Jesus Wept 2.   

• My topic Jesus Wept 2.

  Please be patient and give me 25 minutes of your time.

  I recently preached a sermon the tears of Jesus. If was a great sermon. If you missed it, well, it is available on the internet, in audio, video, or written format, in its entirety. If you don't have access to the internet, well, this is the 21st century. It is kind of like, being in the 20th century, looking for a job, and not having a telephone. … You gotta, keep up.

  Three times Jesus wept.
  He wept at Bethany.
  He wept on Olivet.
  He wept in Gethsemany.

  What lessons may we learn from these tears of Jesus? We shall see.

  In John 11:2:, for the loss of Lazarus Jesus wept. The shortest verse in Holy Scripture tells of His marvelous love, "Jesus wept." What a wonderful revelation of Christ's heart! It is a ladder that reaches down, to every child of sorrow on earth: "Jesus wept! That tear, of sorrow, is a legacy of love: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Let me think of Bethany, and the death of Lazarus."

  But first let us turn to another thought. Let us think of the weeping of others, as expressed in Romans 8:18 to 23.

  Here begineth the reading of God's Holy Word.
  Romans 8:18 to 23:
  -For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
  -For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
  -For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
  -Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
  -For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
  -And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
  Here endeth the reading of God's Holy Word.

  We say that we are waiting on the return of Jesus. Know ye this. All creation is waiting on us, mankind, to come into his glory. So that they can be delivered from their bondage that we imposed on them. That is not going to happen until a certain percentage of the whole of mankind comes into the knowledge of who Jesus is. The mystery that was kept secret from the foundation of the world. This was so that we could be delivered from our bondage. Now it is the time for us to deliver all creation from their bondage. Furthermore, Jesus is not going to return to a divided church.

  So again not only we ourselves, but all creation is weeping, and groaning because of what we Christians have done to them. Furthermore, God is not going to completely remedy the situation of our weeping until a certain percentage of the whole of mankind gets saved. For the bible goes on to say that Jesus is not going to return until God gets the number people saved that he is looking for.

  2 Peter 3:1 to 10 explains that God does not want any to perish. This is a promise for God to return for the church. Let's look at the full context:

  Here begin-eth the reading of God's Holy Word.
  2 Peter 3:1 to 10
  -This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
  -that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.
  -Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,
  -and saying, “ Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
  -For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
  -through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
  -But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
  -But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
  -The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
  -But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
  Here end-eth the reading of God's Holy Word.
  
  First, notice that the point of Peter's passage is given in verse 4. He is addressing those who cast doubt, on Jesus' promise to return for His Church. Remember, Jesus didn't promise to return for everyone. He promised to return for His Church. Remember His words spoken to the disciples in John 14:

  Here begin-eth the reading of God's Holy Word.
  John 14:1 to 3.
  -Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
  -In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
  -If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
  Here end-eth the reading of God's Holy Word.

  This is the promise Peter is discussing. Peter says in the last days, many will come mocking Jesus' promise to return. Mockers will claim that He is not returning for His Church. These mockers will base their accusations on the fact that so much time has passed since Jesus' made the promise. They claim God's promise isn't trustworthy merely because so much time has passed since the promise was given.

  In responding to that accusation, Peter reminds us that time doesn't pose a threat to God's promises, because God lives outside of time. A long passage of time, (for example, a thousand years), is no different to God than the passage of a day, and therefore God's promises are no less certain after thousands of years, than they were in the day they were spoken.

  The mockers will claim that the long delay in Jesus' promised return is evidence that His promise isn't trustworthy, but Peter offers a different reason why God has waited so long to send Jesus back to Earth. The answer is because God doesn't want any to perish. The fundamental question in understanding this passage is who are the, "any", in this statement? Based on the context of Peter's discussion, "any", are the church, those who believe. In other words, God will ensure that before Jesus returns for the Church, God has called every person intended for faith into the Body of Christ..

  From Peter's teaching (and others in the New Testament), we come to understand that God has a plan for an appointed number of believers in the church, and God has set that number from the foundations of the Earth (Ephesians 1:4). God has an appointed number of believers He intends to save (Acts 13:48; and 22:14), and these believers are scattered across many nations and throughout the course of history. God is patiently waiting, Peter says, for the elect to be born and to believe in their appointed day. Only after the last appointed believer comes to faith will Christ return for His Church, thereby ensuring that none (of His children) perish.

