Day 9 - Feb. 27

“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) This verse has the reputation of being the shortest verse in the Bible. Without fail, when you ask children or youth to memorize a passage of scripture one of them will choose this passage. But did you know that there is another verse coming up in our reading that also contains two word - First Thessalonians 5:16, “ rejoice always”. These verses might be short, but they are powerful. Knowing that Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend has brought great comfort to those who mourn. In our grief, we can be sure that we do not mourn alone; Christ weeps with us. And what’s more, Christ gives us the hope and promise of the resurrection. Through his death and resurrection, Christ opens the doors for those who believe in him. This hope is too good not to share. And so, Paul shared this good news with the church in Thessalonica using these words, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” Thess. 4:13-14