Why did Jesus cry? There is a deep meaning behind the phrase, "Jesus wept.
Introduction
One day in the Gospel of John, Jesus comes up to the tomb of His friend, Lazarus.
People are grieving.
Mary is crying.
The people are weeping.
Then something that no one would have predicted occurs.
Jesus weeps.
In two words, John writes it.
"Jesus wept." (John 11:35, KJV)
It's one of the shortest verses in the Bible and it has tremendous meaning.
Why did Jesus weep when He knew that Lazarus would be raised from the dead?
Is it just that He was saddened by the death of His friend?
Did He cry due to the sadness of the people around Him?
Was He reacting to the fact of death?
The passage provides us with some deep answers.
The Story Behind "Jesus Wept"
Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha who fell seriously sick.
His sisters came to Jesus and said:
“Lord, he who you love is sick.” (John 11:3)
Jesus loved Lazarus.
But Jesus went not straight away to Bethany.
He stayed in the place where He was for another two days.
When Jesus came, Lazarus had been dead four days.
Mary and Martha were both sad.
There were lots of people there to console the family.
So Jesus came to the tomb.
And He wept.
Jesus Knew Lazarus Would Rise
This renders Jesus' tears the more remarkable.
Jesus had already said to His disciples:
John 11:11 "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
He also said to Martha:
But my brother will rise again. (John 11:23)
Jesus was well aware of what was to come.
He was going to call Lazarus out of his tomb.
So why cry?
The knowledge that there is a resurrection should not cause the grief to be null and void.
Jesus entered into the sorrow of the people around Him.
Jesus Wept Because He Truly Loved Lazarus
John points out Jesus' love for Lazarus in particular.
When the people saw Jesus weeping, they said:
> Look at the way he loved him!" (John 11:36)
Jesus was not cold to the suffering of humans.
He was fond of His friend.
People who are loved die and hurt.
Jesus didn't lie about it.
His tears reveal that when we really love, we are open to loss.
Jesus Wept With Those Who Were Weeping (Matthew 26:67)
Mary was crying.
She could hear the sound of people crying.
Jesus felt compassion for them because they were in pain.
He entered into their mourning.
This shows us a part of God's character.
God doesn't care about human pain.
Instead, Jesus didn't stand off to the side and say:
“Don't be afraid, it will be OK.”
He wept with them.
This is the compassion of Christ which we shall look at.
Jesus Wept Because Death Is an Enemy
Death is not something that the Bible portrays as something that people were made to be faced with.
Sin is the cause of death.
Later Paul says that death is:
Death will be the last enemy to be destroyed. (1 Corinthians 15:26)
Jesus knew that He would shortly overcome the power of death for Lazarus, for the time being.
Eventually, Lazarus would die again.
It was not the final elimination of death but a new life.
It was a sign of things to come.
One day Jesus Himself would conquer the grave for all.
Jesus was deeply moved
When Jesus saw Mary and the mourners, He was troubled, says John.
This demonstrates that Jesus was not just thinking about human suffering, but He was experiencing it.
He was truly moved.
The Son of God became fully human!
He experienced:
* Love
* Joy
* Compassion
* Anger
* Sorrow
* Physical pain
* Grief
His tears are a reminder of Jesus' understanding of man's pain.
Jesus' tears testify to his humanity.
Christian religion teaches that Jesus truly is God and truly is man.
His tears give us a beautiful view of His manhood.
He was not a god, a god who was not affected by feelings.
He became flesh.
He experienced hunger.
He became tired.
He experienced rejection.
He felt sorrow.
He wept.
Hebrews says:
> For “we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities…” (Hebrews 4:15)
Jesus knows our weakness.
Jesus' tears were not a sign of weakness.
Some cultures may consider crying a sign of weakness.
Jesus shows us otherwise.
His tears flowed out of love.
Their intentions were inspired by compassion.
These were their learning from His death.
It is strong to admit grief; it is not to deny it.
Jesus shows us that grief and faith go together.
In a human way, Jesus wept even as he knew the Resurrection was coming.
