Jesus Wept

Jesus Wept

John 11:35

This is the shortest passage in the bible, but don’t get your hopes up, because it’s not the shortest lesson in the bible. In fact the more I studied this scripture the more complicated it became.

Jesus expressed other emotions too, and that’s a good indication of his human nature. Although the Bible doesn’t say that he laughed, I’m sure He thought that some of things His disciples said and did was funny.

And if the truth were known, He probably finds some of our thoughts and actions humorous.

We know that Jesus felt joy, in John 17:13 He said “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy.”

And in Hebrews 12:2, it is said that he endured the cross for the joy that set before Him.

Jesus also expressed anger, He was angry when He cleared the temple out. There were numerous occasions when He was angered at the Pharisees, and it’s ok for us to express our anger, but Paul warns us in Ephesians 4:26 in your anger, sin not.

There is only one instance in the Bible were it actually says that Jesus wept. The fact that He shed tears is profound, and that it’s only mentioned one time makes it a significant event.

We also weep, and we weep for many different reasons. Some people are ashamed to shed tears, maybe they feel to macho, or maybe they just feel embarrassed for some one to see them shed a tear.

But one of the comforts of having a Savior like Jesus is knowing that He was touched enough to shed tears. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points was tempted as we are. Hebrews 4:15

When I was a child I liked watching Disney movies, and I still do. So when The Lion King came out, I took my grandson to see it, and as the movie unfolded I noticed that my life was sort of like this young lions life.

His father was killed when he was young, and so was mine. He was cut off from the life his father led, and I was removed from what my dad did also.

Well when this young lion, Simba looked up in the sky and saw the outline of his father Musafa in the stars. My tears exploded. Here I sat in theater full of kids, watching an animated film, and crying like baby. I sure was glade it was dark in there.

Our emotions sneak up on us sometimes, when we least expect it,

It’s like someone has this little switch, that controls your emotions, and they like to turn it on at the most inopportune times.

Sometimes our emotions build up and build up until you can’t hold it back any longer, and at other times, the tears well up and just start flooding out with little or no warning.

And we don’t just cry when we’re sad, sometimes we cry when we’re happy, at weddings and graduations, when I witness a baptism, I get a lump in my throat and I can hardly hold the tears back.

And when a brother or sister comes forward and asks to be restored in the church, we weep with joy,

Before we look at the possible reasons why Jesus wept, let’s look, at what was going on, and where He was.

Back in chapter 9, Jesus made some mud, put it on a blind man’s eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, and when he did his sight was returned.

And in chapter10 He tells the parable of the shepherd and His flock He says I am the gate for the sheep.

And the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Then came the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. And we are told it was winter time.

And being that this was a time of a feast and that they were in the temple area, there were probably a lot of people there, and the Bible tells us they were divided. Some believed He was the Christ, and some did not.

As he was speaking to them, He must have said something that angered them, because they picked up stones to stone Him. And you know, I can almost see Him saying,” I have shown you many miracles from the Father. For which one of these do you stone Me.

And I wonder if He felt like I do when I tell somebody something and they don’t believe me, or when I tell somebody something in great detail, and they just don’t understand.