The apostle John wrote how Martha the sister of Lazarus left Jesus and, “went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calls for you. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goes unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died”, and in chapter eleven and verse thirty-three of his book John shared how Jesus observed Mary “weeping” and “groaned in the spirit and was troubled” where we read:
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her,
he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
The verse reads, “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, ...” John began with the words, “When Jesus therefore” which means “at the time and moment the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation then, wherefore and on this account” “saw her weeping” or “observed, beheld and noticed Mary mourning and lamenting”, “and the Jews also” which means “and the Jewish people by birth, origin or religion even so and indeed” “which came with her” or “who accompanied Mary” did the following. John shared how Jesus “noticed” “Mary” and the “Jewish people” who accompanied her as they were “mourning, crying and lamenting”, and He did the following.
The verse continues, “... he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,” John added the words, “he groaned in the spirit” which means “Jesus sternly enjoined His simple essence, devoid of all grosser matter which possesses the power of knowing, desiring, deciding and acting”, “and was troubled” or “and was agitated, disquieted and made restless”. John shared how Jesus responded to the “mourning” of Mary and the Jewish people who accompanied her by “groaning” within His “spirit” and being “made restless and disquieted” within His soul.
When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn how Jesus was “spiritually moved” by the “mourning” of Mary and the Jewish people with her. “Death” was the reason Jesus came to the world. People die. One hundred percent of them die, and they will die “spiritually” as well unless they believe and trust in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”. People are born physically once, and they die physically once. The “spirit” within people must be “born again” for them to live eternally with God beyond the physical life. They have to be “born” spiritually, and Jesus knew this. God loves people, and He sent His Son Jesus into the world to “save” people from their sins, and when they submit to Jesus they will be forgiven of their sins and inherit “everlasting life” in the spirit with God. Those who do not believe in Jesus will “die” twice – physically and spiritually, and woe be to those who experience “death” for the second time.
Next time John shares how Jesus asked, “where have you laid him?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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