  In summary, Peter's context in 2 Peter 3 is clearly talking about Jesus' promise to return for His Church, and Peter says God does not want any (of His Church) to perish. Once the Lord returns, the opportunity for the world to believe during this age comes to an end, so if the Lord were to return "early," some of those among future generations of believers would perish in the sense that they wouldn't have had the opportunity to be born and believe.

  Some have taken this statement in 2 Peter to mean God is patient because He doesn't want any human beings to perish. This interpretation is literally impossible. First, people are perishing in their unbelief every day, so if God were "waiting" for all to believe, then God's waiting would be in vain and would never end. Jesus' Second Coming could never happen if God is waiting for none to perish! Clearly, Peter cannot mean that God is waiting for the entire world to believe. God knows many will not believe, so the timing of his return is not dependent on their coming to faith, just as Paul said:
  2 Corintians 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
  

  Furthermore, such an interpretation is self-contradictory. Peter's second letter teaches that one day the Lord will return, and when He arrives, He destroys all who have not believed, (2 Peter 3:7 and Revelation 19-20). So if Peter were teaching that the Lord is waiting because He wishes no human beings would perish, then Peter's teaching that the Lord returns to destroy the ungodly would be contradictory! Peter would be teaching that the Lord is planning to act against His own wishes, which is impossible. Clearly, God will not hesitate to destroy the wicked in the day of judgment, therefore He has not delayed that day for their sake. Instead, He has delayed it for the sake of the elect.
  Consequently, we cannot assume that the word "any" means "all human beings." Instead, the context of Peter's letter makes clear that "any" means "all of God's elect."

  So 2 Peter makes it clear that the 2nd comming of Jesus is being held up for some people to be born, so that they can be saved, so that God can reach that number that he desires. So what about the mystery that was kept secret from the foundation of the world.

  Please bear with me for 4 more minutes.
  I will now read 3 scriptures, and then quickly summarize all 3.
  
  Romans 1:20.
  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

  1 Corinthians 2:7-8.
  -But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
  -Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
  
  Collosians 2:9.
  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

  Who Jesus was, was the stumbling block of the Jews, and that is still the stumbling block of many who say that they love God.

  That is despite the fact that Romans 1:20 clearly says that the Godhead is revealed by nature, and it is God's eternal power. If you do not know that, you are without excuse because it is clearly seen. Now, this was not always clearly seen. The bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:7 to 8 the princes of this world, that is Satan, did not know who Jesus was. If he had known it, he would not have crucified the lord of glory. That was the mystery that was kept secret from the foundation of the world.

  Now let us be clear, Satan did, know that Jesus was the son of God. A demon saw Jesus on earth. He recognized him, and said you are the son of God. Not a son of God, but the son of God, the unique one. Nevertheless, Satan thought that he could solve his problems by killing Jesus. That was because Satan shared authority over death with God, Hebrews 2:14 to 16 which says he that had authority over death, that is Satan. All the sons of Adam had sinned, and man's destiny was hell, or Abraham's bosom. That was a covenent between God and Satan. Now God cannot go back on his own word, because all creation is held together by the power of God's word. Yet, Jesus said, in John 14:30, Satan had nothing in him. In other words Satan had no legal claim to Christ. Although Satan did, have a legal claim to the sons of Adam and his seed because of the inherited sins of Adam. God was the biological father of Jesus. Jesus did not inherit the sins of his biological father Adam. Satan was unaware of the logical delima. The mystery that was kept secret from the foundation of the world. This was a legal issue.

  Now, when Satan attempted to kill Jesus, to bring him under his authority, Satan broke the covenent that he had with God. Satan broke the covenent and Jesus said, now all authority is given unto me in heaven and on the earth, Matthew 28:18. Therefore, according to Romans 8:2, the law of sin and death, which Satan had authority over, was replaced by the law of righteousness in Christ Jesus.

  Then Collosians 2:9 went on to say: For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. That is to say that in Jesus dwelleth the fullness of God's eternal power, bodily. Who Jesus was, was kept secret from the foundation of the world. Now, it is revealed unto us that we might understand the mystery. Praise God for the understanding of his word. For the Ethiopian eunuch said, how could I understand it unless somebody explains it to me.

  In summary, I have shown:
  1. 2 Peter makes it clear that the 2nd comming of Jesus is being held up for some people to be born, so that they can be saved, so that God can reach that number that he desires. And.

  2. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, informs us of The mystery that was kept secret from the foundation of the world, was who Jesus was. It was a legal issue, so that we could be delivered from our weeping, or bondage. Now it is the time for us to deliver all creation from their, including ourselves from our own bondage. Furthermore, Jesus is not going to return to a divided church. Praise yee the Lord.