All Saints' Sunday (sermon)

Wept for those who Weep

John 11:28-37

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our text is from the Gospel lesson, where we get that same question being asked to Jesus. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus gave Martha an answer to the question, Jesus is the resurrection and the life. But here they get a different reaction. And it can give most of us a warm feeling to hear how Jesus loved him. Or we may even talk about how Jesus wept with Mary and Jews. Jesus not only suffers with us through our suffering. He has been tempted in every way we are tempted. Here Jesus mourns with us when we mourn.

But I would be amiss in my job if I didn't point out the problem with this very joyful, comforting and helpful interpretation. "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." It is easy for us to hear the phrase deeply moved similar to other places in scripture where Jesus has compassion or pity upon people. 

But if you look at the footnote or the Greek, you find it means "was indignant." Jesus saw them mourning and became very upset, and was troubled. Therefore, I am not sure whether Jesus is weeping with them, or more likely for them. 

We again don't notice the difference in English, between the weeping Jesus does and the weeping Mary and the Jews are doing. Mary and the Jews are weeping like a sad little girl when you take something away from them. Jesus is producing physical tears, which some might call uncontrollably weeping. These physical tears lead the Jews to see the love Jesus has for Lazarus.

This may be an interesting discovery, to look at the differences. But what does this really mean for us, who are celebrating those Saints who have ran the race and received their crown. Does this mean something more for us who recall those who have been told, well done good and faithful servant?

I hope you can see or recognize something wonderful in our text to give us more comfort than just thinking of Jesus weeping with us over death. Remember death is the enemy and Jesus is the resurrection and the life. 

Jesus is not upset because they are mourning or weeping, Jesus is upset because they do not see him as the one who is strong enough to defeat this enemy, namely death. Jesus is deeply moved and would love to say, "you of little faith," but respectful he just cries for them and asks where Lazarus has been placed.

The repeated line of Mary and Martha, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” And even the statement by the Jews, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” They recognize Jesus as having the power to heal, cure, and cleanse, but do not see him as the one who has victory over death.

Christ has died for the forgiveness of sins. He is risen as the first fruits of our resurrection. He even has declared to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Jesus does not just stand with us against the enemy of death. He fights for us and has already won the victory over death.

Jesus is upset because they do not yet know that Our Savior comes to save us from death. He does not just have the power to heal, cure, or cleanse, but to raise the dead. He is the son of God, who kills and makes alive.

All Saints' Sunday provides us the opportunity to remember those Saints who now rest from their labors, and who wait with us for the Resurrection of the body on the last day. These Saints have fought the good fight and ran the race. They should inspire each us the continue to fight and run with hope that we may join them in eternal life.

We weep for them only because we are not able to be with them. We honor them for what they have done. We praise God because he sent his Son to give us the hope of everlasting life with all the saints.

St Paul writes, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep." Let us therefore grieve for them with the certain hope of the resurrection of the body. And let us cry with Jesus for those who weep without this hope.

Jesus has claimed the victory over death, and he will reveal this power next week as we finish out our reading of John 11. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.