Issue 1230 – Why? – August 24, 2023
Yesterday, Kathy and I chatted about the biblical account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11). There is a ton of thought-provoking and theological material in those 57 verses. It’s well worth taking a few moments and rereading the passage.
One of the most commonly discussed parts of that passage is “Why did Jesus cry?”
“Jesus wept” John 13:35
Why did Jesus weep this time? There are many theories out there; likely, you have heard at least some of them.
Jesus was grieving the death of Lazarus.
Jesus was angry at sin and death.
Jesus was grieving with his friends.
He felt sorrow for those who would reject Him even after the miracle of Lazarus.
Was he sorrowful because he knew that Lazarus would have to die again?
Some things to consider: the Greek here suggests a quiet crying, not a loud lament, but to confuse things…
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 11:35
The word “troubled” is apparently a very rare Greek word that is usually used to describe the angry snorting of a horse, suggesting that Jesus was angry.
Were the tears because He was angry, sad, or some combination? Was it something else entirely? It seems likely that he was crying for a variety of reasons. I’ll let you speculate on your own for the answer.
As an aside, “Jesus wept” is often paraded as the shortest verse in the Bible. Using the KJV and the number of words as your guide is a correct statement.
What if you changed the criteria to the original languages? Or to make it the number of letters rather than the number of words? Or change the translation? Does John 11:35 remain the shortest verse?
John 11:35 is two words and 9 letters, but in Greek, it is 16 letters. 1 Thessalonians 5:16, typically translated as “rejoice always,” only has 9 letters in Greek.
It gets even more complicated once we bring the Old Testament into play. The original writings in biblical Hebrew didn’t include vowels (although modern versions typically do). Does that mean we need to only count consonants for the passage length?
In English, Job 3:2 reads, “He said,” with only 6 letters. In Hebrew, Job 3:2 has 13 letters if you only count consonants and 18 letters if you include vowels. Even shorter is 1 Chronicles 1:25, which reads, “Eber, Peleg, Reu” in English, with 12 letters. In Hebrew, though, 1 Chronicles 1:25 only has 9 letters if you only count consonants—14 letters if you include vowels.
As one site summarizes the problem, “What is the shortest verse in the Bible?” is complicated. If you count by the number of English letters, Job 3:2 appears to be the shortest, with only 6 letters. Even that count depends on the translation, as some versions read, “Job said” (7 letters), or “And he said” (9 letters), or “And Job said” (10 letters). If you count by the number of Hebrew or Greek letters, 1 Chronicles 1:25 is the shortest verse in the Bible with 9 letters. But, if you include Hebrew vowels in that count, Luke 20:30 becomes the shortest verse in the Bible with 12 letters in the original language—depending on the manuscript used.”
Now you have some fun facts to trot out the next time someone asks what Bible verse is the shortest.
We may speculate on the many reasons that Jesus may have wept, but it does show that he was fully human and God. The raising of Lazarus brought glory to God, and we can marvel at the miracle. Why do you think Jesus wept?
Some of the crowd who witnessed the event believed, and others still rejected Jesus.
We didn’t see it happen, but we can believe and rejoice.
In Jesus’ words to Thomas after Jesus was resurrected,
“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
Blessed are you who believe.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
__________________________________________
Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, feel free to comment.
Did you know that we have an email version? It has the same great content but in a different format. Subscribe today https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/gleanings-1
All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 KF “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
___________________________________________
#love #peace #hope #Gleanings #theWord #devotional #gospel #death #trinity #encouragement #Biblestudy #faith #dailyBible #verseoftheday #grace #KevinCorbin #god #life #Jesus #father #son #HolySpirit #grace #mercy #hope #eternalLife #faith #JesusWept #John11:35 #Lazarus #resurrection #believe #blessed #1Thessalonians5 #Job3 #1Chronicles1 #john20 #BibleTranslations #shortestVerse