Why Did Jesus Weep At Lazarus Grave

Why Jesus Wept

In the Bible, the shortest verse is John 11:35, which reads, “Jesus wept.” In spite of its grammatical simplicity, it is densely packed with incomprehensible intricacy. After chatting with Lazarus’s heartbroken sisters, Martha and Mary, and witnessing all of the mourners, Jesus broke down and sobbed. That appears to be a logical conclusion. Except for the fact that Jesus had traveled to Bethany in order to revive Lazarus from the dead. He knew that in a matter of minutes, all of this sorrow would be replaced by startled delight, followed by tears of laughing, and finally, praise and adoration.

His heart was “much distressed” (John 11:33), and he began to sob.

1. Compassion for Suffering

In the Bible, the shortest verse is John 11:35, which states simply, “Jesus wept.” Even though it is composed of simple grammatical structures, it has an incredible amount of intricacy. As he spoke with Lazarus’s mourning sisters, Martha and Mary, and looked around at all of the mourners, Jesus broke down and sobbed. What you’ve described looks reasonable. Except for the fact that Jesus had traveled to Bethany in order to revive Lazarus from the grave. He knew that in a matter of minutes, all of the tears would be replaced by tears of pleasure, tears of laughter, and finally tears of adoration.

The Bible states that he was “greatly distressed,” and he cried.

2. The Calamity of Sin

“Jesus’ tears give us a glimpse of the Father’s anguish for the loss of his children,” says the narrator. Jesus, too, was moved to tears by the tragedy of sin. The deathblow was about to be delivered by Jesus, who was about to fulfill God’s promise to come into the world to destroy the devil’s works (see 1 John 3:8). (1 Corinthians 15:26). However, God is terribly grieved by sin, and the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). And, ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, he had been subjected to the horrors of sin’s annihilation.

It had already taken Lazarus, and it would take him again before it was all said and done.

3. The Cost of Redemption

One of the other reasons he was crying was the amount of money he was about to spend to secure not just Lazarus’s short-term resurrection, but also his everlasting life. Everyone was aware of the impending crucifixion, but no one realized how much emotional turmoil Jesus was going through (Luke 12:50). Lazarus’s resurrection would seem and be perceived as a gift of grace by him and everyone else who witnessed and experienced it. But, well, it wasn’t completely free. In order to obtain it, Jesus was going to endure a horrible death on the cross.

He was dreaded the wrath of his Father on him.

He was looking forward to the happiness that had been prepared for him (Hebrews 12:2). However, the truth of what lay in between weighed hard on my mind.

4. The Cause of His Own Death

Jesus’ tears may have been shed because he realized that resurrecting Lazarus would ultimately lead to the religious leaders taking action against him (John 11:45–53), which is a fourth possible explanation. Throughout this tale, most of us are likely to be amazed by Jesus’ tremendous faith that his Father will respond to him. We have such a low level of trust. If Jesus had any doubts that day, it would not have been about whether or not his Father would respond, but about what would happen if his Father did respond.

  • Giving Lazarus life was a way for Jesus to seal his own death.
  • Just these few explanations for Jesus’s tears at Lazarus’s grave provide us with a look into God’s perspective on human suffering and death.
  • However, he is filled with sympathy toward them (Psalm 103:13).
  • “It is possible to weep through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Jesus wept – why did Jesus weep?

QuestionAnswer It is implied that Jesus cried in two places in the Gospels and one place in the Epistles (Hebrews 5:7). In the Gospels, our Lord grieved when He saw the plight of mankind, and both of these occurrences reflect our Lord’s (loving) human character, His compassion for humanity, and the life He promises to those who trust in Him. When Jesus grieved, He demonstrated all of these characteristics. Our Lord’s companion Lazarus died and was raised from the dead in John 11:1–45. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha and a friend of our Lord.

  • The fact that Jesus did not mourn at Lazarus’ death was due to the fact that He knew Lazarus would be revived and eventually spend eternity with Him in heaven.
  • The original wording suggests that our Lord cried “quiet tears” or tears of sympathy for His friends, according to the translation (Romans 12:15).
  • However, saving a death may be seen by some to be a “chance situation” or a “small” miracle, and now was not a moment to entertain any doubts about what had happened.
  • It was the Father’s desire for these witnesses to understand that Jesus was the Son of God, that Jesus had been sent by the Father, and that Jesus and the Father had the same intentions in everything (John 11:4, 40–42).
  • When we read in Luke 19:41–44, the Lord is on His final journey to Jerusalem, just before He was crucified at the demand of His own followers, the same ones He came to save.
  • What a number of times I want to gather your children together, much in the same way that a hen collects her brood beneath her wings, but you would not let it” (Luke 13:34).
  • We know that Jesus grieved openly in agony about the future of the city because the term “wept” is the same word used to describe the sobbing of Mary and the others in John 11:33.
  • Our Lord cried in two distinct ways in these two separate circumstances because the everlasting results were completely different in each instance.

