Jesus wept (Adelaide, Australia)

Jesus wept... John 11:35

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Advertising: Jesus Wept The back of a bus in Adelaide advertising Christianity.
RELATED TOPICS	John 11:35
SERMONS, ESSAYS AND OPINIONS
CONTENTS

Around the year 2000, Bible verses began appearing on the back of buses in Adelaide, South Australia. The verses were short and were designed to get people thinking. The most common verse was "Jesus wept" from the gospel according to John 11:35 and non-Christian people certainly did talk about these verses.

The advertising campaign was set up by an Adelaide man as a non-profit, interdenominational organisation. Its beginnings are described by the designer of the campaign himself,

I do not have to tell you that this world has problems; drug addiction, divorce, suicides, terrorism to name a few. I believe the natural thing for people to do in life is to jump ahead without reading instructions. However the Word of God is food for our spirit and guidance for our life. Looking at society today we are obviously in need of guidance.

After receiving the Vision from God about putting God's Word out there among His people, I was compelled to enquire about the boundary advertising at Football Park, Adelaide, which had become available mid-season. This was miraculously offered at a fraction of the cost normally demanded for such a high profile position, with a local derby still to be staged.

My next dilemma was what verse to use. What would speak to the multitudes? I had reservations about using "Jesus wept" (John 11:35) but my staff suggested this message because its brevity meant it was legible from afar - and of course because it is a verse from the Holy Bible. I also did not fully understand what the verse meant.

In the middle of deciding whether to use it or not, I had a phone call from a friend who told me of the death in an accident overseas of younger mutual friend, who had always looked up to me. I cannot remember weeping so hard as I did that day and it was odd to have my staff watch a grown man cry.

I believe God spoke to me showing me that that is how he feels for us. That was confirmation for me to put that verse on the boundary sign at Football Park, where according to research, 600,000 people, per game, would see it.

In John 11, Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus. Just prior to that Jesus saw Lazarus' friends mourning and weeping, and he was deeply moved in spirit and then Jesus wept. I believe that Jesus was not weeping for Lazarus. He wept for those who were weeping. In Matthew 5:4 Jesus said "blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted." Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted.

This is God's mercy statement to the world.

Right now as you are reading this, tens of thousands of people are weeping, crying with a broken heart. Even if people do not understand the message, it is the Word of God and again the Word of God, Jesus said, is the seed. God wants us to prepare the way for His harvest.

Links

• Jesus Wept Website

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