God wept
The story of Lazarus (John 11:28-46) is the Gospel passage read the day before Palm Sunday.
The story is one that is familiar to most Christians - Lazarus is dead for 4 days, Jesus wept, and then Jesus performs a miracle by raising Lazarus from the dead.
But, as with all Holy Scripture, the meaning is infinitely deeper. Fr. Thomas Hopko explains that the raising of Lazarus is the "ultimate Messianic sign in the Gospel - it is the proof that He is the Resurrection and the Life, that He is the one who has power over life and death".
As the Messiah, Christ fulfilled all prophecies of the Old Testament (reflected also in the icon above by the scroll in Jesus' left hand). As God, He had control over death thereby proving to those who need proof that Christ voluntarily gave Himself to death.
But ... the shortest verse of this passage arguably teaches the most profound and mind-boggling awesomeness of our God i.e., John 11:35 - "Jesus wept."
Lazarus died, Jesus wept, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
When this story is read with the context of the Passion week, and with the knowledge that Jesus was truly Divine (John 1:1-5):
Man died, God wept, God raised man from the dead.
In Genesis, man disobeys God and this disobedience resulted in His beloved creation to experience death (Genesis 2:17). The fall of man (Genesis 3:22) came from sin ... death was not a "punishment" from God, but rather the result of the free actions of Adam and Eve.
St. Gregory the Theologian wrote - “Yet here too He provides a benefit – namely death, which cuts off sin, so that evil may not be everlasting. Thus His punishment is changed into a mercy” (Orthodox Study Bible Note, 'Ancestral Sin', page 7).
But, God wept ... just as Christ wept for his friend Lazarus.
And, in the words of the blessed St. Athanasius - what was God to do? Could He just forget about His beloved creation?
God became man as Jesus Christ, the Messiah, so that man could once again be like God and, by our own free will, become what we had been created for .. to be like Him (Genesis 1:26, Matthew 5:48)
The raising of Lazarus is a foreshadowing of all that is to come during the Holy Week .. but started with God humbling Himself to become man. St. Mary, the mother of God, through her humility and pious life became the vessel through which the Divine and uncreated One became a man ... and put into motion God's plan to save man from death by His own sacrifice on the Cross.
He who has power over death gave Himself to death for us. He who can create out of nothing saved us because of the love He had for his creation.
How meaningful the entire Scripture - Old and New Testament - becomes when we read with this understanding .. the fullness of teaching that Christ Himself gave us.
"See how He loved him!", cried the onlookers (John 11:36) as they saw Jesus weeping. And with every page we turn in Scripture ... we should always see how He loves us.
This indeed is the perfect meditation, not just for the Holy Week but our entire Christian walk -
The story is one that is familiar to most Christians - Lazarus is dead for 4 days, Jesus wept, and then Jesus performs a miracle by raising Lazarus from the dead.
But, as with all Holy Scripture, the meaning is infinitely deeper. Fr. Thomas Hopko explains that the raising of Lazarus is the "ultimate Messianic sign in the Gospel - it is the proof that He is the Resurrection and the Life, that He is the one who has power over life and death".
As the Messiah, Christ fulfilled all prophecies of the Old Testament (reflected also in the icon above by the scroll in Jesus' left hand). As God, He had control over death thereby proving to those who need proof that Christ voluntarily gave Himself to death.
But ... the shortest verse of this passage arguably teaches the most profound and mind-boggling awesomeness of our God i.e., John 11:35 - "Jesus wept."
Lazarus died, Jesus wept, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
When this story is read with the context of the Passion week, and with the knowledge that Jesus was truly Divine (John 1:1-5):
Man died, God wept, God raised man from the dead.
In Genesis, man disobeys God and this disobedience resulted in His beloved creation to experience death (Genesis 2:17). The fall of man (Genesis 3:22) came from sin ... death was not a "punishment" from God, but rather the result of the free actions of Adam and Eve.
St. Gregory the Theologian wrote - “Yet here too He provides a benefit – namely death, which cuts off sin, so that evil may not be everlasting. Thus His punishment is changed into a mercy” (Orthodox Study Bible Note, 'Ancestral Sin', page 7).
But, God wept ... just as Christ wept for his friend Lazarus.
And, in the words of the blessed St. Athanasius - what was God to do? Could He just forget about His beloved creation?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
God became man as Jesus Christ, the Messiah, so that man could once again be like God and, by our own free will, become what we had been created for .. to be like Him (Genesis 1:26, Matthew 5:48)
The raising of Lazarus is a foreshadowing of all that is to come during the Holy Week .. but started with God humbling Himself to become man. St. Mary, the mother of God, through her humility and pious life became the vessel through which the Divine and uncreated One became a man ... and put into motion God's plan to save man from death by His own sacrifice on the Cross.
He who has power over death gave Himself to death for us. He who can create out of nothing saved us because of the love He had for his creation.
How meaningful the entire Scripture - Old and New Testament - becomes when we read with this understanding .. the fullness of teaching that Christ Himself gave us.
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins ... But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (from Ephesians 2:1-7)
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom ... but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (from Isaiah 40:28-31)
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (from 1 Peter 2:9-10)
"See how He loved him!", cried the onlookers (John 11:36) as they saw Jesus weeping. And with every page we turn in Scripture ... we should always see how He loves us.
This indeed is the perfect meditation, not just for the Holy Week but our entire Christian walk -
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
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