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Author: Stephen Weller
668 words, 4 minutes read time

Jesus Wept

Scripture: John 11:33-37

In the previous lesson Martha states what she believes about Jesus and goes to get Mary. Upon being told, she quickly gets up and goes to meet Jesus. Those who were at the house consoling her, thinking she was going to the tomb to weep followed her. Meeting Jesus she falls at his feet in worship and states her belief that Lazarus would not have died had he been there when Lazarus was ill. In this lesson we will go to the tomb where Lazarus was put to rest.

^{Jn 11:33} ‘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. ³⁴ And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”’

Jesus observes Mary weeping along with those who came with her causing him to be “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” The Greek word from which “deeply moved” is translated, was translated that way only one other time in verse 38. Otherwise it is translated as “sternly warned” in Matthew 9:30 (ESV), as “sternly charged” in Mark 1:43 (ESV), and as “scolded” in Mark 14:5 (ESV). From these translations we obtain the meaning to feel something deeply and strongly. It is profound sorrow that Jesus feels over the death of his friend Lazarus and over the grief that his other friends are suffering.

Mixed in with this sorrow, I believe, was anger at the evil of death, an enemy that Jesus came to destroy; 1 Corinthians describes it as “the last enemy to be destroyed.” Revelation 21:4 (ESV) assures us that in heaven “[God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Jesus asks Mary where the body of Lazarus was laid. Jesus knew what he was going to do, so in addition to his profound sorrow and anger at the evil of death, there was also a deep sense of awe at the power God was about to funnel through him in his triumph over death; not only in using his voice to raise Lazarus, but in anticipation of using his voice to summons the whole world to the resurrection on the last day.

^{Jn 11:35} ‘Jesus wept. ³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”’

Before going to where they laid Lazarus, Jesus was overcome with emotion and joins his friends’ sadness with his own weeping, even though he knew he was going to bring Lazarus back to life. This was now the time for sorrow and later would be a time to rejoice. At the death of a believer there is always sorrow, but at the same time there is joy over the promise of the resurrection.

Seeing Jesus weep was observed by others as his deep love for Lazarus, but there were some who were critical saying, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Yes, he could have but then he could not have used Lazarus to teach about the resurrection.

Conclusion

In this lesson we see a vivid picture of the humanity of Jesus. He was overcome with such deep sorrow that he breaks down and weeps. In addition to his sorrow, he may also have felt a deep anger over the evil of death that he will destroy on the cross, and he may also have sensed a deep awe over the power his voice would have, not only in raising Lazarus, but in summoning the whole world to the resurrection on the last day.