Jesus wept
What can we learn from the shortest verse in the Bible?
It’s a classic joke in Christian circles — kids have to memorize a Bible verse, so they choose John 11:35 — “Jesus wept.” We laugh because it’s such a cop-out; only two words long. But John 11:35 isn’t just the easiest memory verse ever. It actually reveals the deeply empathetic nature of Jesus.
To provide some context, Jesus’ friend Lazarus had just died, and he went to visit Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, who were in mourning. It had already been four days since Lazarus was buried, so I’m guessing he had been dead for maybe almost a week. John 11:33 says, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” He really felt empathy for them; he participated in their pain. It wasn’t just sort of a sadness or regret that his friend had died — it was an aching loss. Even though he had the power to raise the dead and he already knew he would intervene miraculously in this situation, his heart went out to those who were mourning. He loved them so much that their grief also became his grief.
In John 11:34, Jesus asked, “Where have you laid him?” The mourners led him to the tomb. And then John hits us with those two short words: “Jesus wept.” Why so short? Why such a lack of description? I think John had some very specific reasons for writing this way. He’s trying to describe an emotion that really can’t be put into words. In fact, Jesus himself was at a loss for words.
One important thing we can learn from this verse is that Jesus was human. Fully human, just like us, and yet fully God. We tend to imagine Jesus as this calm, smiling, warmhearted person who spent most of his time teaching. We sometimes see his works through rose-coloured glasses, and although we focus on the intense physical pain of the crucifixion, we don’t always remember the emotional pain that Jesus endured throughout his lifetime. And I just think it’s so comforting to know that whatever we go through, whatever we’re feeling or struggling with, God has felt it too! Jesus himself has been there, and is still right here with us. Jesus hurt, Jesus cried, Jesus wept for Lazarus, and he weeps for us too. Death, loss, depression, brokenness … Jesus is with us through all of that. We’re never alone in our pain.
The most important lesson to draw from the shortest verse in the Bible, however, is the conclusion of the story. Yes, Jesus wept, but then what did he do? He intervened miraculously. He raised Lazarus from the dead! When we find ourselves in bad circumstances and times of grief, we can take comfort in the knowledge that it is temporary. It won’t last forever. Our problems may not instantly be solved with miracles, such as in the case of Lazarus, and our prayers may not be answered the way we’d hoped for. But this life isn’t the end. We’ll be raised to life again; eternal life, which we’ve been given through the resurrection of Jesus.
