As a Christian who was ‘brought up in the church,’ I sometimes forget that Jesus was really a human just like me, only without sin, certainly not like me! He had some of the same feelings, pains, emotions, etc. Often times I think we all forget how human Jesus was when He walked this earth.
I love the book of John in the Bible. I’m doing a devotional on it and was reminded this morning just how human Jesus was. In John 11 Jesus’ friend Lazarus died. By the time Jesus reached the town where Lazarus and his sisters lived, Lazarus had been dead 4 days. Jesus of course knew what was going to happen. He knew He would show God’s glory and make some people believe by raising Lazarus from the dead.
But before that happens, verse 35 says “Jesus wept.” I noticed it doesn’t say “And Jesus wept.” It is just a statement. Have you ever thought about why that was put in the Bible for us to see? Have you ever thought about Jesus weeping? Not just shedding tears but weeping? Jesus wasn’t weeping because Lazarus had died. He was weeping because of the hurt it was causing Lazarus’ sisters and the others who loved him.
Bottom line is that Jesus gets it. He gets our pain when we experience the death of someone we love. He gets our pain when we are in physical, emotional, or spiritual pain.
Another passage that comes to mind is in Acts 7 where Stephen is being stoned for his faith. Verse 56 says as Stephen was being stoned, he looked up to Heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Not sitting, but standing as if with concern. I’m not sure if Jesus was crying, but I know He was showing He cared for Stephen because He allows Stephen to see Him.
So, as you go about your days here on this Earth in the place where God has you, remember that Jesus knows you. He knows your hurts. He sees you. He may be standing to look at you! Most of all, He loves you!