For Christians today, the same is true: “Jesus replied to her, ‘I am both resurrection and life; he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies'” (John 11:25). Questions about John (return to top of page) Jesus cried – what caused Jesus to cry?

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Why Did Jesus Weep?

On a number of occasions in the Bible, Jesus wept and cried out in sorrow. As a result, it seems reasonable to question ourselves, “Why did Jesus cry and lament?” According to the New Testament, there were times when Jesus swept and other times when He wept, among other things. It would seem reasonable to ask ourselves, therefore, why did Jesus cry and grieve on the cross. What was it that made the Savior so depressed? What lessons may we take away from Christ’s agony?

Jesus wept because of man’s sin and the death it brought.

In order to avoid bringing Lazarus to death, Jesus delayed his visit to him when he was unwell. Although Jesus had the ability to cure Lazarus (even from a distance), He informed His followers that He was relieved He was not there to assist them. Jesus foreshadowed the Resurrection that He would accomplish as a sign to His followers in order for them to believe (John 11:11–15), and He predicted that they would believe. Our Lord and Savior obviously displayed this sort of empathy in this instance, as we read that we are to grieve with those who mourn in the Bible.

  • Was it because he was sad?
  • Clearly, Jesus was moved by the sadness of his personal friend Mary, as well as the anguish of the rest of the Jews who were mourning alongside her and her sister Martha.
  • However, we learn further in John 11:35–38 that Jesus was still crying and moaning within Himself, this time in response to death itself and the people’s incredulity.
  • Jesus was well aware that some people would believe in Him from this point forward, but that many others would continue to doubt Him and even report His miracle to the Pharisees.
  • Although John 11:35 does not specify why Jesus wept, we may deduce one explanation from the context: Jesus was pained over the death that resulted as a result of humanity’s sin.

At the beginning of creation, “theLordGod commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the In response to Adam’s direct disobedience, God punished all mankind, beginning with Adam: “‘In the sweat of your brow you must eat bread until you return to the earth, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return’ ” (See Genesis 3:19.) As the Apostle Paul put it, ” Therefore, just as sin entered the world via one man, so death entered the world through sin, and so death spread to all men since all sinned,” sin and death are inextricably linked (Romans 5:12).

  1. Moreover, in Romans 6:23, Paul said unequivocally that “the penalty of sin is death.” As Christians, we tend to lose sight of the fact that death is an adversary.
  2. It is not something that God made, but rather something that occurred as a result of Adam’s sin and disobedience.
  3. Ultimately, death will be the final adversary to be defeated.
  4. The law is the sting of death.
  5. Jesus possessed the ability to revive the dead, and shortly after, He went to the Cross in order to destroy death for all time.
  6. Most likely, the tale of Jesus sobbing at the gravesite of Lazarus is just another proof of God’s anguish for our sinfulness.
  7. He was well aware that the Pharisees would now intensify their efforts to assassinate Him.
  8. Despite the fact that He was on His way to Calvary to be the sacrifice for our sin, He was well aware that the effects of our sin would remain until the time when He presents “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1).

(Genesis 6:5–6) (Genesis 6:5) As a result, the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, “I deeply regret having appointed Saul as king, for he has turned away from obeying Me and has failed to carry out My commands.” Samuel was distressed by this, and he cried out to the Lord throughout the night.

(See 1 Samuel 15:10–11 for further information.) Don’t offend the Holy Spirit of God, who sealed you for the day of redemption and will not allow you to grieve him. (See also Ephesians 4:30.)

Jesus wept over Jerusalem and grieved over mankind’s hard hearts.

