Jesus wept meaning and 7 powerful Reasons He Wept with Bible Verses.
Sometimes we can be hit with troubles of life that we make can lead to one weeping, as in Jesus. This verse is easy to remember because it is so short. Jesus wept. (John 11.35)
We bring to you reasons Jesus wept. This post answers your questions to;
- What is the meaning of Jesus’ wept?
- How many times did Jesus weep in the Bible?
- What does John 11 35 say in the Bible?
- Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem?
- why did jesus wept
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Even though it is a short verse, it raises many questions. What was Jesus crying about? He was God-made flesh. Jesus was able to see the end of all things, no matter how difficult they were. He would triumph. He would triumph over death. He would save the entire world. So, why all the crying?
We can zoom out on this two-word verse and see the full context of what brought Jesus to tears.
Jesus received word that one of His close friends had died just before the end of His ministry. Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died. This family was related to Jesus. Mary was the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with ointment and then wiped them with her hair (John 11, 2:2). Martha had welcomed Jesus before, but she was distracted. (Luke 10:38-42)
Although the loss of their brother deeply saddened them, the sisters believed that there was still hope. They had known Jesus personally and were aware of the miracles He could do. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind. He will surely raise their brother from death.
“… My brother would have survived if you were here.
The Bible says that Jesus waited two days after knowing about Lazarus’ death. He then headed to Judea to visit Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
The sisters began to lose hope as the days went by. Jesus did not arrive soon enough. Their hope of their brother’s resurrection waned, and their grief grew. Realization set in that their brother had died, and there was nothing anyone could have done about it. Jesus arrived after Martha had spoken:
People gathered around Mary and Martha to mourn the loss of their brother. Jesus was moved by their sorrow and began to weep when he heard them.
This verse is two words long and reveals that the writer wants us to pause for a second. This was not something you can ignore or gloss over. It was deliberate and full of meaning.
7 Powerful Reasons Jesus Wept
So, why are you weeping? Here are reasons why Jesus wept:
1. Jesus wept over the suffering of his friends.
He witnessed the pain and suffering that death caused. Jesus cared deeply for Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Lazarus. Even though He knew this was to glorify God and that Lazarus would soon return to them in a matter of minutes, He still felt their pain. He felt their pain and was sympathetic.
If you genuinely care about someone, it will hurt you. Jesus’s weeping shows His genuine care and love. God doesn’t take our pain lightly, even though He knows He will make all things right. As a loving Father, He doesn’t want us to be in pain. He will see that it leads to a greater good. Our presence and sharing of their misery are some of the greatest gifts we can offer someone in distress.
A Swedish proverb says that “Shared joy” is the equivalent of double joy. One-half of sorrow can be shared.
Jesus wanted to share their pain. And this reminded us that Jesus is always there for us, no matter how painful or difficult things may be. He is not afraid to be there for us in our darkness and despair. Jesus is the first to reach out and meet us in our valleys. Jesus wept because those He loved wept.
2. Jesus wept over their lack of faith.
The second reason Jesus wept was due to the lack of faith He saw around him. Jesus told His disciples that they would be returning to Judea. They reminded Him of the time that He almost was stoned when He visited Judea. They were acting in fear, not faith. They tried to dissuade Jesus from returning to Judea. Jesus replied:
“Then Jesus spoke plainly to them, “Lazarus has already died. And for your sake, I am glad I wasn’t there. So that you may believe.” “But let us go to Him,” Jesus said. Thomas, also called the Twin, told his fellow disciples, “Let us also go that we may die together with him.” John 11:14-16(
Jesus deliberately waited to travel to Lazarus to bring God glory after Lazarus had been raised from the dead. The disciples still planned to travel to Judea to be with Jesus and to die with Him. We’ve read that Jesus reached Judea after Mary and Martha warned him it was too late. Lazarus was dead for many days. They believed that there was no way he could come back to life. Martha thought that Jesus would still raise her brother when He told Martha.
“Jesus told her, Your brother will rise again.’ Martha replied I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last days.'” John 11:23-24(
Martha believed that Lazarus would rise again one day, but it wasn’t that day. Jesus reminded Martha:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection & the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even if he dies, and anyone who lives and thinks that I am the resurrection and the life shall never die. Are you a believer in this? John 11:25-26(
“…He understands that it is our faith that leads us to salvation, peace, joy.
Jesus wanted people to believe in Him. They were still focused on Jesus’ arrival in Judea on the scheduled date. They were worried about Jesus’ timing and Lazarus’ smell. John 11:39).
Jesus was sad because they didn’t see all the answers to their problems, but they seemed missing them. They seemed to have lost the power of Jesus. Jesus wept because He wants our faith.
