Jesus Wept

Kenny at Cell Group

What is the shortest verse in the Bible?

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

John 11:11-45

These things He said, and after that He said to them, “ Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 Then His disciples said, “ Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “ Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “ Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

23 Jesus said to her, “ Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “ I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “ Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Jesus and Death, the Last Enemy

28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”

32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “ Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “ Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “ Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “ See how He loved him!”

37 And some of them said, “ Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “ Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “ Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “ Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “ Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “ Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “ Loose him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

Why did Jesus weep?
This is the shortest verse of the Bible, yet one of the most profound and misunderstood. What comes to mind when reading this? The Jews standing there as Jesus was weeping thought he wept for his dead friend whom he loved (John 11:36). But is this really true?

We all know the story, Jesus was told that Lazarus was sick and he remained where he was for two days. He shows up in Judea and Lazarus is dead. He had been dead for four days and decay had begun. Ask yourself this... Why did Jesus go to Judea? The answer is simple... To raise Lazarus from the dead. So why would he weep because his friend was dead? His express purpose for waiting to go and then showing up when he did was to raise Lazarus back to the land of the living and show the power and glory of God.

Now, let's take a look at the exchange between Jesus and Lazarus' sister Martha."Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." (John 11:20-27)

Notice the first words that Martha spoke to Jesus... "if you had been here my brother wouldn't have died." What kind of greeting is this? Martha continues by saying that she knows God will do for His Son whatever His Son asks, and Jesus tells her His intention, to raise her brother from the dead. Does she reply with a thank you? No... She responds by saying that she knows he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day. So now we must ask if this was a confession of faith on the part of Martha? And if so, was it a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus? Jesus proceeds to tell Martha that he IS the resurrection and that whoever believes in Him shall never die, and then asks her if she believes this. Does she answer him with a resounding YES? No, she dodged the question altogether and responded by saying that she believed He was the Messiah that was to come.

Now let's pick it up from there.

"And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled," (John 11:28-33)

Mary greeted the Lord the same exact way that her sister Martha did. Jesus was greeted with more tears and another word of blame. Now after seeing Martha, Mary, and all the Jews who were at the house mourning with them weeping, the Bible declares that Jesus groaned in the spirit. That word "groaned" is the Greek, "enebrimēsato" which means to snort with anger and have indignation. Jesus was not happy.

But we have to back track just a bit to see why. Notice that right after Jesus told Martha that Lazarus shall live and that he was the resurrection, she went and told her sister secretly that the Lord called for her. But wait a minute, Jesus never called for Mary. Martha should have returned to the house where everyone was mourning, joyfully praising the Lord for his declaration of being the resurrection. But instead she returned to the house and didn't share the good news at all... In fact, she returned with the same unbelief that she had when she left Jesus. Not only did Jesus groan in the spirit, but he was "troubled" as well. The word "troubled" in Greek is "etaraxen" and means to agitate, to stir up or make restless. What could have been the cause of such agitation?

The text continues saying,

"And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it." (John 11:34-38)

Why did Jesus weep? The Jews seemed to think that he wept for his dead friend. But remember, Jesus had just revealed that he is the resurrection and that he came to raise Lazarus. So why did he weep? The Jews continue along the same line that Mary and Martha were following. They said couldn't this man who heals blind eyes have kept Lazarus from dying. This caused Jesus to groan in himself once again. But why? Why is the Lord so agitated? Why is this so troubling for him?

The story continues...

"Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him." (John 11:39-45)

Martha responds by saying that it had been four days and his body stunk by his time. Decay had begun and by this time surely it was useless. Jesus continues by reminding her of His words when she had first met Him. He reminds her that if she believes she would see the glory of God. They proceed to remove the stone from the tomb and Jesus prays a short prayer. And in praying this prayer, he tells us why he prayed it... He prayed it for the same reason that He groaned in the spirit and was troubled... He prayed it for the same reason that He wept... He prayed this prayer aloud to his Father in front of this group of mourning Jews for one reason... Because of their UNBELIEF!!!

Jesus knew that his Father always heard Him. Jesus knew that Lazarus would rise. But Jesus prayed that prayer that they may believe on him who the Father had sent. Jesus didn't weep because His friend was dead... He wept because no one believed that He came to raise him. Even after He had told Martha, they were still filled with unbelief. They had it in their minds that had Jesus gotten there sooner He could have kept Lazarus from dying, while neglecting to consider that Jesus was able to raise him from death and renew his body from decay. Jesus gave opportunity after opportunity for them to believe, but they did not until they saw the works.

You may be in a situation where a crisis, an uncertain future, a fear is greatly troubling you. What is your attitude when you approach God with these troubles. Do you believe he cares for you? Really belief? Regardless of what is the evidence before you, whether your situation is in a state of decay or not, do not succumb to unbelief. Do not grieve the holy Spirit and brings tears to our Lord's eyes.

Paul said something concerning this kind of hope... he said, "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?" (Romans 8:24). Hebrews 11:1 defines faith for us saying, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." It was a lack of this kind of faith that caused Jesus to weep and things have not changed in the last 2000 years. Jesus still weeps because of the unbelief of his followers.


Paul also warned believers saying, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12)