Jesus was well aware that the majority of people would reject Him, precisely as had been predicted in Isaiah 53:3–4. Also, Jesus was well aware that the Romans would destroy the city of Jerusalem, demolish the Temple, and slaughter a large number of people (Matthew 24:2; Luke 21:20–24; John 18:36–38). As a result, Jesus mourned for their hardness of heart, knowing that He did not want them to perish but rather that He wanted them to turn to Him (Luke 15:7). However, God makes it plain that He desires individuals to turn away from their sin and live, rather than dying as a result of it (Ezekiel 33:11).

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However, they are now concealed from your view.

“Justice, kindness, and faith,” as Jesus put it, had been disregarded in an endeavor to “establish their own righteousness,” as Paul put it in Romans 10:3, in order to “establish their own righteousness.” When they inquired, He said, “Is it permissible on the Sabbath to do good or evil, to preserve life or to kill?” They, on the other hand, remained mute.

  • (Matthew 3:4–5) Jerusalem had repeatedly heard the Word of God spoken through the mouths of prophets, who had warned them to repent, turn from their sins, and follow the Lord on several occasions.
  • The one who murders the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!
  • Jesus foresaw that his disciples and followers would face persecution as a result of His teachings in the years to come (Matthew 23:34).
  • Saul of Tarsus was approached by Jesus, who said, “Why are you persecuting Me, Saul?” (Why are you persecuting Me?) (See Acts 9:4–5)

We should weep over our sin.

Having an understanding of some of the things that pain our Lord should cause us to weep and be grieved about a number of different things as well. For example, we should beg forgiveness from a holy and righteous God and express regret for having offended him. In his letter to the Romans, Paul demonstrated this form of godly sadness when he wrote:I discover then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who desires to do good. Because the law of God, according to the interior man, is something I enjoy.

Oh, what a miserable human being I am!

(See also Romans 7:21–24.) As the psalmist put it: “For You do not want sacrifice, or else I would offer it; You do not delight in burnt offering.” When we do mourn over our sin in humility, the Lord will not reject us.

Isaiah 66:2 says that God will look upon “him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word,” and we read that God will look at “him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

We should weep over the sin of fleshly living.

It is our responsibility as believers to guard against the temptation to sow into ourselves instead of the Spirit (Galatians 6:7–9), and we should be ready to heed the warning in James 4:8–10 to weep over our own transgressions: Bring yourself closer to God, and He will come closer to you. Remove the filth from your hands, you sinners, and cleanse the filth from your souls, you hypocrites. Weep, lament, and beg for mercy! Allow your pleasure to be converted into grief and your laughter to be turned into darkness.

As a result, it is necessary for us to grieve in order to warn people about false instructors and hedonistic imposters who pose as Christians but in reality are enemies of Jesus Christ.

Because our citizenship is in heaven, where we are also anxiously awaiting the return of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should weep over the sin of complacency and syncretism.

God does not want us to live a life of syncretism, which is the practice of combining God’s worship with fleshly behaviors and spiritual idolatry in one life. God desires for us to worship Him in spirit and in truth, as well as to live a holy life (2 Corinthians 6:16–18), according to the Bible. It is necessary for us to throw aside the weight of sin that so readily besets us (Hebrews 12:1), and it is necessary for us to purify and purge ourselves everyday by repenting of our sin (Hebrews 12:2).

We must continually monitor ourselves for signs of complacency.

And in accordance with this, there are moments when we must bear and demonstrate godly grief in order to bring about repentance: Because godly sorrow results in repentance that leads to salvation, and it is not to be regretted, whereas the sorrow of the world results in death.

In this situation, you have demonstrated your ability to think clearly under pressure.

May we have a heart like His!

It is common to be impressed by the humanity of Jesus when we read John 11:35, the Bible’s shortest verse in the English translation. Perhaps we can now look at this verse in a fresh way and contemplate Jesus’ Godhead as a result of this revelation. God in the flesh, Jesus, was grieving at the hardness of people’s hearts and the iniquity that surrounded him. Jesus was grieving because mankind was still subject to the curse of death and because the last adversary of mankind had not yet been vanquished.

As Christians, we look forward to the good hope (Titus 2:13) that when Christ returns, we will be raised to life along with Him (1 Corinthians 15:22).

For the time being, however, while we are here on this planet, fighting with death and grief, we must put aside every burden, as well as the sin that so quickly besets us (Hebrews 12:1).

In the face of our own sin (Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 66:2), may we resolve to have a contrite heart, and may we resolve to bear a load for the sake of those who are lost. May we all have a heart as big as His!

Why did Jesus weep knowing He would raise Lazarus?

