Jesus Wept – Living in a Broken World

Jesus Wept—Living in a Broken World
N. Keith Shepherd

I. The Reality of a Broken World

II. Living in a Broken World

John 11:17, 20-21 (NIV) ¹⁷On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ²¹“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

A. I look for someone to .

John 11:32 (NIV) When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

1. We try to blame .

2. We try to blame .

3. We try to blame .

4. But, I must remember the .

John 11:21-22 (NIV) ²¹“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

John 11:23-24 (NIV) ²³Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

John 11:25-27 (NIV) ²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

a. Truth for

b. Truth for

Matthew 28:20b (NIV) “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

B. I might feel .

John 11:33 (NIV) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

John 11:33b (NLT) …a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.

John 16:33b (NLT) “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV) ²⁶“In your anger do not sin:” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷and do not give the devil a foothold.

C. I may experience .

John 11:34 (NIV) “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

John 11:35 (NIV) Jesus wept.

John 11:36 (NIV) Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

D. I may encounter .

John 11:37 (NIV) But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

1. Doubt is not the of faith.

2. Doubt is not the of faith.

3. responses to doubt

a. changes

b. changes

c. change

E. I could face .

John 11:38-39 (NIV) ³⁸Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

John 11:40-44 (NIV) ⁴⁰Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” ⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

III. How Can I in a Broken World?

A. Remember the

1. Truth for

John 11:25 (NIV) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”

2. Truth for