You don’t want to see me angry!
There is a popular comic book character – The Hulk – who utters those lines. If you do not know who the
Hulk is, well, ask your kids. Bruce Banner is a mild-manner (aren‟t all super heroes?) scientist, who when
he loses his temper turns into this powerful raging hulk of a man. You don‟t want to see him angry! I
hesitate to use a comic book figure to illustrate something of our Lord Jesus Christ, but I want you to see
reality in the light of a fictitious character. Jesus is loving and long-suffering, and most of the time while
He was on earth He displayed His meekness. But there is coming a day when people will see His anger –
His wrath unleashed.
One of the most wonderful accounts of Jesus‟ miracles is found in John chapter 11, and it concerns His
raising Lazarus from the dead. I want to pick a passage out of that chapter to remind us of something
about Jesus. The passage goes like this; “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come
along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” (John 11:33) In our English
reading you might not catch this, but the word translated “deeply troubled” is a word that means angry,
indignant or outraged. He was not angry at the crowds, or Martha and Mary, but He was angry – outraged
– at sin, and the result of sin, death. This was not how He designed it to be! His creation has fallen under
sin, and is in the (temporal) dominion of a usurper – Satan. And Jesus is angry (dare I say “ticked”?). Not
lose control angry, but righteous indignation that will be satisfied. Jesus is outraged at what sin has
caused (in this case the death of Lazarus), and He is going to do something about it. I think there are a
couple reminders here for us. First of all, God is not just a sovereign complacent God. “Well, there is
going to be sin, and one day I‟ll do something about it.” O no, God is sovereign – you can take that to the
bank – but He is not complacent, He is angry at sin. God is so angry at sin, that He poured His wrath out
on His Son to pay the penalty for our sin. But those not under the blood of Christ will find out what that
wrath looks like. There is a picture in Revelation of a true event where God is pouring His wrath out on
the earth during the Tribulation period, and this is the response of the people; “Then the kings of the
earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and
among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, „Fall on us and hide us
from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.‟” (Revelation 6:15-16) Later
on in Revelation the scene switches to the end of earthly time and it portrays all lost mankind before God
Almighty. This is what it says; “Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.”
(Revelation 20:11) You don‟t want to see God angry!
Perhaps one more picture of Jesus‟ wrath; “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you
and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is
revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God
and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (II Thessalonians 1:6-8) Let us never think God is
indifferent to sin, wickedness and death. He is angry at it. You and I get grieved – ticked – over
wickedness and sin. Injustice frustrates us, and we get angry thinking that evil is running unchecked, and
that there never will be accountability. There will be, and it is coming on fast. There is one other word I
want to point out in that John 11:33 verse and it is the word “troubled”. It is a word that means “emotional
turmoil”. Jesus was not only angry at sin and death, but He was moved emotionally at Martha and Mary‟s
heartache. Jesus is angry at the sin and evil that assault you – and He will do something about it. But
right now, He also identifies with your heartache and confusion – He cares. So let‟s take comfort in the
fact that Jesus will do something about sin, wickedness and injustice, wow, will He ever! But in the
meantime He is grieved over your hurts and sorrows. He cares, and He is a sympathetic High Priest.
Today, if you think He has forgotten, or that He will never do anything, remember that He will, and it will
be pretty terrifying when He does – a lot more than the Hulk. And right now He wants to help and comfort
you. He is that close.