The resurrection of Lazarus from the dead is considered to be the most magnificent of all the miracles that Jesus did. Jesus’ humanity is demonstrated in the narrative. When Jesus felt the sting of death, he cried, just as we do when we are grieved. We also learn about His enormous love and compassion for His companions, which we can read about here. We also learn about His reliance on His Father and his willingness to carry out God’s purpose, which is a significant and frequently forgotten aspect of the story.

John 11 – The Raising of Lazarus

In verse 1, Lazarus is referred to as “a specific guy.” He wasn’t just any dude, though. Jesus had a soft spot for Lazarus, which was well-known to all around him. Those words of his sisters, in a communication to Jesus, explain his condition: “.Lord, see, the one whom You love is ill.” (John 11:3). When Jesus learned of Lazarus’ illness, He declared, “This sickness is not for the death of Lazarus, but for the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (John 11:4). The purpose of Lazarus’ illness is revealed in verse 4, and Jesus’ love is further demonstrated in verse 5: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister, as well as Lazarus.” According to the context of Jesus’ statements, “this sickness is not unto death,” it appears that Jesus recognized the purpose of Lazarus’ illness right away.

  1. According to Jesus’ own words, “so the Son of God may be exalted through it,” it appears that He would demonstrate a power that only God possesses, namely, the ability to raise a body from the dead.
  2. At John 11:6, we are not informed where Jesus was when he received word of Lazarus’ illness; all we know is that He stayed there for two more days and that Lazarus had already been dead for four days when He arrived in Bethany (John 11:39).
  3. It states that for the first three days after death, the soul hovers above the body, believing that it would return to the body after the third day.
  4. Yom 16:3 (Yebamot 16:3) Perhaps Jesus waited a while to present the people with proof that Lazarus had died so that they would believe that Jesus had resurrected him from the grave.
  5. His followers then alerted Him of the danger He was in from those who were attempting to murder Him (John 11:8).

Jesus Goes to Bethany

During this time, Jesus discloses to His followers that Lazarus has died and that He would raise him from the dead. He says, “Our buddy Lazarus sleeps; but I go, that I may awaken him out of slumber” (John 11:11). Jesus was welcomed by Martha when He arrived in Bethany, and He told her, “Your brother shall rise again” (John 11:23). When Jesus witnessed the anguish of those who had gathered to mourn the death of Lazarus, He broke down and cried (John 11:33-35) Even while we are all familiar with the remainder of the narrative, we sometimes overlook a key truth contained in verses 41-42.

Moreover, I am aware that You are constantly aware of my presence, but I said this in order for the people who are standing nearby to think that You have sent Me.” The night before He accomplished this miracle, Jesus praised His Father for hearing Him, and He spoke this out loud so that it would serve as a witness to the people who were in attendance.

As soon as Jesus called out, “Lazarus, come forth,” Lazarus was lifted from his grave and went out, still bound in his burial cloths, to greet his friends and family.

“Loose him, and let him go,” Jesus said, and so Lazarus was resurrected, although he would also die a second time in the future.

He had triumphed over death. It seemed as if death had lost its grip on Him. When we “die” to ourselves and are raised to new life in Christ, we are “loosed” from the bonds of the grave and the sting of death, and we are free to live our lives as God intended.

Why did Jesus cry?

The fact that Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead is undeniable; thus, why did He mourn when He was informed of Lazarus’ death? Jesus was a completely human being, and crying is a normal part of the human experience. With the help of his poem, Washington Irving (1783-1859) gives an insight into the emotional response to tears. A devoted Christian and author of novels and essays in the early nineteenth century, Washington Irving was a biographer, historian, and diplomat who served as a representative of the United States in Europe and Asia.

Tears have a hallowed quality to them.

They are more eloquent than a thousand different languages combined.

— Theodore Washington Irving

Scripture Records Three Times When Jesus Wept

1) In this verse, Jesus grieved because He adored Lazarus, as well as Martha and Mary, who were present (John 11:5). This exposes Jesus’ totally human character as well as the emotional sorrow of grieving that he went through during his life. Funeral mourning is a profound human pain that we all experience when someone we love passes away, and Jesus knows this since He has gone through it Himself. Jesus was also pained by the source of all physical death, which was the sin of the world.

Jesus wept in unspeakable love and overwhelming grief for His friends.

