A Crying God
This shortest verse in the entire Bible reveals one of the most profound truths of the Christian faith: that our God is not uncaring and aloof from our problems but can understand and feel our pain.
I’m the kind of person who cries when I see someone else crying. Even movie and TV tears can have me reaching for tissues.
John 11:35 Commentary On Jesus Weeping
Why do I feel such emotion for people I don’t even know? Because I have had my share of suffering, hurt, and loss, and I can imagine how they feel.
That’s part of why I find this verse in John’s Gospel so powerful. John 11 tells us that Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were close friends and devoted followers of Jesus.
One day the two sisters came to Jesus with troubling news: Lazarus was gravely ill.
By the time Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany, Lazarus was dead.
Mary was brokenhearted and grieved for her lost brother. Others who had known him wept along with her.
Jesus joined in with them, shedding his own tears of sorrow for a beloved old friend.
The passage doesn’t tell us how long Jesus cried or give us any details about the sorrow that touched his heart.
It simply says: “Jesus wept.” Then Jesus called: “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus emerged from his tomb, his smelly grave clothes dangling from his face, hands, and feet.
Over the centuries, Christians have cherished this amazing passage, which demonstrates Jesus’ power over life and death.
But by focusing on the dramatic miracle of Lazarus’s resurrection, have we overlooked the importance of Jesus’ tears?
The Meaning Of John 11:35 “Jesus Wept”
The gods of most world religions are too removed from the common concerns of human life to feel our pain or shed a tear.
Muhammad is commonly portrayed as a brave warrior, not a sorrowful soul. Statues of Buddha look stone-faced and stoic. Some Hindu gods are angry and vengeful.
Jesus is different. Out of love for us, he left his Father in heaven and became a human being so he could reach us right where we were.
For more than thirty years, he walked this earth, tasting the joys and tragedies of ordinary life.
A Crying God: The Humanity Of Jesus In John 11:35
In time his deep love would lead him to pay the ultimate price—sacrificing his own life on the cross in order to save us from our sin.
Jesus’ tears show that he feels as we do.
As with our own tears, his came only after he could no longer contain the swelling waves of sorrow.
The droplets that spilled down his face reveal that he can understand our broken dreams, our dashed hopes, and the many pains that come from dealing with life and loss.
John 11:35 Study Guide
Jesus understands, and the Savior who raised Lazarus will someday raise us.
God, thank you for sharing the pain I often feel in this life. May sorrow and tears cleanse my heart and deepen my love.