Jesus Wept

In the eleventh chapter of John’s gospel, we encounter the shortest verse in the Bible. At the tomb of Lazarus, “Jesus wept,” (John 11:35). Here we witness the deep compassion and love of Christ. His friend Lazarus had died and the family was mourning. Despite knowing He would raise Lazarus, Jesus was gripped by the sorrow of the moment and joined them in their grief. His tears remind us that He cares for each and every soul.

There are two other places in the New Testament that document Jesus weeping. The writer of Hebrews states, “During the days of Jesus’s life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears,” (Hebrews 5:7). And Luke 19:41–42, we are told, “As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.'”

Isaiah 53:3 introduces the Messiah as a deeply troubled individual. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised and we esteemed Him not.”

Jesus was emotional, much like the prophet Jeremiah before Him. Jeremiah was grieved over the wickedness of Judah and its impending judgment. He wrote in Jeremiah 13:16–17, “Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings the darkness, before you stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but He will turn it to thick darkness and change it to deep gloom. But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive.”

Psalm 119:136 expresses the despair of the psalmist when God’s ways are not followed. “Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.” Similarly, Jesus, who walked in righteousness and desiring the same for everyone, was greatly disturbed by the hold the dominion of sin had on the people.

MAN’S SINFULNESS BREAKS GOD’S HEART

Man’s sinfulness breaks God’s heart and Jesus experienced humanity’s betrayal first-hand. The hardness of the hearts of Israel was not something new as the writer of Hebrews acknowledges, “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion,” (Hebrews 3:15).

Luke 4:16-21 records that Jesus was rejected in His home town. “He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written:

“‘The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’

“Then He rolled up the scroll and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him. He began saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” Everything humanity truly needed hung on those words, yet moments later, everyone in the synagogue became furious and tried to throw Jesus off a cliff (Luke 4:28-30).

This was just one of the many rejections Jesus experienced. John 6:60-71 reveals how Christ’s polarizing teachings caused many people to reject Him. “From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” (John 6:66).

How did Jesus feel at the moment Judas betrayed Him into the hands of the Romans? What emotions prevailed in Him when He to cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). In Matthew 26:36–44, we learn of the intense anguish that Jesus felt in the garden at Gethsemane on the night that He was arrested.

MY SOUL IS OVERWHELMED WITH SORROW TO THE POINT OF DEATH

“Then Jesus went to a place called Gethsemane, and said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.’

“Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Couldn’t you men keep watch with Me for one hour?’ He asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.’

“He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’ When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.”

Luke 22:44 records that, “And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” The extreme distress of Jesus in those moments caused a condition known medically as hematidrosis, where the blood vessels surrounding a person’s sweat glands constrict and then dilate to the point of rupture. The intensity of the stress of knowing what He was about to endure must have been overwhelming.

Jesus was rejected by His own people and crucified in fulfilment of scripture. To this day He is remains an outcast among most Jews. Stephen encapsulated the mindset of Israel when he stood before the Sanhedrin as reported in Acts 7:51-53: “You stiff necked people! Your hearts are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

“Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him–you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” At this the members of the Sanhedrin were furious and dragged Stephen out of the city and stoned him.

Indignation towards Jesus has continued ever since He walked the roads of Judea. In John 15:18, Jesus states, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first.” This hatred permeates the hearts of everyone who loves their sin more than their Creator. It is a rebellious inclination that has been programmed into humanity ever since Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.

JESUS REVEALS THE HEART OF GOD

Jesus reveals the heart of God by showing us His own heart. In Matthew 11:28-29, He discloses His loving nature. “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Jesus doesn’t simply meet us in our place of need–He lives in our place of need.

Life is punctuated by suffering because we live in a fallen world where evil is prevalent. Jesus invites us to set aside our own yoke–one that is heavy and weighted down with sin, and to step into His yoke and to trust in Him. To be refreshed by His forgiveness and grace. “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” (John 7:37).

Our culture attempts to normalize sin, and even celebrate it, but believers are invited to grieve over sin. “Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom,” (James 4:8-9). And Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Jesus wept over the sinful nature of all people. He desires that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), because the consequences of sin are so grave. Christ gave himself completely so that those who believe in Him would have their sins wiped out, and that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19). “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning,” (Psalm 30:3).