Jesus cried over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41, which is the second time it is recorded that Jesus wept over Jerusalem. As a result of their transgression, God took away all He had given them, including the beautiful Garden and perfect fellowship with Him. God, in His kindness, promised salvation and immediately began laying the groundwork for mankind’s deliverance. It was God who raised up a people and gave them a territory that would be theirs, and it was God who established God’s city in that Promised Land, Jerusalem, which is known as the “City of Peace.” God first provided a garden for Adam and Eve, and then He provided His people with a city—a place to live, a city on a hill that would shine as a beacon across the country of Israel.

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The Bible says that Jesus cried as he gazed out over God’s city in Luke 19:41.

Jesus wept in unspeakable love and overwhelming grief for Jerusalem.

A garden is the setting for the third instance of Jesus weeping recorded in the Bible. Jesus shed sweat “like big droplets of blood,” according to the disciples. While praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus, knowing that His time had come, “wept” in intense sorrow as His bodily body was torn apart by the cross.

Jesus wept in unspeakable love for man and overwhelming grief over the cost of man’s sin.

In His humanity, Jesus experienced love, disappointment, loss, grief, and sadness–every human emotion that may cause tears to well up in the eyes of those who see it.

Furthermore, in His Godhead, Jesus is completely LOVE (1 John 4:8, 16). Jesus’ love for us is endless, magnificent, unending, indescribable, and undeserved, and He expresses it to us in every possible manner, even via His tears, which we can read about here.

Jesus Wept When Lazarus Died. Why? (John 11:35)

When a loved one passes away, it is normal for us to cry since we will miss him. Because Lazarus died, Jesus did not shed tears, despite the fact that he had feelings for him. Because of his sympathy for the grieving, as evidenced by the context of John’s testimony, he wept tears for them. — John 11:36 is a passage from the Bible. When Jesus initially learned that Lazarus was ill, he did not hurry to Lazarus’ bedside to administer first aid to the sick man. According to the narrative, “after he learned that he was unwell, he actually stayed in the spot where he had been for two days.” (See also John 11:6) What was the reason for Jesus’ delay?

  1. “This disease is not for the purpose of bringing about death, but rather for the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be exalted through it,” he explained.
  2. Lazarus’ death was to be used “for the glory of God,” according to Jesus.
  3. By reviving his good friend Lazarus from the dead, Jesus was about to execute a tremendous miracle on the earth.
  4. That is why he informed them that he was “journeying there in order to awaken from his sleep.” (See also John 11:11) Raising Lazarus from the dead would be comparable to a parent waking up his or her kid from a slumber in Jesus’ eyes.
  5. What, then, prompted Jesus to shed tears on the cross?
  6. After seeing Lazarus’ sister Mary and seeing her and others crying, Jesus “groaned in the spirit and felt distressed,” according to the Bible.
  7. Jesus said this in John 11:33 and 35.
  8. It also allows us to recognize that Jesus shares our sorrow for people who have suffered the loss of loved ones as a result of Adamic death.
  9. Jesus was well aware that he would be raising Lazarus from the dead.
  10. In a similar vein, our empathy may lead us to “cry with others who are crying.” (See Romans 12:15.) A person’s expression of mourning does not imply a lack of belief in the resurrection’s possibility.

How natural it was, therefore, for Jesus to provide an example of genuine sorrow for the bereaved by crying genuine tears even as he prepared to resurrect Lazarus from the dead.

“Jesus Wept” – 3 Reasons the Savior Was Weeping

Jesus grieved because Lazarus’ death and resurrection were a mirror image of His own death and resurrection. Jesus was well aware that he would die and be buried within a short period of time. He was well aware that, like Lazarus, he would finally triumph over death and rise from the grave, but he also recognized that it would be an extraordinarily tough path to go. When Jesus was nearing the end of His life, he prayed: “And he exclaimed, ‘Abba, Father, anything is possible for you.'” Please take this cup away from me.

We may mourn from time to time in this sinful world, but we have a greater hope in Jesus Christ.

He had to weep so that one day we wouldn’t have to do the same thing.

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Related: It is Completed: The Message of Jesus’ Last Words is a Profound One Prayer for the Feast of the Resurrection The Resurrection Scriptures and the Easter Bible Verses Bible Verses for Good Friday A wife and stay-at-home mom, Christina Patterson has a heart for encouraging women in their love for Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word.

Beloved Women is a non-profit organization that provides tools and fellowship for women to fully know who they are in Christ: His Beloved.

