John 11:1-45: Jesus Wept

John 11:1-45: Jesus Wept

John 11:11-46 is the story of the amazing miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  However, I am going to focus on the two most profound words from that historical account.

John 11:35, "Jesus wept," is the shortest verse in the Bible (To be technical 1 Thessalonians 5:16 also only has 2 words "Rejoice evermore," but John 11:35 has less letters), yet it is a very powerful verse.

Jesus' friend Lazarus had just died, and Jesus had been summoned by His close friends, the sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

Jesus is aware that Lazarus had died before being told because He is the all-knowing Son of God.  Therefore, Jesus does not weep because He had just received the terrible news that His friend had died.  He also knows He is about to raise Lazarus from the dead, so He has no reason to grieve. It is not until He arrived to see Lazarus to see His friends weeping that He is moved by a great compassion for them.  His tears are ones of love and sympathy, not of loss.   That is why John 11:35 is so moving, we see the tenderheartedness from Jesus when He witnesses His friends hurting.  Verse 33 says, "He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled."  

It is amazing to know I serve such a benevolent Savior!  My tears and hurts may not literally cause Him to cry, but I know that He cares about my hurts and my heart breaks.  He may not always fix the problem, but He gives me the peace and joy to endure, and He loves me and truly had compassion over my tears.

(John 11:1-5, 17, 20-27, 31-45) Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick."

When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Then when Jesus came, He found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Then said Martha unto Jesus, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee."

Jesus saith unto her, "Thy brother shall rise again."

Martha saith unto him, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

She saith unto Him, "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."

The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, "She goeth unto the grave to weep there."

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died."

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, "Where have ye laid him? "

They said unto him, "Lord, come and see."

Jesus wept.

Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

And some of them said, "Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?"

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus said, "Take ye away the stone. "

Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, "Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."

Jesus saith unto her, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me."

And when he thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him.