What Jesus Did! 'Jesus' Enemy and Jesus' Friend' — John 11:33-35

Saturday, August 8, 2026

When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. "Where have you put [Lazarus]?" he asked them.

They told him, "Lord, come and see." Then Jesus wept.

— John 11:33-35 NLT

Key Thought

I don't know about you, but I am truly blessed by the displays of the Lord's emotions in the Gospels. To know he was tired, hungry, and thirsty is reassuring, but then those are bodily needs. To know that he grew angry, was frustrated, felt sorrow, and even was indignant gives me great comfort. I know I don't always use those emotions righteously, but it is nice to know that he had them. In this case, I love the power of the moment where Jesus is indignant with the power of death and sorrowful at the grief involved in Lazarus' death. That's where I am a lot at funerals: mad at the devil and his awful tool (death), and broken-hearted for those who have lost their loved one. Jesus loves us. Jesus hates death. Thank God he defeated death and will one day set it aside forever!

Today's Prayer

Thank you, God, for a Savior who has been here and felt pain, suffered grief, and experienced anger. Thank you for the promise that lies behind a Savior who "ruined" every funeral I find in the Gospels by raising the dead person back to life. I trust that in our sorrow, his promise of resurrection will sustain me and those who have lost the one they love. In Jesus' conquering name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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7 Related Resources by Heartlight

Anger and Grief
Devo: Together in Christ
"When Jesus saw [Mary, the sister of Martha] weeping [at the death of their brother, Lazarus] and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger....."
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Article by Teresa Bell Kindred
How do we handle our deepest grief? Teresa Bell Kindred writes about the 24th anniversary of her mother's death and how it is still real to her and then she gives some good pointers on grief.
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In the middle of our grief, loss, and brokenness, we must remember that we are not alone in our brokenness. Phil Ware reminds us that God shares our pain in our worst moments of grief and loss, God is heartbroken with us.
The God Who Cares
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Our God will even cry for you Jesus wept when he saw the pain and grieving caused by death. He still weeps with us when we are hurting.
See All 7 Related Resources about John 11:33-35

Illustration

Illustration of John 11:33-35 NLT — "Where have you put [Lazarus]?" —— "Lord, come and see."

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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