This can be the strongest lesson!
Jesus knew what was going to happen.
But He did weep at that time.
This is a lesson on grief.
While we have the assurance that God has a plan, we do not have to cease to grieve.
Even though we know that death is not the end, we can still miss someone.
The certainty of resurrection doesn't cancel out current suffering.
Faith doesn't demand that we imagine that suffering isn't a pain.
Raised is Lazarus but Jesus faces his own tomb.
The story is an out-of-the-ordinary juxtaposition.
Jesus was outside of the tomb of Lazarus and called him to life.
Later, Jesus would go into a tomb Himself.
The one important difference, however, would be that the immigrants would be trusted.
Later, Lazarus died yet again.
Jesus arose, never to die again.
It is a sign that was pointing toward greater Christ's victory over death, the raising of Lazarus.
Jesus would become:
"the resurrection, and the life." (John 11:25)
Jesus Wept Before Conquering Death
It matters in what order the sequences are.
Jesus wept.
Then Jesus acted.
He commanded:
"Lazarus, come forth." (John 11:43)
Then Lazarus came out of the tomb.
The scene provides us with a wonderful image of the heart of Christ.
He does not turn a blind eye to the suffering.
He enters it.
He weeps.
And then He acts.
What does "Jesus Wept" mean for us today?
God understands your grief.
1. God understands your grief.
If you are in pain, you're praying to a God who doesn't know suffering.
Jesus understands tears.
2. Grieving is not a lack of faith.
One can believe in resurrection and be a weeper.
There is no pain when you trust God.
Grief does not go away because you have faith.
Grieving is a natural response to a loss, as is love.
3.Love and Grief are linked.
We cry when we love.
Jesus' tears reveal the depth of His love and compassion for Lazarus and for those who were suffering.
4. God does not turn a blind eye to suffering
Jesus went into the sorrow of the mourners.
Through his compassion, the heart of God towards suffering mankind shows itself.
5. Death Will Not Have the Final Word
The narrative tells beyond Lazarus.
It points to Jesus.
He declared:
I am the resurrection, and the life.
Christian hope does not just consist of the certainty that life exists beyond the grave.
It is found in Jesus Christ.
What Can We Learn From Jesus' Tears?
We feel at times we must conceal our feelings from God.
The story of Lazarus is to the contrary.
Come, pour out your tears at Him.
Bring your questions.
Bring your grief.
Take your broken heart with you.
Jesus says you don't have to act as if it's okay.
He encounters human beings in the anguish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jesus cried when He knew Lazarus would be raised when he died, why?
This is likely Jesus' reply to the sadness of those around Him, His love for Lazarus and the fact of death. There was no merry-making for him where he had a foreknowledge of what was about to come.
Why is “Jesus wept” the shortest verse in the Bible?
The King James Version (KJV) of the bible includes only the two words "Jesus wept" in John 11:35. Claim is based on the translation and language.
For Jesus to cry does this prove that He was human?
One of Jesus' many displays of his manhood is in his tears. In Christian theology, Jesus is regarded as both divine and human.
Does it mean that I don't have enough faith if I cry?
No.
Jesus Himself wept.
Grief and faith do not contradict each other.
One can have great faith in God and great sadness at the same time.
Reflection
This has been a comforting combination of those two words:
"Jesus wept."
The One who was able to raise the dead was still willing to stand beside those who were weeping, and to weep.
He didn't say, “Oh, that's a little bit of grief.”
He entered it.
And then, He proved His power over the dead.
One day, the promise of Revelation will be completely fulfilled:
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, neither crying: (Revelation 21:4)
Until this day we shall remember:
Jesus is sensitive to our tears.
Jesus knows our needs.
But Jesus has overcome death!
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Jesus, who knows our sorrow, and understands our deepest pain. Remind us of this when we begin to grieve, that we are not alone in grieving. Let us bring our tears before You and trust Your promises in spite of our not understanding our circumstances. Teach us to cling to hope of the resurrection in Jesus Christ, in spite of death.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
