Daily Devotions
Our Greatest Enemy
Reading for November 5th: John 11-12
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." 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. And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept.
John 11:32-35
I've wondered about this passage. Why was Jesus so sad? Didn't he know what was about to happen? Why was he so troubled when he knew that the funeral was about to turn into a celebration?
There have been different suggestions. It could be Jesus was sympathetic to the sadness of Mary and Martha. It could be he was sad for Lazarus since he was about to be taken from Paradise.
I've wondered though if the reason for Jesus' intense grief on this occasion was because he was near to his enemy. When Jesus came to the tomb he came face to face with death. In a few short days this enemy would subdue Him (though only three short days). Perhaps it was this close encounter with death which brought our Lord to sorrow.
That's why it is good for us to go to funerals. It reminds us who our greatest enemy is. Only we should not be overcome by the sadness of death, but hear the voice of our Lord say, "Lazarus, come forth!"
Father, we believe your Son is the resurrection and the life! Thank you for the victory that is ours over death!
