The world needs to see Christians who follow Jesus!
Text: John 11:1-44
Jesus models the perfect balance of righteous outrage and tender mercy.
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 (John 11:33).
Jesus' inward reaction was anger, outrage, or indignation at the evil of sin and the wages of sin: death.
Jesus wept (John 11:35).
I believe that what made Jesus weep was knowing that Lazarus—and everyone who has walked on planet earth—would taste death because of one thing: sin. "He has borne our griefs," said the prophet, "and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53.4).
Jesus displayed anger over sin, death, and unbelief. He also showed deep compassion and wept with those impacted by sin and death.
We need to feel the gravity of sin as a betrayal against a holy God. We all tend to be much more concerned about the sin of others than we are about our own. Conservative religious people are easily angered at the decline of Judeo-Christian morals and values in America. But Christian values have always been more popular in American culture than the gospel of Jesus. If we are going to represent Jesus well in our post-Christian culture, we first should be angry and weep over our own sins and hold firmly to the glorious gospel that rescues us from the depth and power of sin.
How shall we then live? We must see Him daily for who He is and the holy life He calls us to live. As we see Jesus, our heart will be transformed (2 Corinthians 3:18). He will humble us and teach us this critical balance between anger and weeping over sin.
For thought and discussion:
Jesus models the perfect balance of righteous outrage and tender mercy.
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 (John 11:33).
Jesus' inward reaction was anger, outrage, or indignation at the evil of sin and the wages of sin: death.
Jesus wept (John 11:35).
I believe that what made Jesus weep was knowing that Lazarus—and everyone who has walked on planet earth—would taste death because of one thing: sin. "He has borne our griefs," said the prophet, "and carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53.4).
Jesus displayed anger over sin, death, and unbelief. He also showed deep compassion and wept with those impacted by sin and death.
We need to feel the gravity of sin as a betrayal against a holy God. We all tend to be much more concerned about the sin of others than we are about our own. Conservative religious people are easily angered at the decline of Judeo-Christian morals and values in America. But Christian values have always been more popular in American culture than the gospel of Jesus. If we are going to represent Jesus well in our post-Christian culture, we first should be angry and weep over our own sins and hold firmly to the glorious gospel that rescues us from the depth and power of sin.
How shall we then live? We must see Him daily for who He is and the holy life He calls us to live. As we see Jesus, our heart will be transformed (2 Corinthians 3:18). He will humble us and teach us this critical balance between anger and weeping over sin.
For thought and discussion:
- We can teach our children what we believe is a bad or immoral policy without making fun of the person who holds such a position. This communicates to those around us that while we hate the sin, we love the sinner.
- Peter said (1 Peter 2:11-17) the pagans would observe the Christians’ godly behavior and glorify God. How do you think today’s American culture views the reactions and responses of Christians to government laws and policies?
- Paul told us not to be contentious and to avoid strife and disputes. Does this mean we must never verbally disagree with someone politically, or is it possible to verbally disagree and still be respectful? What role does humility have in our ability to exhibit these behaviors?
- What do you believe is the best way to produce positive moral change in our nation?
