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Jesus Wept

John 11:35  “Jesus wept.”

Introduction:  Though John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible, there is certainly much written about it.  There has always been much deliberation over what was in the mind of Christ as He was there weeping.  Those Jews that were there started this conversation right away and we are still attempting to get into the Savior’s mind today.  Those Jews there then supposed that Jesus really did love Lazarus.  Well of course Jesus loved Lazarus!  He loves every one of us.  He would not have any of us to die.

Jesus gave up heaven for a time to come here because He knew that was the only way we could possibly pass from death to life eternal.  He gave up this life as a human being for the same reason.  For our eternal life!  Do you suppose that Jesus weeps for us all when we die?

For humans, the two most showing signs of emotion are laughing and weeping.  We laugh most often when we see something that amuses us but sometimes people laugh when they are nervous and don’t know how else to show their discontent.  Isn’t that strange?  Laughter isn’t always about something funny is it?

And crying!  Yesterday I was sitting with Rachael watching a kids show on TV.  A man invented a simulated reality device that you wear like glasses.  It makes clear to people with sight problems, things that normal sighted people take for granted.  A lady read the 20/10 line on the eye chart perfectly and she exclaimed, “This is super sight.”  The tears welled up as I thought how for years I took my 20/15 sight for granted.  This is normal I thought.

As I was watched and listened, my mind shifted to the debate of what are basic human rights.  The giveaway crowd is saying healthcare is a basic right and should be free to everyone.  The medical professionals apparently therefore should serve for no pay.  Will it be electricity next?  Should we not have to pay for lights and heat?  How about driving?  Should gas be a basic human right next?  Then my mind shifted back to how I took my sight for granted without considering that all life is a gift from God; not a right!  Life is a gift because what we humans do deserve is death because we are all sinners according to Romans 3:23, “For eall have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” [1]  So Romans 6:23 tells us what we do deserve and what is a gift!  23 For the swages of sin is tdeath; but the gift of God is ueternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.[2]

Scripture:  The message title today is “Jesus Wept.”  You can stay seated because the scripture is very short.  The scripture is John 11:35, “Jesus Wept.”

Prayer:

Message:  So why do you supposed Jesus wept?  He was and is God, right?  He knew that His friend was not going to stay dead.  So how could He be crying over His personal loss?  Those Jews didn’t have the blessing to know what we know.  They didn’t know what would happen next, that Jesus was going to ask His Heavenly Father to raise Lazarus.  Nobody there then knew except Jesus.  So then, why was Jesus crying?  What do you think?

Today we are setting this day aside as Merry Oaks Baptist Church first Memory Day.  We are coming together as a church family to remember together the loss of loved ones who have been taken from this life.  We are coming together as a family to support each other because death is the thing that causes separation from loved ones so we need to learn to lean on each other and cherish the together that we have with each other here and now.

The apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 12 starting a verse 9,

”Let hlove be hiwithout dissimulation. jAbhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kkindly affectioned one to another l||with brotherly love; min honour preferring one another; 11 Not nslothful in fbusiness; ofervent in spirit; pserving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; qpatient in tribulation; rcontinuing instant in prayer; 13 sDistributing to the necessity of saints; tgiven to hospitality. 14 uBless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 vRejoice with them that do rejoice, and wweep with them that weep. 16 Be xof the same mind one toward another. yMind not high things, but ||condescend to men of low estate. zBe not wise in your own conceits. 17 aRecompense to no man evil for evil. bProvide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 bbIf it be possible, as much as lieth in you, clive peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, davenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto ewrath: for it is written, fVengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore ugif thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing  thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” [3]

So now, back to the scripture and the question of the day, why do you suppose that Jesus was crying that day?  The sisters knew enough to know that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ death.  Look back to John 11:21, “21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, yLord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, zwhatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.[4]  Martha was there with Jesus!  Yet she was only thinking about what she didn’t have any more and she was truly blaming Jesus for not being there to prevent Lazarus from being taken from her.  Why was Jesus weeping?

Now Mary appears in verse 32.  “Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she nfell down at his feet, saying unto him, oLord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he pgroaned in the spirit, and †was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 qJesus wept.” [5]

Jesus was there in the flesh.  He was with them in His human bodily form.  What they had with Jesus they still had.  They had Jesus in the flesh but they were really only interested in what they thought they had lost.  They were upset because Jesus had not met their expectations.  Why was Jesus crying?

As we read on there at verse thirty six, the Jews there that day were correct that Jesus loved Lazarus.  Of that there is no doubt.  Could be, might be that Jesus was weeping in fellowship with the loss that the sisters felt.  Jesus absolutely does care when we hurt but I think there is much more to this particular story.

I wonder if when I learned that my sight was not what it once was and I acted like a spoiled brat, did Jesus weep then?  When I had His special blessing of super sight as they say and I thought I deserved more than most, Jesus probably wept then too.  When I get aggravated even today because a roadblock has been placed in front of me preventing me from what I think I should be doing and instead I’m forced to do that which I’m here to do, to serve and keep my promises; when I get aggravated at that, every time Jesus weeps.

