When Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus had died and the crowd that had gathered expected the most brilliant teacher who ever lived to say something profound, Jesus simply wept (John 11:35). His response was not to offer

Jesus wept.

John 11:35

superficial words or pat someone on the head to make them feel better, but He allowed tears to fall from His face. In Jesus, the Lord has united Himself to us in our humanity. He feels us and responds to us. 

We can actually touch the One who made us. We can touch the One who made Himself low. Jesus entered Jerusalem, as recorded in Zechariah 9:9 and Matthew 21:1–5, the same way He enters our lives now—in gentleness and humility.

Essential Question: What is the significance of Jesus wept?  

1. Jesus wept out of compassion

One reason is simply the deep compassion that Jesus felt for those who were suffering. It is true that by not speaking healing from a distance or by his delay in coming (John 11:6) he had let Lazarus die. Even though Jesus always chooses what will ultimately bring his Father the most glory (John 11:4)—and sometimes, as in this case, it requires affliction and grief—he does not take delight in the affliction and grief itself. No, Jesus is sympathetic (Hebrews 4:15) and we get a glimpse of how the Father feels over the affliction and grief his children experience.

2. Jesus wept over the wages of sin

Another reason Jesus wept was over the calamity of sin. As God the Son who had come into the world to destroy the devil’s works (1 John 3:8), Jesus was about to deliver death its deathblow (1 Corinthians 15:26). But sin grieves God deeply and so do the wages of sin: death (Romans 6:23). And ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, he had endured sin’s horrific destruction. Death had taken Lazarus, and it would take him again before it was all over. Tears of anger and longing were mixed with Jesus’ tears of grief.

3. Jesus wept because he knew the sacrifice

A third reason for weeping was the costthat he was about to pay to purchase not only Lazarus’ short-term resurrection but his everlasting life. The cross was just days away and no one really knew the inner distress (Luke 12:50) Jesus was experiencing. Jesus, who had never known sin, was about to become Lazarus’ sin, and the sin of all who had or would believe in him. He was looking to the joy that was set before him (Hebrews 12:2). But the reality of what lay between was weighing heavily.

4. Jesus wept because he knew the accusations

A fourth possible reason for Jesus’ tears was that he knew that raising Lazarus would actually cause the religious leaders to finally take action to put him to death (John 11:45-53). If Jesus had any struggle that day would not have been whether his Father would answer, but what would result when his Father answered. Giving Lazarus life was sealing Jesus’ own death.

Just these few reasons for Jesus’ weeping at Lazarus’ tomb give us a glimpse into how God views our suffering and death. His reasons for not sparing us these things are righteous and glorious. But in them he is full of compassion (Psalms 103:13), he hates the calamity sin brings, and he himself has suffered more than we ever will ever know in order to pay the full cost of our eternal resurrection. HTTPS://HOPE14ME.ORG/WEEKLY-DEVOTION/