“And without faith, it is impossible for him to be pleased. For anyone who would draw near to God must believe he exists and that God rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6(
Jesus was impressed by few people, but those who were did had one thing in common: they believed in Him. Jesus wants us to believe in Him, not to make Him feel better, but because He knows that faith is what leads to salvation, peace, joy, and happiness that can only be found in Him.
3. Jesus wept over his suffering.
Jesus wept as Lazarus’s resurrection and death mirrored His own. Jesus knew that He would also die soon and be buried. He knew He would triumph over death and rise from the grave, just like Lazarus. But He also knew that it would be a difficult road. Jesus prayed a little closer to His death:
He said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for me. Take this cup away from me. But not what I will, but rather what you will.” (Mark 14:36(
While He did not want to die on the Cross, He wanted to glorify His Father.
Sometimes we may weep in the fallen world. But in Jesus, we have a greater hope. Psalm 126,5-6 Tells us:
“Those who sow with tears will reap with joy.” He who weeps, carrying the seed for sowing with him em>
Jesus had to suffer. He had to feel the pain. He had to weep to ensure that we wouldn’t have to.
Revelation 21.4
This encourages us to keep our fingers crossed for this goal:
“He shall wipe away every tear out of their eyes, and there shall be no death, nor mourning, nor crying nor pain anymore. For the former, things have passed.”
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4. Weeping is not a sign that you are weak.
Jesus was a powerful presence. He single-handedly turned over the money-changers tables, opened their money bag and cast their currency to ground. He also ran off the animals traders’ livestock and made them feel so fortunate to escape alive (see John 2:13-17; Mark 11.15-17). This scene is just one example of the many that refute the idea of a teddy bear Messiah.
Add to those other brave men from the Bible, and you have a long list of tough guys who weep. David, the giant-killing warrior king, wept. Joseph, who was strong enough not to suanimal’so sexual temptation in a lonely period of his life, and could forgive his brothers for their betrayal, wept. Nehemiah was skilled and strong enough to use a carpenter’s knife in one hand and a sword in another. You’re not alone if you have ever wept.
5. It is not a sign of faith denial to weep.
Jesus informed the twelve disciples that He would wake Lazarus. His relaxed tone led the disciples to believe Lazarus was on the mend, not in the grave (John 11:11-15). Jesus knew His identity, power, and position. Jesus knew He was the author of life and had power over death. He wept (John 6;39-40 & John 10:17-18). Christ’s public prayer at the grave of Lazarus served as an announcement that the Father had already answered His private prayer, and yet He wept (John 11:41-42).
It is impossible to weep without confirming God’s foreknowledge and abilities. Jesus wept, but it was not a sign of a lack of faith. If Mary and Martha affirmed their faith in the Savior’s power while choking back tears, then we can weep while being faithful (John 11:21-32). We now know that Christians are free to weep, but the question remains: Why did Jesus weep if it wasn’t an indication of weakness or lack of faith?
6. Jesus wept For Love
The apostle John encapsulated God’s craving for closeness with His creation when he wrote, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, KJV). The word “dwelt” is derived from the word “tabernacle”, or “tent of meeting.” Moses had a tent made out of badger skins. But Christ was made of human flesh, and God tabernacled with them in a tent.
Emmanuel, also known as “God with Us,” could finally experience what we feel in this world. When He made water into wine at the wedding party, He rejoiced with all who rejoice (John 2:2). Now, He weeps with the weeping on the way to Lazarus’ tomb.
Jesus weeps for and with His followers, as well as for those who reject Him. He will one day have no one to weep with.
One day, those sleeping in Jesus will be reunited with those alive in Christ as they rise to meet Him in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Christ will no longer have anyone to cry with when God has wiped away our tears (Revelation 21; 20:14). But as long as “people are destined to die once” (Hebrews 9:27), Jesus will dwell with the grieving and weep with those who weep.
7. Jesus wept for his followers
Jesus wept for His disciples because He could see ahead to the garden when their self-sufficiency had them sleeping instead of praying (Mark 14:37-40). He wept because they did not believe His warnings about how serious their faith would be shaken (see Luke 23:31; Matthew 26.31). Jesus wept because He knew Judas’ plot with the priests would be the last straw that would remove him from grace. How He wept for the shame His most vocal spokesman would feel after denying Him three times (Matthew 26:69-75).
Jesus raised Lazarus four days after he had been dead. This inspired the disciples to believe in Him, and they were able to anticipate Christ’s resurrection on the third day. They wouldn’t be afraid if they learned from His miracle. They wouldn’t doubt the resurrection reports. His heart aches for them, longing to overcome their doubts and spare them any unnecessary pain.
Conclusion:
Jesus wept for all those who rejected Him and continues to do so. Some who witnessed Lazarus walk out of the tomb hated His influence so much that they would plot to kill Lazarus, the beneficiary of His power (John 12:9-11). They saw His true miracle and refused to repent or live eternally.
