“Jesus therefore when he saw her weeping, and the Jews who were with her weeping, he groaned in spirit, and troubled himself” (John 11:33 IGENT).
Jesus…troubled himself. The force of this word appears to be that the Lord related humanly as well as divinely to the bereavement, the sorrow of the loss of a friend, and the weeping of the family.
He outwardly manifested His feelings when he “troubled” Himself. He Himself wept. He groaned twice. He cried with a loud voice when He called Lazarus forth. This is Jesus’ involvement at the natural level.
Jesus…troubled himself is another way of saying that He participated as a friend of the family. The verb in this phrase is reflexive which means that He made this choice Himself and then acted upon it.
As the divine Son of God, Jesus knew by omniscience that Lazarus was going to get sick, that He himself would delay coming to him, that Lazarus would die and then be brought back to life. Verses 40,41 and 42 all imply Jesus’ foreknowledge of these events.
One of the remarkable things about John 11 is the ideal blend of humanity and deity portrayed in it. This is one of the great chapters in the Gospels for revealing Jesus’ omniscience and omnipotence. His divine attributes are all brought into sharp focus. But His humanity is also presented in great contrast.
Jesus wept as a human. He raised Lazarus from the dead as God. At the moment you read these words, Jesus is still participating in our life as an intercessor seated at the right hand of the Father. He is willing to “trouble” Himself for us! All we have to do is call upon Him. (Ps. 50:15). Call upon the Lord; He will respond!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Dick Mills was ordained at The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in 1949. He and his wife Betty traveled as evangelists all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. Dick and Betty are now home in heaven.
In 1966 Dick and Betty became a part of the then-emerging Charismatic Renewal. Passing through all denominational barriers, Dick has had the opportunity to speak in thousands of churches of varied backgrounds all over the world.
He ministered within several Christian organizations, including the Full Gospel Business Men, Women's Aglow, Inter-church Renewal Catholic Pentecostals, mainline Charismatic groups, CBN and TBN television networks, and many other independent Christian TV stations.
Dick appeared on numerous radio talk shows, written several magazine articles, and spoke at many Bible conferences and universities. He served as an adjunct professor at six Schools of the Bible and Seminaries.
In addition, Dick authored and co-authored several books and tapes. Dick's ministry was characterized by the unique gifts God has blessed him with. His services informed, enlightened, and motivated people to a higher level of commitment to God.