Jesus Wept

 “Jesus wept.” John 11:35


Jesus wept is the shortest verse in the Bible yet one of the most powerful since it gets us in touch with the humanity of Christ. The verse appears in the story of Lazarus. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were siblings who were close to Jesus. Yet when Jesus hears the news that Lazarus is sick he doesn’t rush to him but instead he purposefully stays away two days. He tells his disciples he does this so that many may believe.


Jesus doesn’t arrive until Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. When Jesus sees Mary and the friends of Lazarus weeping, he is greatly disturbed and greatly moved. The King James version uses the word troubled and tells how He groaned in spirit. Jesus shows great empathy for the friends of Lazarus who are suffering from this loss and he weeps along with them. Even though he knows He’s going to raise him from the dead for the greater purpose of the disciples and others to believe in his divinity, his humanity feels the pain and sorrow they have gone through not knowing God’s purpose in His delay. Jesus feels their pain and it troubles his humanity that they had to experience this deep sorrow.


Christ in his humanity had the same emotions we have. He experienced frustration, anger, sadness, and anxiousness, so he knows the struggles we go through. We can pray to him knowing that He can truly relate to what we are going through. He is disturbed by what disturbs us and can weep along with us when we cry.


The Lazarus story has a happy ending. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, and many who were there believed in Him. This is a precursor to the death and resurrection of Christ. Christ is alive today as our advocate since he knows first hand what it means to be human.


Yes, Jesus wept and I believe he weeps today over inhumanity, injustice, war, and the evils of this world. But for those who suffer from these, Christ is with them feeling their pain. When all hope seems to be dead we can depend on God who can bring life again out of despair. But while we suffer in between, Christ is with us in our pain, giving us hope that He who has the power to resurrect life will pull us through the rough times.

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