Jesus Wept
John 11:35
This is the shortest passage in the bible, but don’t get your hopes up, because it’s not the shortest lesson in the bible. In fact the more I studied this scripture the more complicated it became.
Jesus expressed other emotions too, and that’s a good indication of his human nature. Although the Bible doesn’t say that he laughed, I’m sure He thought that some of things His disciples said and did was funny.
And if the truth were known, He probably finds some of our thoughts and actions humorous.
We know that Jesus felt joy, in John 17:13 He said “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy.”
And in Hebrews 12:2, it is said that he endured the cross for the joy that set before Him.
Jesus also expressed anger, He was angry when He cleared the temple out. There were numerous occasions when He was angered at the Pharisees, and it’s ok for us to express our anger, but Paul warns us in Ephesians 4:26 in your anger, sin not.
There is only one instance in the Bible were it actually says that Jesus wept. The fact that He shed tears is profound, and that it’s only mentioned one time makes it a significant event.
We also weep, and we weep for many different reasons. Some people are ashamed to shed tears, maybe they feel to macho, or maybe they just feel embarrassed for some one to see them shed a tear.
But one of the comforts of having a Savior like Jesus is knowing that He was touched enough to shed tears. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points was tempted as we are. Hebrews 4:15
When I was a child I liked watching Disney movies, and I still do. So when The Lion King came out, I took my grandson to see it, and as the movie unfolded I noticed that my life was sort of like this young lions life.
His father was killed when he was young, and so was mine. He was cut off from the life his father led, and I was removed from what my dad did also.
Well when this young lion, Simba looked up in the sky and saw the outline of his father Musafa in the stars. My tears exploded. Here I sat in theater full of kids, watching an animated film, and crying like baby. I sure was glade it was dark in there.
Our emotions sneak up on us sometimes, when we least expect it,
It’s like someone has this little switch, that controls your emotions, and they like to turn it on at the most inopportune times.
Sometimes our emotions build up and build up until you can’t hold it back any longer, and at other times, the tears well up and just start flooding out with little or no warning.
And we don’t just cry when we’re sad, sometimes we cry when we’re happy, at weddings and graduations, when I witness a baptism, I get a lump in my throat and I can hardly hold the tears back.
And when a brother or sister comes forward and asks to be restored in the church, we weep with joy,
Before we look at the possible reasons why Jesus wept, let’s look, at what was going on, and where He was.
Back in chapter 9, Jesus made some mud, put it on a blind man’s eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, and when he did his sight was returned.
And in chapter10 He tells the parable of the shepherd and His flock He says I am the gate for the sheep.
And the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Then came the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. And we are told it was winter time.
And being that this was a time of a feast and that they were in the temple area, there were probably a lot of people there, and the Bible tells us they were divided. Some believed He was the Christ, and some did not.
As he was speaking to them, He must have said something that angered them, because they picked up stones to stone Him. And you know, I can almost see Him saying,” I have shown you many miracles from the Father. For which one of these do you stone Me.
And I wonder if He felt like I do when I tell somebody something and they don’t believe me, or when I tell somebody something in great detail, and they just don’t understand.
He continued to speak and then they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp, and went back across the Jordan to the place where John the Baptist had been baptizing in the early days,
And that brings us to chapter 11 and Lazarus is sick, and his sisters Mary and Martha send for Jesus. They are all dear friends of Jesus, and they were in a desperate situation, their brother is sick.
When we are in a desperate situation, or when someone we know is sick, or hurt, or having financial problems. We have a friend in Jesus and he wants to call upon Him also
When He hears that Lazarus is sick, Jesus says in verse 4, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God will be glorified.
So Jesus is saying this sickness will not result in death, although Lazarus will die, it will not result in a permanent death, and the Son of God will be glorified through it.
but Jesus stays where he’s at for two more days, then He tells his disciples let’s go back to Judea.
And His disciples say in verse 8 But Rabbi, a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and your going back there. Jesus said our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.
His disciples were trying to talk him out of going, and they said Lord, if he sleeps he will get better.
Then, Jesus told them plainly Lazarus is dead. And I am glad, so not only was He glad that Lazarus was dead, He knew that he was going to die, and He was going to use his death to their benefit, and the benefit of others so that they would believe He was the Christ.
Then there’s ole doubting Thomas and he says, to his fellow disciples, Let us go, that we may die with him.
So they set off for Bethany where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived, and when they got there Jesus found out that, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days.
And a lot of Jews had gathered around Mary and Martha, to comfort them and mourn with them.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went to meet him, and she met Jesus outside of town and she said to Him, Lord if you had just been here my brother wouldn’t have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask God He will give you.