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What Is the Meaning and Significance of ‘Jesus Wept’?

“Jesus sobbed.” Despite the fact that these are only two small words, they have a profound significance for us. It seems to me that when we read the gospels, we tend to lose sight of Jesus’ human side — that He had human interactions with people throughout His life. It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeing Jesus as a superior entity (which, of course, He was; He’s God! ), who was so distinct from people around Him — and therefore His connections were strictly of a leader-follower kind — that His relationships were purely leader-follower in nature.

  • He had developed strong bonds with the individuals in his immediate vicinity, with whom he had spent more than three years and with whom he had lived.
  • Many inside jokes, common interests, and hobbies have been shared; secrets, weaknesses, heartbreaks, and pleasures have all been shared as have many other things.
  • When reading a sentence like this, it’s important to keep this fact in mind.
  • With the death of his buddy, Lazarus, we are able to observe His intimate connections in all their glory, as well as the implications of this for us, as followers of Jesus who are also confronted with the truth of death.

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‘Jesus Wept’ Meaning and Origin

As the Bible says, “Jesus sobbed.” Despite the fact that they are only two words, they have a profound significance for us. When we read the gospels, I believe we tend to lose sight of Jesus’ human side — that He had human interactions throughout His life. Because Jesus was such a unique and superior creature (which, of course, He was, He was God! ), it’s tempting to think of Him as a higher being who was so distinct from people around Him — that His interactions were exclusively of the leader-follower variety.

  1. A strong bond developed between him and the people in his immediate vicinity, with whom he had been spending and living for three years or more.
  2. What do you remember about them?
  3. When reading a sentence like this, it’s important to keep this point in mind.
  4. With the death of his buddy, Lazarus, we are able to observe His intimate connections in all their glory, as well as the implications of this for us, as Jesus’ friends who are also confronted with the truth of death ourselves.

The Reality of Death

Death is a horrible fact of life for all of humanity. It happens to us all – our own death — as well as to others in our immediate vicinity, but the fact that we all experience it at the same time does not make it any easier to bear. It’s especially difficult to stomach when death strikes abruptly and prematurely in one’s life. When a sad tragedy occurs, such as the death of a child from cancer, the kindness of God might be called into question. Questions such as “Why would God tolerate this?” and “Why would God allow this?” “How come He didn’t heal the child?” According to studies, telling someone who is grieving that “Everything happens for a reason” or that “It’s all a part of God’s plan” is one of the worst things you can say to them.

It might also cause individuals to drift farther away from God if they believe, in the middle of losing a loved one, that God was the one who brought about the most catastrophic and horrible event in their lives.

The Goodness of God

For anybody who has ever suffered a loss, reconciling the realities of death and suffering with the kindness of God may be a difficult task. I think that disasters in life are not the result of God’s creation, nor are they a part of His design or purpose. Due to the brokenness of our universe, sin entered the world with humanity’s fall (through Adam and Eve), bringing with it the reality of death. Unfortunately, we live in a damaged world. Neither tragic death, nor the end of life in general, is anything I consider to be a part of God’s plan for me.

However, as a result of the brokenness of this world, children are diagnosed with cancer and other illnesses, and people suffer and die as a result.

God is capable of dealing with it.

Despite the fact that this is another issue that I am unable to clearly answer, I accept that it is one of the enigmatic aspects of God that distinguishes Him as the Lord our God (Deuteronomy 29:29).

It is only through faith that one may find resolution to this dilemma. God’s goodness can only be believed via faith (Luke 18:19).

What Does Jesus Wept Mean for Us?

It is for this reason that “Jesus wept” is mentioned in the Gospel of John, indicating its significance. Jesus serves as a reminder to us that sadness is something that must be experienced. Grief is an unavoidable aspect of existence. In spite of the fact that He knew that Lazarus would be raised to life by Him in a matter of moments and that He would eventually overcome Death (see 1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 21:4), Jesus wept over the death of His friend. Whenever the thought arises, “Why would God allow such a thing to occur?” It is a comforting reminder that Jesus did not find this aspect of life to be satisfactory.

  • In order for us to have eternal life with Him — never having to go through the anguish of death again — He himself died on the cross, a horrific, agonizing death on a crucifixion (1 Corinthians 15:55).
  • Because Jesus grieved, he serves as a constant reminder of the truth of death.
  • The tears of Jesus also serve to remind us of God’s kindness.
  • We have reason to be optimistic.
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Why Did Jesus Weep at Lazarus’ Tomb?