When I look back at the times I wasted by not being with those whom I love because I was too busy or proud or just plain stupid, and now I am upset because that time has passed me by, and now I can’t do anything about it so I get upset that God didn’t slap some sense into me before it is too late, when I do that, I know that Jesus weeps.  Now finally I know that I should be crying at my failings and not His love as He prepares me for that which He will do through me.

Of course that’s just me.  I am just a stupid old preacher who is not very wise.  I’m certainly not smart enough to know why Jesus wept that day.  Do you?  Is He crying because He loves you more than you love Him?

Remember that day on the beach?  Three times after Peter had denied even knowing Jesus; Peter had the opportunity to recant that denial.  “Peter do you love me?” said Jesus.  “Peter do you love me more than these?” said Jesus?  More than what?  “Peter do you love me?” said Jesus.  What is it that you love more than Jesus?  Could it be that which makes Jesus cry?

Prayer:

Invitation:  Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.  Yes Jesus loves me.  Yes Jesus loves me.  Yes Jesus loves me, for the Bible tells me so.

He loves you too.  He weeps because He loves you and He cries when you cry but He cries often when we should be crying I think.  What do you think?  That’s really what the important question is today!  Do you know above all else that Jesus loves you and will always have you tightly in His arms no matter what loss you suffer in this life?

Do you have that hope that one day sooner than it was yesterday we will be reunited with our loved ones who also loved Jesus and were loved by Jesus more than we could ever love them?  Do you know that?  If you don’t know that you can know that, He loves you!

We have a beautiful new prayer step here where we can kneel under this cross.  The invitation is always that we can come here and show our strength and love by kneeling in obedience and submission to Him alone.  Do you want to see Jesus not cry?  Come kneel.  Come to Him through prayer as we sing…



e See ver. 9.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 3:23). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
s See Luke 3:14. Comp. ver. 13.
t See ch. 5:12.
u See ch. 2:7. So 1 Pet. 1:3, 4.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 6:23). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
h 2 Cor. 6:6. So 1 Tim. 1:5. 1 Pet. 1:22 in the Gk.
h 2 Cor. 6:6. So 1 Tim. 1:5. 1 Pet. 1:22 in the Gk.
i 2 Tim. 1:5. James 3:17 in the Gk.
j See Ps. 97:10. & Isai. 1:16.
k So 2 Macc. 6:20. & 9:21 in the Gk.
l See Heb. 13:1.
|| Or, in the love of the brethren.
m So Eph. 5:21. Phil. 2:3. 1 Pet. 5:5.
n Matt. 25:26. So Eccles. 9:10. See Prov. 20:13.
f Wisd. 14:17 (Gk.). ver. 11 (Gk.). 2 Cor. 7:11, 12 (Gk.). & 8:7, 8, 16. Heb. 6:11. 2 Pet. 1:5. Jude 3.
o Acts 18:25.
p Acts 20:19. So ch. 14:18. & 16:18.
q See Heb. 10:36.
r Acts 2:42. See Luke 18:1.
s So Prov. 31:20. 1 Cor. 16:1. 2 Cor. 9:1, 12. Gal. 2:10. Eph. 4:28. Heb. 6:10. & 13:16. 1 John 3:17.
t See Job 31:32.
u See Matt. 5:44.
v So Ps. 35:27. 1 Cor. 12:26.
w Job 30:25. See Ecclus. 7:34.
x ch. 15:5. 2 Cor. 13:11. Phil. 2:2. & 3:16. & 4:2 in the Gk. So 1 Cor. 1:10. 1 Pet. 3:8.
y See Ps. 131:1.
|| Or, be contented with mean things.
z ch. 11:25. Cited from Prov. 3:7. So Prov. 26:12. Isai. 5:21. Ecclus. 6:2. ver. 3.
a See Matt. 5:39.
b 2 Cor. 8:21. So ch. 14:16. 1 Pet. 2:12.
bb Gal. 4:15.
c Mark 9:50. 2 Cor. 13:11 in the Gk. So Prov. 3:30. See ch. 14:19.
d See Lev. 19:18.
e ch. 5:9. & 13:4, 5.
f Cited from Deut. 32:35. Cited also Heb. 10:30.
u See Matt. 5:44.
g Cited from Prov. 25:21, 22. So 2 Kin. 6:22. See Ex. 23:4.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 12:9–21). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
y ver. 32. See ch. 4:49.
z So ch. 9:31. Comp. Matt. 21:22.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 11:21–22). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
n So Mark 5:22, 33. & 7:25. Luke 5:8. & 8:28, 47.
o ver. 21.
p ver. 38. So Mark 14:5 (Gk.). See Matt. 9:30. Comp. Mark 7:34. & 8:12.
† Gr. he troubled himself. So ch. 12:27. & 13:21. Comp. ch. 14:1, 27.
q Heb. 5:7. So Luke 19:41.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 11:32–35). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.