“Jesus Wept” John 11:35

“Jesus Wept” His Capacity To Weep

His Capacity To Weep 1) This demonstrates His divine and human nature. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

His Capacity To Weep 2) It shows how He can be touched with our feelings. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15- 16). Someone has said that the tears of Jesus is a translation of Divine emotion into human language.

“Jesus Wept” His Capacity To Weep His Compassion

His Compassion For Others 1) At the grave of Lazarus. “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept” (John 11:33-35).

His Compassion For Others 2) Lazarus was sick the sisters sent for Jesus. “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was” (John 11:1-6).

His Compassion For Others 3) The place – fled Jerusalem gone to Bethabara. “And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed” (John 10:40). “These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing” (John 1:28).

His Compassion For Others 4) The text. Wept (Jn. 11:35, Jesus) – “to shed tears, to weep silently” (Vincent). Weeping (Jn. 11:33, Mary) – “The word means loud weeping” (Vincent). Groaned (Jn. 11:33, Jesus) – “to be greatly perturbed in mind, deeply moved” (Bullinger). Dan King says, “In this place it may suggest that Christ was overcome with anger at the ravages which death had brought upon the world because of sin.”

His Compassion For Others 4) The text. Troubled (Jn. 11:33, Jesus) – “to affect with great pain or sorrow: (some understand the word here to of bodily agitation” (Thayer). Vincent says, “Lit., troubled Himself. Probably of the outward manifestation of His strong feeling.”

“Jesus Wept” His Capacity To Weep His Compassion His Rejection

Weeping Over His Rejection 1) Over the city of Jerusalem. “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it” (Luke 19:41). “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:37-39).

Weeping Over His Rejection 2) Different Greek word for wept. “With audible weeping” (Vincent). Robertson says, “…burst into tears.” “to mourn, weep, lament; weeping as a sign of pain and grief for the thing signified (i.e. for pain and grief)” (Thayer).

Weeping Over His Rejection 3) The setting on this occasion. “Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen” (Luke 19:37).

Weeping Over His Rejection 4) What He sees religiously speaking. (a) A city bound by tradition (Mat. 15:1-6). (b) A people who rendered lip services (Mat. 15:7-9). (c) Religious leaders who loved the praise of men (Mat. 23:5-12). (d) A nation who persecuted and killed the prophets sent to them (Mat. 23:29-36). (e) Citizens who neglected the weightier matters of the law (Mat. 23:23). (f). They were blind guides, hypocrites, serpents, and fools (Mat. 23).

Weeping Over His Rejection 5) What He sees coming upon this city. “For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:43-44).

“Jesus Wept” His Capacity To Weep His Compassion His Rejection His Suffering

His Suffering 1) His cry to the Father. “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:7-8).

His Suffering 2) His great agony. “And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:41-44).

His Suffering 3) Once again we see the human & divine nature of Jesus. (a) The human – “take this cup away.” (b) The Divine – “nevertheless not My Will, but Yours, be done.”

“Jesus Wept” His Capacity To Weep His Compassion His Rejection His Suffering

What would He see and what would His reaction be if He was looking out over this audience today?