JESUS WEPT

Passage: John 11:29-37

Key verse: 35

NIV

29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.(A) 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her,(B) noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”(C)

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved(D) in spirit and troubled.(E) 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.(F)

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”(G)

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man(H) have kept this man from dying?”(I)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews (A)who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, (B)“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he (C)was deeply moved[a] in his spirit and (D)greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 (E)Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See (F)how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he (G)who opened the eyes of the blind man (H)also have kept this man from dying?”

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Footnotes
  1. John 11:33 Or was indignant; also verse 38
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. 'Lord, if you had been here...' (29-32)

Mary loved Jesus. She wanted his human sympathy. She got up quickly and went to him, weeping. Human friends had come to comfort her, and she was feeding her sorrow on their human sympathy. They expressed the doubt she felt when they questioned Jesus' love. He could have come and helped them, but he didn't come until it was too late (36,37). To doubt the love of Jesus opens the door to Satan's work.

2. Jesus wept (33-37)

Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. There is a suggestion of anger in the word for 'troubled.' Jesus wept because he understood their hearts and shared their sorrow. But that was not all. Jesus was troubled because of their unbelief; he was sorry to see them clinging to human sympathy and closing their hearts to the resurrection power of God in Christ.

Prayer: Lord, help me to put out all self-pity from my heart. Teach me how to give spiritual help to those who are suffering grief.

One Word: Jesus weeps because of unbelief