Jesus said your brother will rise again. And she said I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. See she believed that there was going to be a resurrection in the future, and she didn’t realize that it was to come through Jesus. The resurrection was standing right in front of her.
Jesus told her the resurrection is here. He said I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
And he whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
She said, yes Lord I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God. After saying these things she left, and secretly told Mary The Teacher has come and is calling for you.
After hearing this Mary rose quickly and went to Jesus, the people who were there to comfort her and mourn with her, thought she was going to Lazarus’ tomb to mourn and they followed her.
When she got to where Jesus was she fell down at his feet and said the same thing that her sister had said, Lord if you had only been here my brother would not have died.
See they believed He had the power to heal the sick, to make the blind see, and the lame walk, but apparently it was beyond their understanding that He could raise the dead.
and when He saw her weeping and those that had come with her weeping.
Now listen closely, The bible says in verse 33 Jesus groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
Then he said, where have you laid him. And they said Lord come and see. After they said that. Jesus wept. John 11:35.
And Jews said, see how much he loved him. And some of them said couldn’t this man who opened the eyes of a blind man also kept Lazarus from dying.
Then Jesus again groaning in Himself, came to the to the tomb, it was a cave with a stone laying against it. Sound familiar. This was symbol of His own death, burial and resurrection.
Jesus said take away the stone. Martha said Lord he’s been dead for four days and are you sure you want to do this, it’s really going to smell bad.
And Jesus said to her didn’t I tell you that if you believe you would see the glory of God.
Then they took away the stone and,
Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father I thank you that you have heard Me.
And I know that you always hear me, but I have said this so that those who are standing here will believe that you have sent me.
And when had said these things He cried out with a loud voice and said Lazarus, come forth.
And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was wrapped with a cloth
Jesus then told them to loose him and let him go.
Do you realize that Jesus could have removed the stone with one motion of his hand, and just made the grave clothes fall off, but He expects the people to do the things that they can do themselves and He performs the miracles that they cannot.
Many of Jews who had come with Mary and had seen the things that Jesus had done believed in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them what had happened.
From that day on, they plotted to kill Him, and not only did they plot to kill Jesus, they plotted to kill Lazarus also, because Lazarus was the instrument that Jesus used to change the hearts and minds of many Jews.
His ministery was coming to an end, and Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, He went from there into the country near the wilderness, where He stayed with his disciples until six days before the Passover feast.
This was a pivotal point in His life. He had to go into hiding because his enemies had decided that they were going to kill Him, and it wasn’t time yet.
His minestery was coming to an end, and he knew the time was near for Him to die a painful death on the cross.
This event also shows us his diversity. As a deity, He could raise the dead. As a human He could shed tears.
So why did He weep?
He may have wept for Mary and Martha, for the reason that Paul tells us, in Romans 12:15 to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.
He may have been upset and troubled because Mary, and Martha was upset over the loss of their brother. Even though He knew that He was going to resurrect Lazarus He could have been weeping because they were weeping.
He may have wept for Lazarus, He had already been carried to Abrahams bosom, Lazarus was in a place were there are no tears. to a place were the temple was not a building, because God is the temple were was. (rev. 21:22)
And Jesus was going to have to bring him back into this world, were there is sorrow and pain. a world that has been corrupted by the sins of man, and then Lazarus will have go through the dying process again.
And it could be that Jesus wept, from their lack of faith. In verse 33, John says when Jesus saw Mary weeping and all of those who were with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
The Greek word for groaned is embrimaomai, and it means to snort with anger.
The New Living Translation Bible says, Jesus was moved with indignation and was deeply troubled.
A paraphrased version of the Bible called the Message says, a deep anger welled up inside Him.
This suggests that Jesus was angry, and I believe He was angry because of their lack of faith, and it’s possible that He wept because they didn’t believe, or they couldn’t understand that not only could He heal the sick, make the lame walk, and the blind see.
He can raise the dead. He can make them live again!
So no matter why He wept, His weeping shows His compassion and love for us, and it shows us that he was human, He wept real tears, he sweat real sweat, and bleed real blood.
He is the resurrection and the life. And who ever believes in Him, though they may die, they will live.
There is a day coming when the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords will return, and He will call for all to come forth, to face judgment.
There are conditions to be met to insure our salvation, upon hearing the word, you must believe the word of God, repent of your sins, confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and be baptized in His name. then we must live an obedient life.
And if sin has overcome your life we are told that we must repent, confess, and ask God for forgiveness.
The Teacher is coming, and He is calling for you.
If you are in need would you please come to the front as we stand and sing.
