TEXT: John 11:35

SUBJECT: A Memorial Service

There is nothing sadder than a memorial service. We have not gathered to celebrate Marilyn's life, but to mourn her death. Husband, son, daughter-in-law, and friends have received a wound that time will never heal. The tears that flow today will one day be dried; but the pain will linger. Nothing sadder than a memorial service.

We are not, however, the first people to gather for one. Long ago, a memorial service was held in the town of Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem. A beloved resident had died four days before; His name was Lazarus. His sisters were there to mourn the loss, as were many friends. All wept freely. But one Man's grief stood out. He cried with such feeling that others exclaimed, "Behold, how He loved him!"

The weeping Man was Jesus Christ.

The tears shed that day were not affected, but gushed from His innermost soul. Long had He felt for others: for the poor, for the sick, for the worried, for the bereaved. "In all of their afflictions, He was afflicted".

At the tomb of His friend, our Lord's compassion was great. At Mount Calvary, it was greater. For there, He fully entered into our grief. All sorrows are the direct or the indirect result of sin. On the cross, Jesus Christ took upon Himself the sin of the world, and suffered its resulting sorrow.

In the shadow of the cross, our Lord's compassion is beyond doubt. Especially when we recall it was borne voluntarily. "More than twelve legions of angels" stood ready to answer His cry for help; it never came. How could it? His was a willing sacrifice; a work He was eager to perform. "He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem".

The compassion He so displayed in Bethany and in Jerusalem, has not left Him. He's no longer in the cemetery; He's no longer on the cross. He is now at God's Right Hand in glory. Yet it is He Who is there. "This same Jesus". His change of address has not reduced His sympathy in the least. It is written: "For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities". He can be "touched"; He is "touched". He is "touched" by our sorrow--right now.

Therefore, we can now "cast all of our cares upon Him, for He cares for us". The "cares" of sin and guilt can be "cast upon Him"--He'll bear them away. The "cares" of bereavement can be "cast upon Him", too--He'll wipe away every tear.

In the death of a loved one there is no comfort but in Christ. But what comfort we find in Him! In His deep, sincere, and lasting compassion. Oh what blessedness the words contain: "Jesus wept".