- Jesus was fully human
The Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is fully God and human (John 1:1,14; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13; 1 John 4:2). He lacked no divine or human attributes when He came to earth. This concept is beyond what our limited minds can understand, but that’s what Scripture affirms.
- Jesus showed compassion for those who were grieving
He wept because He felt compassion for those grieving for His dear friend, especially Lazarus’s sisters. Even though He was going to solve the problem miraculously, He still partook of the sadness and grief of the people there.
- Jesus was troubled by the people’s lack of faith
When Jesus met Martha at Lazarus’s burial site, He told her that He would resurrect him (John 11:20-28). However, she and later Mary told Jesus that their brother wouldn’t have died if He had arrived sooner (John 11:21,32). Then, the Bible tells us that Jesus “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled” (John 11:33 KJV), right before He wept.
- Jesus showed sorrow for those who rejected Him
Upon entering the city of Jerusalem, Jesus wept at the thought of the great destruction that would befall the city as a consequence of their rejection of Him (Luke 19:41-44). He was sad because He knew that the great city wouldn’t enjoy His peace.
- Jesus endured unimaginable suffering in our place
At the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world (1 John 2:2), so He satisfied the wrath of the God (Isaiah 53:5-11; Hebrews 9:26). There, somehow, He experienced the forsaking of the Father (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; Psalm 22:1).
- Jesus cares about us
Jesus’s tears show that He cares about us. He showed how much He loves us (John 15:13), even though we don’t deserve it (Romans 5:8). And those tears also remind us of a precious promise: one day, God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more reason for weeping, ever again (Revelation 21:4).
- Jesus grieved over the sin of the people
Sin was the underlying reason that brought those tears to Jesus’s eyes.
- We should weep over our sin
- We should weep over the sins of others
- Weeping is not a sign of weakness
Jesus showed us that it is okay to grieve, to acknowledge our pain in times of trouble, and to cry, even if we believe that everything will be fine in the end. Tears are not a sign of unbelief. We must learn from Jesus and be free to express our pain, our sorrow and to reach out to God with our tears because He doesn’t ignore them (Psalm 34:15, 56:8).
- Jesus’s tears inspire us to follow His example
There are many lessons we can learn from Jesus’s tears. We can learn from Him and follow His example whenever we are in similar circumstances:
a) When we find ourselves among people suffering, we should empathize and weep with them (Romans 12:15).
b) When we see unbelief in others, we must still believe (2 Corinthians 5:7).
c) When people reject us and the message of the Gospel we bring, we must not feel resentful or vindictive (Matthew 5:11-12; Romans 12:19). We must feel sorrow for the sin that keeps us away from the one true God (Luke 23:34, Acts 7:59-60).
d) When we suffer for Jesus, we must be confident in God’s plan (Romans 8:28-29). Even if we die, we know that when Jesus returns on the last day, He will resurrect us and enjoy everlasting life with Him (John 6:40).
NOW YOU KNOW
