Jesus Also Wept
Two words in the Bible reveal one of the deepest pictures of Jesus.
“Jesus wept.”
John 11:35
It is the shortest verse in Scripture, yet it carries some of the greatest theological weight in the entire Gospel.
Because in this moment we see something powerful about Christ.
Not only His power.
But His heart.
The story begins when Lazarus becomes sick in Bethany. Mary and Martha send word to Jesus saying, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” They expected Jesus to come immediately.
But He didn’t.
John 11:6 says something that confuses many readers.
“So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days.”
Jesus intentionally delayed.
This was not neglect.
This was purpose.
By the time Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead four days.
That detail matters historically.
In Jewish thought during that time, there was a common belief that the spirit lingered near the body for about three days hoping to return. But by the fourth day, decomposition had begun and hope was considered completely gone.
So when Jesus waited until the fourth day, He removed any doubt that what was about to happen could be explained naturally.
This was going to be unmistakably divine.
When Jesus arrives, Martha meets Him and says something honest and painful.
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
You can hear the grief and confusion in her words.
Mary later says the same thing.
But Jesus responds with one of the most powerful declarations in Scripture.
John 11:25
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”
Jesus was not just about to raise Lazarus.
He was revealing who He is.
Then something extraordinary happens.
Jesus approaches the tomb.
He sees Mary weeping.
He sees the mourners crying.
And the Bible says He was deeply moved.
Then we read the two words.
“Jesus wept.”
Think about this.
Jesus already knew He was about to raise Lazarus.
He knew the miracle was moments away.
Yet He still wept.
Why?
Because Jesus was not emotionally distant from human suffering.
He felt the weight of grief.
He saw the pain death brought into the world.
The tears of Jesus reveal the heart of God toward humanity.
God is not indifferent to suffering.
He enters into it.
Hebrews 4:15 tells us we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness.
Jesus felt what we feel.
He grieved what we grieve.
But then comes the moment that turns mourning into awe.
Jesus says, “Take away the stone.”
They hesitate because Lazarus has been dead four days and the body is already decaying.
But Jesus prays to the Father and then cries out with authority.
“Lazarus, come forth.”
And the man who had been dead walks out of the tomb wrapped in grave clothes.
Death had to obey the voice of Jesus.
This moment is not just a miracle story.
It is a prophetic picture of the Gospel.
Lazarus was dead and unable to save himself.
Just like humanity is spiritually dead without Christ.
The stone was rolled away.
The voice of Jesus called life out of death.
And the grave could not hold what Jesus commanded to live.
But there is another layer many miss.
The raising of Lazarus sets the stage for Jesus’ own death.
After this miracle, the religious leaders become so threatened that they begin plotting to kill Him.
The resurrection of Lazarus accelerated the crucifixion of Jesus.
In other words, the miracle that gave Lazarus life moved Jesus one step closer to the cross.
That is love.
Jesus knew raising Lazarus would cost Him His own life.
And He did it anyway.
So when we read that Jesus wept, we are seeing more than emotion.
We are seeing the heart of a Savior who would soon walk into death so humanity could walk out of it.
The tomb of Lazarus was temporary.
The tomb of Jesus would be empty forever.
And because of that victory, the same voice that called Lazarus out of the grave still calls people today.
From death to life.
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