John 11:35
Jesus wept.
John 11:35
“Jesus wept” is the shortest verse, but among the most potent. It occurs at the moment of seeing the sorrow of Mary and the crowd, and also just before the tomb’s miracle. Jesus weeps in empathy, not merely to show shared emotion but to signify the depth of divine compassion for human pain. The verse demonstrates that Jesus’ power to raise Lazarus is not divorced from His compassion for those who suffer. It also provides a model for believers: genuine emotion, mixed with faith, can coexist with confidence in God’s transformative work. The setting—public, witnessed, and historically verifiable—underscores that God’s work in the world occurs through ordinary human experiences.
Theologically, Jesus’ tears reveal that divine love enters human grief. This is not a distant deity but a God who feels deeply and acts decisively. The verse helps explain how a loving God can allow death and yet bring life: compassion motivates intervention. It also counters misperceptions of faith as stoic denial of pain. Jesus’ tears harmonize sorrow with hope, a pattern that frames the gospel narrative: lament is permissible, and faith does not erase tears but moves through them toward restoration.
If you’re grieving, allow yourself to cry before God. Spiritual growth often comes through honest lament. This verse gives permission to feel deeply and to express sorrow while maintaining trust in God’s goodness. For communities, it invites shared lament—creating space where people can cry with one another and then encourage one another toward hope. Practically, this could mean a support gathering where people tell stories of loss, followed by prayers for renewal. Remember that tears can be a doorway to deeper faith, not a sign of abandonment.
Cross-References: Psalm 42:4-5; Romans 12:15; Hebrews 4:15; John 11:33-36