The story of Jesus resurrecting his buddy Lazarus from the grave is one of the most well-known miracles in the New Testament (John 11). In addition to being a deep miracle and a spectacular demonstration of Jesus’ power, it is also replete with theological implications concerning the resurrection, eternal life, and the significance of Christ’s call to live. There is a verse in the Bible that is the shortest in the world hidden within this narrative. “Jesus grieved,” states the Bible in a nutshell in verse 35.

  • Even though Christ is certain that he would resurrect his buddy from the dead (as stated in verses 15, 23, and 30), he is nonetheless distressed by the loss of his friends’ relationship with him.
  • At the very least, it is how the majority of people understand his conduct.
  • However, I have a strong suspicion that his tears are of a somewhat different nature.
  • Take a look at the flow of the account.
  • He deliberately allows Lazarus to die.
  • This is, without a doubt, the plan of Jesus.
  • “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” she states emphatically.

Her attitude is a bit ambiguous.

He could have done something to prevent this from happening.

A few more words are exchanged between Jesus and Martha, revealing that she believes Lazarus will indeed be raised from the dead, but that it will not happen until a later time.

She falls at Jesus’ feet in a more dramatic manner than her sister and declares, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (32).

She simply accuses Jesus of failing to pick up the slack.

After seeing her crying and the Jews who had come with her crying, Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and became greatly troubled, according to the gospel according to John.

This is something that he finds bothersome.

In his spirit, the phrase “deeply moved” is derived from the Greek word “embrimaomai,” which literally translates as “to be enraged, to express indignant dissatisfaction with a person.” Although it is accurate to say that Jesus was “deeply moved,” this statement does not provide a clear picture of how he was moved.

  1. He was mad!
  2. Now at this point, it could still be up for debate if Jesus’ emotional expressions are from sorrow for Lazarus, for his friends’ grief, or from frustration.
  3. But what happens next is what makes me lean more towards the the interpretation that Jesus’ tears are not so much from empathy or sorrow as they are from frustration at lack of faith.
  4. But others in the crowd had different thoughts: “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” At least some in the crowd, like Mary earlier, imply that Jesus is a bit of a bumbler.
  5. Again, see what immediately follows.
  6. (38).
  7. Jesus has a second bout of being “deeply moved”,embrimaomai, same word as before.

What I would like to point out is that both times Jesus is “deeply moved” (angry, indignant), it happens immediately after he is accused of committing some sort of gaffe.

Then, Mary outright says he blew it, to which Jesus is bothered.

What this shows me is that the context of Jesus’ tears are right in the middle of a group of people who simply don’t trust him.

Put yourself in Jesus’ shoes.

You have put this power on display a hundred times before.

You have shown yourself to be trustworthy over and over again.

Ouch!

Yes, perhaps, I think you can argue that Jesus experiences some legitimate sadness over Lazarus’ passing, or more likely at the sorrow experienced by others at his passing.

I don’t doubt that for a second.

Thus, it makes more sense to me that Jesus’ emotional state is tied, at least more so, to the lack of faith from his followers.

What a word to use!

I think it is fair to say that God, when accused of wrongdoing in the midst of it, might get upset about that.

This hurt Jesus.

He was angry at their borderline blasphemy, and he was sad that their lack of faith caused them pain.

How our lack of faith is like an arrow piercing the heart of God!

I know that, from our own earthly perspective, it can easily seem like God is incompetent to handle the task.

Our Lord is good, he is powerful, and he is sovereign.

Let this be a lesson to us all.

Even when everything is spinning out of control, and nothing seems like it is adding up, remember that when all was said and done, the dead man emerged from the tomb. Out of death, Christ can bring life. Jesus was vindicated then, and he will be in your life too. Trust him!

Five Reasons Jesus Wept

My favorite verse as a child was the one that said, “Jesus cried,” mostly because it was the shortest and simplest to remember. Now, John 11:35 has claimed a place in my heart as one of my favorite verses, owing to the fact that it has a great deal of significance. It’s similar to the small capsules that are used to power out the dirt from a huge load of washing machine. Throughout the years, I’ve gleaned five life-changing teachings and one penetrating inquiry from the Bible’s most brief verse.

