*Sermon for 12.15.21 Advent Midweek 3 Text: **Luke 19:41**–**44; John 11:30*
*–*
*36 Theme: The Man**’**s Man: Why Would Jesus Ever Cry?*
*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*
*Two texts we focus on tonight are Luke 19:41-44, which was read earlier,
and John 11:30-36, which reads as follows: *
*(30) Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the
place where Martha had met him.*
*(31) When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw
Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was
going to the tomb to weep there.*
*(32) Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his
feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died.”*
*(33) 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.*
*(34) And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord,
come and see.”*
*(35) Jesus wept.*
*(36) So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”*
*This is the Word of the Lord. And for added affect, let us not forget
verse 37:*
*(37) But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the
blind man also have kept this man from dying?”*
*Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the Father through our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.*
*Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:*
*Set our hearts, O Lord, on Your blessings and promises, that we remain
steadfast in our faith during all circumstances. Amen. *
*Introduction*
*As most of you know by now, our focus this Advent is to offer **“**Advent
Answers to Hard Questions Hardly Anybody Is Asking.**”*
*Hindsight says that may sound a bit defensive, as though we Christians are
out of step with our culture, irrelevant and immaterial, as if we**’**re
sort of the Maytag serviceman who spends his days twiddling his thumbs
while the rest of the world passes us by, while other, more pressing issues
are being addressed. *
*After all, there**’**s warfare and conflict almost everywhere in the
world; there**’**s a host of moral and societal issues which cry out for
our response and prayer.*
*So, does anybody really care or remember the question we asked the first
week, **“**How can God take on human flesh, and why?**”*
*Or, what about last week, **“**When Jesus was a boy, did he know that he
was God?**”*
*I**’**m not so na**ï**ve to suggest that most of the people we know either
care or bother about such matters; such questions won**’**t be the hot
topic around the proverbial water cooler.*
*But, I**’**ll tell you, we had better care about such questions, for they
provide: *
*The footing for our faith, *
*The framework for our confession, *
*The foundation for our eternal destiny. *
*To such questions, we had better know the answer, the Advent answer.*
*The first week we focused on Jesus the baby; last week, Jesus the child;
today, the very adult Jesus, the Man**’**s Man, and we ask,*
*Why Would Jesus Ever Cry?*
*I. Because his heart was filled with sadness and compassion over sin
and death.*
*We sometimes portray Jesus as a gentle, sweet person who loved to hold
children in his lap. *
*That**’**s true, and such qualities for sure don**’**t minimize one**’**s
masculinity. *
*But Jesus was also filled with courage; he didn**’**t hesitate to confront
evil; and, as for religious pretense, more than once he called certain
Pharisees hypocrites and a **“**brood of vipers.**”*
*You**’**ve heard the old adages, **“**Big boys and grown men don**’**t cry*
*”** or **“**Keep a stiff upper lip**”** or **“**Hang tough.**”*
*Well, of course we know Jesus cried, quite famously, in fact, and probably
far more than the two references in Scripture.*
*Amid the Palm Sunday procession and before he went into the temple to do
his spiritual housecleaning, as he approached Jerusalem, he wept (Luke
19:41).*
*The people had failed time and time again to heed the call to repentance
and had continued in their woefully sinful ways.*
*Why did Jesus cry?*
*Because his heart was filled with so much sadness**—**like seeing someone
whom you deeply love go astray.*
*I wonder if he still cries when he sees his people, people who call him
Lord, behave or think in ways that fly in the face of discipleship.*
*Jesus also wept when his good friend Lazarus died (John 11:35).*
*Not when he first heard the news, for he knew he had power to raise him,
even after four days. *
*Rather, it was when he saw his dear friend Mary of Bethany weeping in
sorrow over the loss of her brother. *
*Oh, how his heart was filled with compassion and care! *
*Oh, how rich it is to know and believe that Jesus is with us during our
times of sorrow and pain!*
*II. Because, as a Man**’**s Man, he was not afraid to cry**—**or to
sacrifice himself for those who grieve.*
*Jesus**—**the Man**’**s Man. *
*Nowhere in Scripture is his strength and courage more dramatic than when
he was nailed to the cross. *
*Remember what happened during our Lord**’**s Passion:*
He was beaten
He was battered.
He was physically and verbally abused,
*In all this, he never once relinquished his single-minded resolve to
fulfill his mission of redemption for the world, as full and final payment
for all of our sins.*
*In addition to the two references to Jesus**’** weeping, I wouldn**’**t be
surprised if a tear came to his eye when he looked down from that cross and
beheld his mother.*
*Simeon was right when he said; a sword would pierce Mary**’**s heart (Luke
2:35), and it was happening now. *
*Despite his own pain and imminent death, Jesus had to ensure that she,
most likely a widow, would be cared for through his best friend, John.*
*What**’**s a good definition of a Man**’**s Man?*
*Someone who:*
shows unbridled concern and compassion,
someone who identifies with those who grieve,
someone who is not afraid to call evil by its right name,
someone who is totally selfless and willing to sacrifice his own life for
another,
someone who isn’t afraid to cry.
*Conclusion*
*This Advent has been about **“**When Heaven Met Earth.**”*
*Actually, every Advent is about that, for this time and season tells the
miraculous story of God becoming flesh and blood through a baby named
Jesus, about that child**’**s obedience to the will of his heavenly Father,
about the Son of God who is our Savior and Lord. *
*Whatever else is going on in and around our lives, this story is
paramount, for all else will pale in comparison when the Lord comes in His
final Advent. Amen.*
*Let us pray:*
*Hear our daily confession of sins, O Savior, and set our hearts on things
above. Amen. *
*2 Corinthians 13:14* * The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.*
*The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. *
*In the Name of the Father**…**Amen.*