Jesus Christ was everything the pharaohs wanted to be - a god-man. More specifically, the God-man.
(Grabbed your attention, right??)
What strikes me the most in this chapter is the incredible intertwining of the divinity and humanity of Jesus. The incarnation of the son of God has incredible impacts on our lives and our theology... But I shouldn't really try to delve into that for lack of off the cuff knowledge. Plus this post would get lengthy, fast.
If you really think about it, it is a ludicrous thought that he who held the highest power in heaven took on the same limited form as me. And yet he still had divine power and knowledge. That's exactly the juxtaposition we see playing out in this chapter.
Notice the back and forth. First, Christ is right on target with the will of God (v. 4). He sees the illness and immediately is able to recognize its purpose - something I often struggle to do. Then we see Christ's human love. To be with them in spirit or to send his power to heal Lazarus wasn't enough. He was willing to risk going back to where stoning was a real possibility so that he could be near, in the physical presence of, the ones he loved. We continue to see this back and forth throughout the chapter. Jesus easily tells the disciples that Lazarus had to die so they might believe (foreshadowing??) and reminds Martha that he is the resurrection and the life. However, Jesus is also deeply moved by their sadness and even weeps with them even though he knew the coming act of power would not only bring them joy, but also deeper faith in him. He then calmly asks the Lord to do his will (human) knowing exactly what that meant (divine).
I could go on, but I don't want to sound more redundant than I already have.
I get so caught up in this because it reminds me that my weakness is human, but not wrong. When school and work make me weary, when I feel pain because of mom's sickness, when I feel alone or overwhelmed, I can know my Savior felt the same things! Jesus understands the dichotomy between knowing and wanting God's will, but still hurting because we have to live in this physical world.
And that's why Hebrews 4:14-16 is so powerful:
"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
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