Jesus got angry at a funeral. Why?

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Samuel 26:1–28:25 
John 11:1-54 
Psalm 117:1-2 
Proverbs 15:22-23 

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 11:33 (CSB) "When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The scene in which our Verse for Today takes place is one of great sorrow. Mary and Martha were in deep agony that their brother, Lazarus, had died. Three days later, Jesus shows up. The numbness that these sisters had experienced has worn off and reality has set in. Lazarus is no longer a part of their earthly family.

But, as Jesus shows up, we see a word that describes how he responded to what He saw.

John 11:33 (CSB) "When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled."

Notice the words "he was deeply moved." In the original language, they are simply one word. And that one word means "to snort with anger like a horse" (see A.T. Robertson's work "Word Pictures in the New Testament").

In other words, Jesus was angry and it was visible. He saw people grieving and he got livid.

That seems totally inappropriate doesn't it? 

I'm doing yet another funeral tomorrow. I will be with family members who have lost a loved one. There will be tears and sorrow. But, I've never gotten visibly angry in those settings.

Why did Jesus get angry?

Here's the explanation that makes sense to me...

Jesus looked around and saw tears. He saw hearts that were utterly broken. Because of this intense grief, the joy that had characterized this family was completely gone. It was replaced with loneliness, emptiness, deep sorrow, and everything else that those who lose a dear loved one in death experience.

When Jesus saw this, He became angry at what caused His dear friends to hurt so badly. He became angry at sin!

You see, when Adam and Eve sinned, that one act of rebellion against God brought sin upon all of their posterity. But, it also brought death.

Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned."

When my family lived in Florida, it wasn't unusual to see alligators in ponds and creeks. In fact, a story out of Tampa a few year back told of a lady who had left her back sliding door open ... and an alligator made its way into her kitchen.

Sin opened the door and the alligator of death made its way into the human experience and has wreaked havoc. As Jesus' heart broke over the pain that the alligator caused, He was livid at what allowed the alligator into the house in the first place. Jesus got angry at sin and its consequences for breaking the hearts of His dear friends.

But, thank the Lord(!), Jesus' death on the cross and the vacant tomb turned the tide. It defeated sin and death. And we look forward to the day when there will no longer be death or tears (Revelation 21:4).

But, in the meanwhile, life will sting. We will be faced with the horrible consequences of our own sin and with Adam's sin. Friend, realize that God is not indifferent to our struggle. It angers Him that His beloved children have to go through such pain. And He looks forward to calling us home one day never to suffer from sin's consequences again!