Jesus Wept:

Jesus wept.-John 11:35

In my quiet time I have been working my way through the Gospel of John and studying the life of Jesus. Today, I read John 11 which contains the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This is a very famous story and I had read it probably a 100 times before this morning but I stopped dead in my tracks when I read verse 35. Verse 35 which is the shortest verse in the Bible says, “Jesus wept.” Two verses before verse 35, John writes, “when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ noticed the weeping from those who had lost a loved one and he was deeply moved and wept.

The Greek word underlying deeply moved (embrimaomai), means to feel something deeply and strongly. Jesus was moved with profound sorrow at the death of his friend and at the grief that his other friends had suffered. Jesus joins his friend’s sadness with heartfelt sorrow, yet underlying it is the knowledge that resurrection and joy will soon follow. He did not weep because the situation was hopeless, for he knew that he would raise Lazarus from the dead. He wept because he shares the emotions of those he loves.

Have you lost a friend or loved one? Have you wept at the grave site of a family member? If you have, know that while you were weeping Jesus Christ was weeping with you. He feels the pain you are going through as you grieve the loss of a loved one. He knows what it is like to lose someone and he felt your pain. Hebrews 4:15 says, “for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus knows what it is like to lose a loved one. Jesus knows what it’s like to feel the pain of loss, and the agony of grief.

In conclusion, take comfort in the fact that Jesus Christ was moved with profound sorrow at the death of his friend. Take comfort in the fact that Jesus weeps with those who weep and mourns with those who mourn. Take comfort also in John 11:25, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.” As believers we are promised eternity in Heaven with God and with our loved ones. We do not weep as those who have no hope since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have died in Jesus.