Weeping not a sign of weakness

Jesus exuded a strong sense of authority. He single-handedly flipped over the money-changers’ tables, opened their money bags and flung their currency to the ground, chased away the livestock of the animal traders, and made these men feel so fortunate to have survived that none of them stopped to collect their money (see John 2:13–17; Mark 11:15–17). This scenario, among many others, dispels the popular image of a teddy-bear Messiah, which is occasionally advanced in the media. If we include the other brave heroes of the Bible, we have a long list of courageous guys who have shed tears for their beliefs.

When Joseph grieved, it was because he had the strength to reject sexual temptation during a difficult moment in his life and the ability to forgive his brothers’ treachery.

In the event that you’ve ever found yourself sobbing, you’re in good company.

Weeping is not a denial of faith

Jesus informed the twelve disciples that He would be raising Lazarus from the dead. His laid-back demeanor led the disciples to assume that Lazarus was on the mend rather than in the tomb (John 11:11-15). All of Jesus’ senses were completely alert to His own identity, position, purpose, and authority. And yet, even though He understood that He had dominion over death as the creator of life, He cried (John 6:39-40). 10:17-18). While Christ’s public prayer at the tomb of Lazarus acted as a message that the Father had already responded Christ’s privately prayed, He cried nonetheless (John 11:41-42).

Mary and Martha expressed their confidence in the Savior’s power while holding back tears; if they could weep while remaining faithful, then so can we (John 11:21-32).

Jesus weptwithHis followers

When the apostle John wrote, “The Word was become flesh, and lived among us,” he captured God’s desire for connection with His creation and conveyed it effectively (John 1:14, KJV). In the Bible, the term “dwelt” is derived from the Hebrew word for “tabernacle” or “tent of assembly.” In contrast to Moses’ tent of meeting, which was built of items like badger hides, God chose to tabernacle with us in a tent made of human flesh via Jesus Christ. Emmanuel, “God with us,” was able to witness personally what we go through in this earth for the first time.

He now weeps among those who are mourning Lazarus’ death on the walk to the tomb.

He will not have anybody to cry with when the time comes.

When God has wiped away all of our tears and death has been defeated, Christ will no longer have anybody with whom to weep (Revelation 21:4; 20:14).

Although humans are only meant to die once (Hebrews 9:27), Jesus will live with the grieving and grieve with the weeping for as long as individuals are destined to die only once.

Jesus weptforHis followers

During the time of Jesus’ weeping for His followers, He was able to see ahead to the garden, when their self-sufficiency had them sleeping instead of praying (Mark 14:37–40). He mourned for them because they didn’t heed His warnings about how profoundly their faith would be rocked if they didn’t listen (see Luke 22:31; Matthew 26:31). Jesus cried for them because He saw that Judas’ plot with the priests was the final nail in the coffin that would exclude him from the kingdom of God. Matthew 26:69–75 describes how He cried for the humiliation that His most outspoken speaker would face after refusing Him three times.

If they had taken note of this miracle, they would not have been afraid when He was crucified, as they were afterwards.

The pain in his heart went out to them, wishing to dispel their mistrust and save them from unneeded sorrow.

Jesus weptforHis opponents

During the time of Jesus’ weeping for His followers, He could look ahead to the garden, when their self-sufficiency caused them to sleep instead of prayer (Mark 14:37–40). The reason He mourned for them was because they didn’t heed His warnings about how severely their faith would be tested (see Luke 22:31; Matthew 26:31). The reason Jesus cried for them was because He understood that Judas’ plot with the priests was the final nail in the coffin that would finally expel him from the kingdom of God.

As a result of resurrecting Lazarus from the dead after four days, Jesus instilled trust in the disciples, allowing them to look forward to Christ’s resurrection the following day.

Those who witnessed His resurrection would not have doubted it for a second.

Is He weepingwithorforus today?

It was our High Priest’s willingness to weep with us that prompted him to come and live among us. The Bible says that He grieved terribly when He interceded for us on earth, and that He continues to weep bitterly as He intercedes for us in heaven (Hebrews 4:15, 5:7–9, Romans 8:34–35). Because Jesus has walked in our shoes, the Father has delegated all authority and responsibility to Him (John 5:22; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Weepingforus is upset with the Judge, who is looking to forgive rather than punish.

Jesus cried then, as he weeps today, but he will not mourn indefinitely. I’m curious as to what type of tears He’s crying forth. Is He, as your High Priest, grieving with you? Alternatively, are you grieving for you as your Judge?

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