Jesus wept

 

Jesus wept. John 11:35

It is said this is the shortest verse in the Bible. It records a moment of great sadness for Jesus that He showed His human emotion.

To put it into context. This happened when His friend Lazarus had died.  John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33-45

Lazarus' sisters had sent word to Jesus that their brother was very ill. Jesus waited for two more days before He went to where Lazarus lived. By the time He arrived, Lazarus was dead.

His sisters were distraught and in their grief they reprimanded Jesus for not arriving earlier. "Had you been here he would not have died!" they said. The crowd gathered by the tomb and was also grieving.

Jesus asked "Where have you laid him?" "Come and see, Lord," they replied.

Jesus wept. John 11:35  

I guess many people over the years have assumed that Jesus wept because His friend Lazarus had died. But is this really so?

Remember ... when Jesus was first told of Lazarus' illness He said, "this illness will not lead to death." He waited for a couple of days to go to Lazarus' home to make sure that he was really dead and not as some would assume that he was asleep or in a coma. 

Jesus knew that He was going to resurrect Lazarus from the dead. So why did He weep?

It was not because of His friend's death.

It was because of the incredulity of his sisters and of the crowd there. Despite all they had heard and seen Jesus perform whilst with them; they still doubted Him and His power.

That's why He wept.

Do we have cause to make Him weep today?