Jesus wept. (John 11:35, KJV). It’s the shortest verse in the Holy Bible. It demonstrates that while Jesus is the living God, he is also a man of great emotions. The verse is within the story of Lazarus’ death, and Jesus has arrived after traveling for four days, which is how long Lazarus had been dead. What emotions was He going through when He approached the tomb where they had laid Lazarus? Why did He cry-was it grief and sorrow, was He crying for the fact that He knew He was about to raise him from the dead, probably becoming even more of a focus of the Pharisees who sought to kill him, was it because He knew the what and why of His destiny and realized that so many people just didn’t get it? His great love for mankind was about to be demonstrated by raising His friend from the dead in a very public way.
God’s love for us is shown in so many ways, according to PASTOR JOHN COLLINS, from BRINGING BACK GOD, during sermons preached at BRISTOL and MARIETTA. All He wants from us in return is for us to love and show love for each other. Jesus’ tears showed His love for His friend, and likely His great love for mankind. Humans have tears. Animals do not. Tears are produced with great emotional influence. Tears reflect the condition of your heart, and your heart is what God wants. As a Christian, your love for others can be shown through your actions, and tears can be ones of joy and thanksgiving to God such as seeing a friend for the first time in months who is much loved by another and the reunion of them is one of pure and unselfish love. Or the love of a parent when they know that their adult child has found the perfect love of a partner, the tears are of joy and thanksgiving to God for the blessing given to them, of prayers answered.Tears of extreme sorrow and remorse also demonstrate love for God, but relief of the pain from that sorrow can be found through the grace of Jesus. We may cry those tears in private-even sob uncontrollably, but they are there, but we also know that Jesus is there to help us through that valley of sorrow and pain. “And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said unto him, “Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me three times.” And he went out, and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75, KJV). Peter was impulsive, and his deep sorrow and pain at denying Jesus was evident in this verse. But God’s love was demonstrated by Jesus after His resurrection: Jesus appeared to the disciples beside the sea, and He asked Peter “lovest thou me” three times (John 21: 15-17). Jesus demonstrated God’s unending love in forgiveness of Peter.
We need to love each other as Jesus does, as God does. If you need more understanding of the power of God’s love, you can email PASTOR JOHN COLLINS at bringingbackgod@outlook.com. View clips of his sermons on YouTube. Or, listen to his sermons on www.blogtalkradio.com/pastorjohncollins. If you want to see what is going on with the church, go to www.bringingbackgod.com.
God bless you.
sylvania1007 