Bible

THE SHORTEST VERSE IN THE BIBLE

 

Did you know that John 11:35 is the shortest verse of all the 31,173 verses which comprise the Bible? John 11:35 is easy to memorise, as it consists of just two words. The verse states succinctly Jesus wept. Whilst John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the entire Bible though, it contains depths which even the greatest of theologians cannot plumb. The verse tells us that Jesus – the eternal Son of God – actually wept – He experienced grief and sorrow, and could not but give physical expression to it.

Meditating on John 11:35, the shortest verse of the Bible, note:-

 

1. The Humanity of our Saviour

 

Jesus wept. John 11:35 reveals the real, tender humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was and is as truly human as He was and is divine – the eternal Son of God. Jesus wept. Grief is a human emotion. It is experienced solely by those made in the image of God, made up of both a body and a soul. In the Lord Jesus Christ then, God actually became man:-

 

Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to Himself a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin (Shorter Catechism).

 

John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Hebrews 2:14 explains Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same nature … The humanity of the Lord Jesus is important. Eternal deity cannot die. God is immortal. Christ took upon Himself our humanity as an integral part of God’s eternal plan of salvation. He became man so that He could die and so pay the wages of the sin of His people. The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3).

 

2. The Sympathy of our Saviour

 

Jesus wept. Every text has its context. The context of John 11:35 is the death of Lazarus at Bethany, and the consequent grief of Martha and Mary his sisters. Jesus’ tears were tears of deep sympathy. John 11:33 records When Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

                John 11:35 then reveals the sympathy of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will all go down into the depths of suffering and sorrow at some time in our lives. God in Christ has experienced those depths too. The God of the Bible is no remote, passive, removed, unfeeling deity. Isaiah foretold that the Lord Jesus would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that in the Lord Jesus we have not a high priest Who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but One Who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Isaac Watts wrote:-

 

With joy we mediate the grace

Of our High Priest above

His heart is made of tenderness

And overflows with love

 

Touched with a sympathy within

He knows our feeble frame

He knows what sore temptations mean

For He has felt the same.

 

3. The Glory of our Saviour

 

Jesus wept. Paradoxically, the same Bible which reveals that Jesus wept  also reveals the Lord Jesus as the great dryer of tears. John 11 records Him drying Martha and Mary’s tears. Their tears were caused by the death of their brother Lazarus – but Jesus raised Lazarus back to life again, confirming His claim in John 11:25,26 that ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. ‘

                If there was no sin, there would be no tears. Sin has brought misery in its wake. Sin brings God’s judgement, and ultimately death and eternal separation from God’s love – unless it is dealt with. On the cross though Christ died for sinners. He dealt with our sins, so that when we believe in Him, our sins are forgiven, we are reconciled to God and promised an eternal, tear-free existence with God, in His nearer presence.

Tears for the Christian are real. We live in a fallen world. Christians are not immune from suffering. Yet tears for the Christian are only temporary. The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). Better, glorious days are surely coming, because of the grace of God in Christ. The Apostle John was actually given a prophetic glimpse of this glorious time promised to all God’s children – and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he wrote it down. In Revelation 21:3 ff. we read: Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; HE WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.

                Jesus wept. The shortest verse in the Bible reveals Jesus’ real, tender humanity and sympathy. It also reminds us to keep trusting Jesus, for if we belong to Him, one day, all our tears will be banished forever!

 

Timothy Cross

 

THE MIDDLE VERSE OF THE BIBLE

 

It has been calculated that the Bible contains 31,173 verses. Of these 31,173 verses, Psalm 118:8 has been calculated to be the exact middle verse – the exact centre verse of the Bible. Psalm 118:8 reads:-

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

                Here is a verse which almost encapsulates the message of the whole Bible, for the thrust of the Bible’s message is that we put our trust in God alone – His grace, His providence and His promises – for trust in anyone or anything else will ultimately let us down.

 

Negatively

 

Negatively, Psalm 118:8 is a warning against having a false confidence in any created being. Fallen human beings will let us down, as – as the late Bishop JC Ryle used to say – ‘the best of men are men at best.’ It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Other Scriptures contain a similar warning. Isaiah 2:22, for instance, reads Turn away from man in whose nostrils is breath for of what account is he? Jeremiah 17:5 is more forceful still, for it states Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the LORD.

                Biblical history reveals the glaring faults, foibles and frailties of even great and godly men: Abraham lied; Jacob cheated; Moses could not control his temper; David could not control his lust; Simon Peter had his notorious moment of cowardice etc. Recent history has shaken the confidence of many in man. Here in the UK we have lived through a parliamentary expenses scandal which has revealed that the politicians we voted into office have not always been characterised by integrity. Many are now disillusioned with politics. Then almost everyday we hear about the failings of celebrities – film stars, pop stars and sports stars – who had been put on a pedestal. They are not immune from temptation, and not immune from giving in to temptation and making a shipwreck of their lives. And, truth be told, we cannot really rely on ourselves. Who knows what tomorrow may bring? We can be at ease and full of confidence one day, and then illness, accident or redundancy cuts us down to size, and makes us realise our frailty and vulnerability. God can knock all the human props away from us in a moment. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man. The next verse is a little stronger in emphasis, for it states It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes (Psalm 118:9), that is, to put confidence in the best of men. Psalm 146:3,4 explains: Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish. The folly of trusting in mortal man!

 

Positively

 

Positively, Psalm 118:8 – the middle verse of the Bible – is an exhortation to put our trust in God – specifically, in ‘the LORD’ – the One Who has revealed Himself in the Bible as the God of creation, the God of the covenant and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Again, many Scriptures amplify this point. Jeremiah 17:7 states Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. And Psalm 34 ends by affirming that none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

 

Trusting in the Grace of God

 

The Bible exhorts us to take refuge in God’s grace for our eternal salvation. How is a sinner saved? By trusting in God’s grace; by availing him/herself of God gracious provision in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Faith of the Bible is distinguished by the fact that salvation is God’s work for us and in us, and not what we do ourselves: To one who does not work but trusts Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness (Romans 4:5). Martin Luther said:-

 

When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares that we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: ‘I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentence to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One Who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where He is, there I shall be also.

 

Trusting in the Providence of God

 

The Bible also exhorts God’s children to take refuge in God’s providence. Our God is on the throne. He is at the helm of our lives. The circumstances of our lives are not accidental but providential – divinely ordained. We can trust in God’s providence – the providence of God and the God of providence – for He is all-wise, all-loving and all righteous. God knows best! This God – His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30). Hence We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him who are called according to His purpose.

                The Christian then abandons and abhors all human confidence. Our strong refuge – our place of eternal safety – is in God Himself. He cannot fail. He does not disappoint, for ‘His love is as great as His power, and knows neither measure nor end.’  He is Almighty God, our refuge from both earthly and eternal danger. As the middle verse of the Bible puts it: It is better to take refuge in the LRD than to put confidence in man (Psalm 118:8):-

 

All my hope on God is founded

He doth still my trust renew

Me through change and chance He guideth

Only good and only true

God unknown

He alone

Calls my heart to be His own

 

Pride of man and earthly glory

Sword and crown betray his trust

What with care and toil he buildeth

Tower and temple turn to dust

But God’s power

Hour by hour

Is my temple and my tower.

 

Timothy Cross