The context of the moment conveyed in John 11:35 is the death of Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus of Bethany in Judea and His dramatic encounter with Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, on the way to Lazarus’ grave. In the two words of this verse “Jesus wept” the essence of God’s heart is revealed.
Days earlier, Mary and Martha had sent a messenger to tell Jesus their brother and His dear friend was ill (John 11:3). When Jesus heard this He rather mysteriously stated: “This sickness will not end in death….it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4, NIV). The power Jesus was given over death would be revealed through the raising of Lazarus to life again.
Verse 5 clearly states Jesus loved Martha and Mary, but nevertheless He waited two more days before journeying to Bethany where the body of Lazarus lay. Bethany was in an area where the Jews had actively sought to harm Jesus and the disciples did not understand why He would consider returning there and warned Him not to go (verse 8).
When Jesus finally approached the outskirts of Bethany, it was already four days after the death of His friend. Lazarus’s sisters, Martha and Mary, did not understand why He had not immediately rushed to the side of his dying friend.
Martha went to greet Him and in her grief states, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). However she makes it plain that she still believes Jesus will be able to remedy the situation: “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You” (verse 22). Jesus assures her: “Your brother will rise again” (verse 23), proclaiming: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Martha responds, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (John 11:27).
Martha then tells Mary Jesus has arrived and she goes out to meet Him. A crowd follows her, assuming she is going to mourn at her brother’s tomb (John 11:28-31). When she sees Christ she falls at His feet, echoing Martha’s statement that if He had arrived earlier and been present Lazarus would not have died (verse 32).
Jesus, seeing Mary and the others who were with her weeping and in distress, “groaned in the spirit and was troubled” and inquired, “Where have you laid him?” (John 11:33-34). We are then told “Jesus wept” (John 11:35), and the crowd surrounding Him is moved by His emotional response, commenting, “See how He loved Him.” (verse 36). However Jesus was not sorrowful over His friend Lazarus, for He had delayed and was now come for the specific purpose of calling him back to life. He wept for those who were hurting and troubled. It’s also likely He grieved over their lack of faith and understanding about death and God’s plan for humanity, as well as their ignorance of His own mission to die an agonising death for the sins of humanity, thus ensuring the promise of eternal life for His creation.
When Christ wept we were once again assured we worship a God who cares about us, with the love of our Heavenly Father revealed through His Son. We have a Savior and High Priest, at the right hand of God, who can “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). Revelation 21:4 tells us when Christ reigns in new Jerusalem, His heavenly city on earth, He will “…wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Even in this life we are never truly alone when we are in despair and need., David stated, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8, New Living Translation)
