Jesus Wept by F. J. Bideler

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 19, 1871

Jesus Wept.

By F. J. Bideler

“JESUS wept.” At the grave of Lazarus, with those bereaved sisters, even the Son of God could shed tears of sympathy and compassion. Well might his heart be filled with anguish as he stood with those mourning ones beside that lowly grave and witnessed their deep grief, and realized the terrible weight of misery and woe that sin had brought upon a fallen race.

“Jesus wept.” Ah! methinks those tears are transformed to glittering pearls, flashing their brightness through all coming time to comfort and strengthen his bereaved and mourning ones in all their deep afflictions. Oh! the magic power of the Saviour’s sympathy. How it cheers the heart in hours of deepest sadness, while faith points from that solemn scene at Bethany, forward to the time when the voice of the Son of God will wake his sleeping saints, and raise them up to life and immortality.

I thought of that scene a few weeks ago as I stood overwhelmed in grief beside the coffin of a darling sister, when the tender sympathies of kind friends were all unheeded; and for a time my mind was enveloped in gloom which no ray of light could penetrate; but after a time those tears seemed to fall gently like soothing balm upon my aching heart, bringing light and peace such as no earthly power could bestow. Oh! it is sweet in all our afflictions to know that He careth for us, and that his compassionate heart is moved in sympathy with our sorrows.

But not only by his tears has our dear Saviour expressed his love for us, but he has given his own precious life to redeem us and to give eternal life to all who believe in him. And our loved ones who are sleeping in Jesus he will bring again, not in sorrow, as when they went down into the grave, but clothed in immortality, they shall return with joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

“How long, dear Saviour, oh! how long Shall the glad hour delay? Fly swifter round, ye wheels of time, And bring the welcome day.”

F. J. Bideler.