The Righteous Anger of Jesus: What We Can Learn from Lazarus's Resurrection

Anger is a feeling that's not going anywhere. We see it daily in road rage, violence, and even on the news. But when is it okay to get angry? The Gospels show us that Jesus himself got angry at times, but His anger was different from our human outbursts. Jesus's anger purifies instead of pitching fits. It heals instead of hitting the roof. It seasons instead of seeing red.

Is All Anger Sinful?

Anger itself is not sin. Ephesians 4:26 tells us, "In your anger, do not sin." This means anger is real, but it doesn't have to be destructive or violent. God Himself gets angry sometimes - we see this throughout the Bible. In Mark 3, Jesus looked at the Pharisees in anger because their hearts were hard. In Mark 11, He flipped tables in the temple, furious at the injustice being done in His Father's house.

The problem isn't anger itself - it's the kind of anger we're living with. Human anger destroys, but God's anger restores. That's the dividing line.

Jesus's Anger at Lazarus's Tomb

In John 11:1-44, we find the story of Lazarus's resurrection. This passage reveals a surprising display of Jesus's anger:

• Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was sick
• They sent word to Jesus, but He waited two more days
• By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days
• Martha met Jesus first, saying "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died"
• Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection and the life"
• Mary came weeping with the same words as Martha
• Jesus was "deeply moved" - a phrase that carries connotations of outrage
• "Jesus wept" - the shortest verse in the Bible
• At the tomb, Jesus was moved again with this same emotion
• He commanded the stone to be rolled away and called Lazarus out
• Lazarus emerged alive, still wrapped in grave clothes

What Made Jesus Angry?

Psychologists describe anger as a secondary emotion that rises when something deeper is happening. It's like a warning light indicating something we value has been threatened. The danger comes not in the anger itself, but in our response.

In John 11, the Greek word used for "deeply moved" is "embrimaomai," which doesn't describe gentle sadness but conveys indignation and outrage. It literally comes from the image of a horse snorting in anger. Jesus wasn't just sorrowful - He was stirred with anger.

What made Jesus angry at Lazarus's tomb?

1. He was angry at death itself - Paul calls death "the last enemy to be destroyed" in 1 Corinthians 15:26. Every grave is evidence of its lingering power.

2. He was angry at the devastation death brings - Mary collapsed in grief, the community weighed down by sorrow. Jesus's anger was directed at the ruin their tears revealed.

3. He was angry at unbelief - Some in the crowd scoffed, and even Martha hesitated when Jesus told them to roll away the stone. Their doubt showed how deeply death blinds people to God's promises.

How Is Jesus's Anger Different from Ours?

Human anger often spirals into sin. It corrodes our souls. But Jesus's anger is different:

• It is holy and righteous
• It is not reckless or selfish
• It does not wound the grieving
• It clears space for life
• It doesn't turn into violence but erupts into resurrection

Left unchecked, our anger becomes poison. But anger surrendered to God for His purposes can become holy - set apart, different. At Lazarus's tomb, we see anger that breaks sin's grip instead of giving it more power.

Why Does Jesus's Anger Matter for Us?

When you face grief, loss, or despair, you need more from God than just pity. You need a Savior who:

1. Enters into your pain and feels it with you
2. Grieves with you (Jesus wept real tears)
3. Does something about your situation

Sympathy alone, while valuable, can feel powerless. That's why Jesus's anger matters so much. He doesn't only cry with you - He rages for you. He's furious at the very thing that has broken you.

For many of us, death isn't an abstract idea. It has a name. We've stood at gravesides with broken hearts. We've seen the empty chair at the table during holidays. We've watched sin and brokenness rob us of what we love.

Who Should Our Anger Be Directed At?

Jesus doesn't point His anger at broken people who are already hurting. He points it at the real enemy. And our enemy is not our spouse, child, neighbor, boss, or those with different political beliefs.

"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood" (Ephesians 6:12). Our enemy is the accuser - the one who twists truth, plants lies, and whispers despair. He's the opposer who resists everything God is doing, who delights in destruction and fuels division.

One of his sharpest weapons is unbelief - making people wonder if God's really there, if He cares, if He has power to step in, and if hope is worth holding onto.

That's who Jesus burned against at Lazarus's tomb. He was raging against the enemy who brought death into God's good world and armed it with despair and unbelief.

How Can We Carry Holy Anger?

1. Grieve with hope - When loss comes, we're free to cry and feel its sting. But we don't grieve as people without hope. Jesus already stared death in the face and broke its power.

2. Channel anger toward healing instead of harm - What if our anger at injustice moved us to protect the vulnerable? What if our anger at sin's destruction drove us to seek reconciliation and healing? Anger, when surrendered to Jesus, becomes fuel for His kingdom.

3. Trust the One who fights for us - At Lazarus's tomb, Jesus didn't just say resurrection was possible - He proved it. He called a dead man out of his grave. Soon after, He walked into His own grave carrying the weight of all sin, but conquered death when He rose again.

Life Application

Stop wasting your anger where it isn't fueling the mission of God. Stop letting anger tear down your marriage, your relationship with your children, your neighborhoods, your church, and even your social media feed. That type of anger only corrupts your own soul.

Instead, get mad at what Jesus gets mad at:

• Get mad at death that steals people we love
• Get mad at devastation - the addictions wrecking families, the abuse that leaves scars
• Get mad at unbelief - not at people, but at the lies that the enemy whispers

Those who follow Jesus don't let anger lash out at those around us or fester inside. We let our anger rise against the darkness that's destroying the people God loves.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. What am I currently angry about, and is my anger directed at people or at the spiritual forces behind their actions?
2. How can I channel my anger toward healing and restoration rather than destruction?
3. In what areas of my life do I need to trust that Jesus is fighting for me instead of trying to fight my own battles?
4. How can I use my righteous anger as fuel for God's kingdom this week?

Remember, Jesus asked, "Do you believe this?" Anger toward darkness means nothing unless it drives you to the light. Let your answer be, "Yes, Lord, we believe."