeping because he loved
Lazarus. That is not true. Jesus was clearly weeping because of
the unbelief of the people.
Jesus Still Weeps Today Because of Unbelief
Few people today genuinely believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Many folks have religion without truth, and churchianity without Christianity. That is, they have the outward superficial shell of religion; but they've never realized their guilt and condemnation because of their sins (Romans 3:19), and have never turned to Christ for forgiveness of those sins (Acts 20:21; Romans 10:9-13). Far too many people today think they're a Christian simply because they prayed a prayer, or asked Jesus to come into their heart, or joined a church, or were baptized. Not so! Salvation centers around OUR sins, and getting those sins forgiven and washed away by the blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). This is by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is not a superstitious prayer, or a religious experience; it is a supernatural act of God in response to our obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are the sinners, and Jesus is the Savior!
Many people today question God, and the Bible. I see numerous websites mocking God, even deliberately blaspheming the Holy Sprit, such as The Rational Response Squad, challenging God to do something about it at... http://www.blasphemychallenge.com. The author of the website, Brain Flemming, has been interviewed on ABC's Nightline as a new breed of upcoming aggressive atheists. There is no bigger fool in the world than an atheist. I like what Evangelist Ray Comfort said... Whether there be a God or not, BOTH possibilities are frightening! According to Romans 1:18-20, there is NO such thing as an atheist, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." What powerful Scriptures!
The sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit is the sin of rejecting the Savior. We read of the "Spirit of Christ" in Romans 8:9, whom every believer has living within their body. Oh! How Jesus weeps because of the unbelief and hatred of people.
And by the way, Jesus wept over the unbelief of the people, he didn't hate them like Pastor Fred Phelps of Kansas City does. We read in 2nd Peter 3:9 that God is... longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Ezekiel 18:32 states, "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." God loves sinners, who are people for whom Christ was willing to die (Romans 5:8).
All across America and Europe, young people are worshipping the idolatrous demonic gods of rock music, Hollyweird, MTV, and Hellivision. Americans even go as far as to call their #1 idolatrous show... AMERICAN IDOL!!! They didn't call it American Singer, or American Entertainer; no, rather, they called it what it is... IDOLATRY! Jesus weeps!
All across the world people are placing their faith in the damnable New Age Movement, which denies Jesus Christ, rejects the Word of God, and worships the god of this world, Lucifer. New Age teaches that there are MANY paths to the light, and no one narrow gate as the Bible proclaims (Matthew 7:14). That narrow way, which leadeth unto life, is only Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Jesus weeps over the billions of people today who refuse to come to Him for salvation... "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:40). Anyone can be saved. Whosoever will may come... "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).
It's tragic and amazing at the same time. Jesus shed His precious blood to pay for mankind's sins, and offers to every person the FREE GIFT of eternal life (Romans 5:15); yet, people refuse to go about it God's way (John 10:1,9). Most people want to go to Heaven; but they absolutely refuse to go through Jesus. They want the splendor and peace which Heaven offers; but they don't want to do it God's way, through His Son. MOST people today are falsely looking forward to a Heaven they will never enter, because they are trying to enter Heaven by their own self-righteousness, or that of the priests. Baptism is a road to Hell if you use it as a crutch to enter Heaven. The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church are a road to Hell if you use them as a crutch to enter Heaven. Good works is a road to Hell if you use them as a crutch to enter Heaven. We read in Jeremiah 3:23, "Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel." Jeremiah the prophet was warning the Israelites to forget about trying to protect and save themselves from the enemy; but rather, trust upon the Lord. The Bible teaches repeatedly that it is a deadly mistake to trust in ourselves or upon other men.
Oh! Listen friend, you had better seek HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and not your own. Romans 4:5 declares, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
Jesus wept because of the unbelief of the Jews in His day, and he still weeps today over the same unbelief. Here's an article written by Jewish Rabbi Shraqa Simmons titled, WHY WE DON'T BELIEVE IN JESUS...
This is the heart of Judaism... CHRIST REJECTION! Judaism is Satanic!http://www.aish.com/spirituality/philosophy/Why_Dont_Jews_Believe_In_Jesus$.asp
So many people today reject the Biblical teaching that Jesus is the Savior of the world. Jesus weeps over America, because of our unbelief and love for sin as a nation. Our day of judgment is long overdue. We will experience massive terrorist attacks in the U.S. ... it's just a matter of time. A nation cannot spend irresponsibly, murder it's children, fornicate, curse in God's name, become indifferent towards evil, legalize homosexuality, forsake the God of the Bible, and expect to survive. Oh that more Americans would repent and weep over the sins of our nation! We have treated God like garbage, and our days of freedom are numbered. Jesus weeps today, and so should we.
