Why Jesus Wept — G.W. North

Jesus Weeps at the Tomb of Lazarus

This recording was taken on Saturday afternoon, May the 17th, 1969. The 11th chapter of the Gospel of John. Familiar truth in a new way. The 35 of John 11. Of course he loved Lazarus. But they were wrong.

They were always wrong. He's always been the most misunderstood person that's ever lived. And when he wept, he loved him. Opened the eyes of the people. This man should not have died. He just didn't understand.

But Jesus wasn't weeping because of that. He knew positively well that within a few moments Lazarus was going to be out of that too. It wasn't for that. He needed at least Martha to serve alone. But when the test came, a certain man was sick whose name was Lazarus Bethany.

Mary of Bethany and the Revelation of the Spirit

The town of Mary and her sister Martha. And then the parenthesis. This is always one of the great wonders of my heart when I read this section. It was that Mary had anointed his head with oil. That anointed the Lord with ointment.

And wiped his feet with her hair. Whose brother left her. The Holy Ghost was going to reveal Mary's failure. He speaks in a wonderful way in the Spirit. He told the lovely thing about there'd be a little less trouble.

This is the message of the Holy Ghost. In the unfolding of the narrative of the love and life. Get beyond Lord as thou hast been here my brother. The beyond how that afterwards you find it in the twelfth chapter.

The Lord. Well she came through it afterwards. And then getting there. She made Jesus. Read down the fourth chapter. First in verse five. He says. We don't know where you're going Lord. How can we know the way?

Jesus as the Way to the Father

Jesus says unto him. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. If he'd known me. You should have known my Father. You know him. He said. Lord show us the Father. And there's a fight in this.

And now listen. You can only. Nobody's learned to read. Three and a half years. Nearly he'd been with these men. But he says. Have I been so long. Like that. I. You have done. If you'd have been Mary.

Had you been. Again. You get to the great. This is in resurrection. First day of the week. Cometh Mary Magdalene early. When it was yet dark. Unto the sepulchre. And seeth the stone. Taken away from the sepulchre.

Mary Magdalene and the Empty Tomb

Then she runneth. And cometh to Simon Peter. And to the other disciples. Whom Jesus loved. And seeth unto them. They have taken away. The Lord. Out of the sepulchre. And we know not. Where they have laid him.

Then. All that transpired. But come to verse nine. Verse ten. The disciples. Went away again. Unto their own home. But Mary. This is Mary Magdalene in this time. Stood without at the sepulchre. Weeping.

And as she wept. She stooped down. And looked into the sepulchre. And seeth two angels. In white. Sitting. The one at the head. And the other at the feet. Where the body of Jesus. Had lain. And they say unto her.

Why weepest. Yes. Unto them. Because they have taken away. My Lord. And I know not. Where they have laid him. And when she had done. Said she turned herself back. And saw Jesus. Standing. And knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus said unto her. Weepest thou. Losing him to be the God. Show me. Where thou hast laid him. A woman that had devil's cast out. As a true. She was a woman. Who had followed Jesus. And ministered to him.

Of her substance. You can read about it. In Luke chapter eight. Associated with Jesus. If ever a woman had. More than Mary of Bethany. Can of. Another realm altogether. But if only we were. Better for you not to have your own way.

You not to have your own desires realized. This will give you something better than that. If you'll wait for. Know me. The day when Jesus first. Beloved Philip. Loved him. Him beyond the world. Said to him.

Beyond Sentimental Religion to the Living Christ

Just a little lower down. In company with all the others. He said. This came to him. Faded away. Then it is. Jesus loved him. That's how he loves you. And that's how he loves me. As that day. I'll take Mary.

He says. I'll take him away. What in the world. Was she going to do with him. She's got some ideas of her own. Seem disillusioned. Because that's what. Idealism. Of making him. Almost. Got it yet. In hiding behind that stone.

I wish I could. I know inside. I know. All that he packed into that word. His own sheep. For he called her by name. That's what he said. Shepherd. By name. To. For Mary. An idol. Jesus. Religious. I think of more.

Haven't met him. You've met the idol. Jesus. You see it. Smashing up. The mere sentiment. In heaven. For breaking down. All. These. Idol. Fences. That we have. These notions. Into which we. Grandly. Build ourselves up.

In our. Minds. And hearts. He's. Not. That kind of Jesus at all. He's. Better. Greater. That you might. Lose your life. In his. As he unites his life with yours. Some. That you might be swallowed up. In his.

Experiencing the Immense Love of God

Immense. Love. That you might. Pass out. Of. Yourself. And. Your. Trouble. Like. Experiences. Chatterings. Of. God. That you might pass on into that love and glory that cannot be shattered, break it, and a crown of thorns so painful cannot penetrate unto its dissolution.

You've got to know this great love of this immense, great, and eternal being that came down on this earth to redeem us into himself. He might be, he lives, and loves, he loves, he does, and thinks as he, that's what he's come for.

The Spirit Leads Believers into the Love of the Father

And I tell you, my beloved, that it is the intention of the Spirit of God to lead each one of us through such, till at last we say, in about twenty minutes, alright, I think I've done that, we're going to break the presence of the Lord, and let him teach us, and lead us on, in which words cannot know not its birth in the human heart, even in its greatest woe, even sitting at the feet of Jesus, or following him in the way, as did those disciples in their eternity, love that God come to reveal to us, the blessed Holy Ghost, this love of the Father for the Son, eternal love, terrible, great, wonderful work for us all, that we might be emancipated from all the prongedness of our ideas and ideals, and may be shown that which comes dead into the way of God, shattering everything, shaking everything that can be shaken, the things which cannot be shaken may remain, even the everlasting kingdom of our God and Saviour, Jesus, proud of greatness in life, over death, over sin, over Satan, over the world, sentiments and emotions, over all our wrongs, over all our misunderstanding, over all our littleness, thou who reignest above all, and reignest in every heart, and evermore, and bring us all up into the perfections of thine everlasting kingdom, teach us, Lord, whilst we have this little while on earth, and the opportunity now, miss nothing, live to thy glory.