What makes Jesus weep?

According to scripture Jesus was God in human form. He had access to unlimited power – though He chose not to use it (Philippians 2:6), He knew all things – including that He would die and come back to life. He had perfect faith, perfect righteousness and an exciting, though difficult, future. So… what could possibly make Jesus cry?

We find two accounts of Jesus crying in the New Testament. The first, and most famous is in John 11 when Lazarus has died. The story goes like this, John 11:33-37, “When Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled. ³⁴ And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Jesus wept.

We know the rest of the story, Jesus calls Lazarus out of his own grave. So why did Jesus’ weep?

Was it compassion for the mourners? Surely Jesus being moved by compassion throughout scripture (Luke 7:13; Matthew 15:32) was feeling compassion now. Was that why He wept? I don’t think so. 

Was it that Lazarus had died? Looking upon death, knowing that death comes from sin, knowing better than anyone that awful and painful truth that it didn’t have to be this way did Lazarus’ death cause Jesus to weep? When you read the story, you find that Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead – that was probably why Jesus waited a few days after He got the news of Lazarus sickness before He came. I don’t think death was why He wept. 

Remember the verse just before we find that He wept? “When Jesus saw her (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping,” The word for weeping here is different than the word used for weeping for Jesus. The word used for Jesus’ weeping here in verse 35 is only used in one other place in the New Testament, the other time Jesus wept, (Luke 19, if you take the time to study it you will find that Jesus wept for the same kind of reason that He weeps here). I think Jesus wept because of Mary’s lack of faith. She, who knew Jesus, had seen what He was capable of, said she believed in Him, was weeping with all these other people who did not know Jesus. 

Jesus weeps when we are hopeless in His presence. C.G. Kruse puts it this way in his commentary on John, “He was not joining with them in their weeping and wailing, but expressing his sorrow at the faithlessness he found all around Him.” 

Over and over again in scripture the thing that causes the greatest emotional reaction in Jesus whether it be sorrow, anger or frustration is when those close to Him doubt Him, are hopeless or fearful when He is around. Think about when Peter walks on water or just before Jesus calms the storm or when the disciples couldn’t drive the demon out of the little boy – in all of these cases Jesus reacts strongly and says, “You of little faith, why do you doubt-why do you fear-why are you acting as if I am not here, as if you don’t believe in me?”

I was talking to a good friend this morning who was discouraged, feeling hopeless. And I told him I felt the same way recently until I read this profound statement in Acts. Peter and John, by the power of the Holy Spirit, have just healed a man who was lame from birth. People look in astonishment to Peter and John and Peter tells them it wasn’t them. He says, among other things, “…faith in His name—has made this man strong…”

There is only one name by which we are saved, one man who has overcome the world, one hope in any and every situation and that is the name of Jesus Christ! It isn’t your health or wealth or political success or government protection or ability to combat social issues or anything else but Jesus Christ.

Here it is, Jesus weeps when we are hopeless in His presence.

Is Jesus weeping because of you?