April 6, 2025

Jesus Wept

Pastor Rok Lee

John 11:32-35

32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep.

There is an old Korean saying: “A man only cries three times in his life.” The first is when he is born, the second is when his parents die, and the third is when his country falls. I remember hearing this often while growing up. I was taught that men should not cry, that showing emotions—especially tears—was a sign of weakness. Of course, people don’t really say that much these days. Still, many of us carry the belief that men must always be strong. That they shouldn’t cry, show pain, or admit fear.

This idea was even more common in the past—by “the past,” I mean not just 20 or 30 years ago, but even 1,000 or 2,000 years ago. Even in more recent history, strong and tough images of men were used in marketing. Think of Harley-Davidson, the famous motorcycle brand. Their image was all about tough, macho men.

These kinds of images usually become popular in times of war. During war, strong men are needed to protect their country and families. And even after war, as societies rebuild, they require hard labor—again highlighting the need for physically strong men.

So what was it like in Jesus’ time? Back then, Israel was under Roman rule. People were heavily taxed by the tax collectors and lived very hard lives. About 160 years before Jesus came, Israel had fought to gain independence from Greek rule. Then, around 60 B.C.E, they fell under Roman control. After Jesus’ time, in A.D. 66, a major revolt against Rome took place. So you can imagine that almost every 100 years, there was a major war. And if there were big wars, there were likely smaller conflicts happening all the time too.

Because it took too long for Roman troops to travel to every uprising, local Roman commanders—called centurions—were put in place to manage local order. So in Jesus’ time, life was hard, and the air was filled with fear and unrest. People probably longed for a strong, warrior-like leader to save them. They imagined the Messiah as someone powerful, someone who would free Israel from Roman control.

But today, John tells us something surprising: Jesus wept. Even for the disciples, this must have been unusual. I had a college friend who always cried during prayer—she cried so often that people called her “the faucet,” because tears would flow the moment she prayed. Since it happened all the time, no one really remembered any specific moment she cried.

But Jesus’ tears were different. John clearly remembered that Jesus cried at Lazarus’ tomb. Why? Because it was not something that happened often. If Jesus had cried all the time, John might not have even mentioned it. But it stood out. It was special. That’s why he wrote it down.

What kind of Jesus did the disciples know? They remembered Him driving out merchants from the temple alone, casting out demons, and calming violent storms. Jesus seemed strong and powerful to them—so the idea of Him crying may have felt shocking.

To them, it may have even been confusing. They saw Jesus as a powerful leader, someone who would never break down emotionally. But now, in front of one man’s death, Jesus weeps. Perhaps they even wondered: ‘Is this really the Messiah we were waiting for?’

Even the people around Jesus were surprised. In verse 36, it says: “Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’” If they had expected Jesus to cry, they wouldn’t have reacted this way.

So then, why did Jesus weep?

At a funeral, it’s natural for people to cry when saying goodbye to someone they love. But remember—Jesus is the Creator. He rules over heaven. He knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead. For Jesus, this wasn’t a final goodbye. So His tears weren’t from sadness about parting with Lazarus.

So what do His tears mean? We can understand by looking at the other times Jesus cried. The Bible records three times that Jesus wept. First, at Lazarus’ tomb—today’s passage. Second, when Jesus approached Jerusalem. Luke 19:41 says, “As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it.” And third, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He prayed with loud cries and tears. Hebrews 5:7 says, “He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death.”

All of these tears are related to salvation. In today’s story, Jesus talks with Martha. Martha tells Him, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus answers, “Your brother will rise again.” Some Jews believed in resurrection after death, so Martha assumes Jesus is talking about that. Later, Mary says the same thing: “If you had been here, Lazarus wouldn’t have died.” And everyone surrounding Jesus is weeping in sorrow.

But remember—Jesus had already said Lazarus would rise again. Yet no one believed It. They put limits on what Jesus could do. ‘Yes, He could heal the sick. Yes, He could cast out the demon. But raise the dead? That’s impossible.’ People may have thought, “Even if Jesus can heal the sick, the dead can’t come back.” So even though Jesus said He would raise Lazarus, no one believed Him. They tried to understand His words through their own thinking.

But Jesus is beyond our understanding. We often do the same. We hear His promises, but try to interpret them based on our own limits. But Jesus is not limited like we are. The Bible says Jesus is the resurrection and the life, but we still fear death. It says we are saved from death, but we often live under its shadow.

What we need to remember from Jesus’ first tears is this: We no longer belong to death. We have moved from death to life. Jesus’ life is within us. Jesus wept because the people didn’t believe His words, because they were still overwhelmed by Lazarus’ death, and because they refused to see His power. Let’s not be like them. Let’s be people who truly believe in the life that Jesus gives.

Jesus also cried for Jerusalem, knowing that the people would turn away from God. They were so focused on the outside—on the temple, on sacrifices—that they forgot what really mattered: a heart that listens to and follows God. Jesus cried because they thought they were saved, but they weren’t. They thought they were close to God, but their hearts were far from God.

The Bible says, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen is better than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). But the people of Israel thought that just offering sacrifices and keeping the outward rituals would save them. Jesus’ tears were for these people—those who were caught in this misunderstanding and believed they were already saved.

Many people today also think they are saved just because they go to church regularly, study the Bible hard, or serve faithfully in church. But all these outward actions must be based on true faith in the heart. Even outside of the church, many organizations do good things—like feeding the hungry or helping those in need. So what makes the church different from them? It’s our faith not the actions. The invisible faith in our hearts is what sets us apart from the world.

The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). No matter how many good things we do, if we do them without faith, God is not pleased. Because those good works are like sacrifices offered without a sincere heart.

Jesus’ last tears were in the Garden of Gethsemane. He cried out to God, praying with tears and pain. “Father, if it is possible, take this cup from me. But not my will, but Your will be done.” He wasn’t afraid to suffer if it meant obeying God and saving us. Jesus accepted the path of the cross for our salvation. Jesus tears were a part of that great love.

So we see that every time Jesus cried, it was because of love. Love for the lost. Love for people who did not understand. Love for people who rejected God. Love for us.

We often think that crying shows weakness. But Jesus’ tears show us that crying can be a powerful act of love. When we cry for others, when we pray for their salvation, we are following Jesus’ example. We are sharing in Jesus’ heart.

Jesus only lived 33 years on earth. His public ministry lasted just 3 years. And in those 3 years, He cried three times. All of those times happened just two weeks before His crucifixion. That tells us something important. Jesus didn’t cry often—but when He did, it was deeply meaningful. He cried when people didn’t believe, when they misunderstood salvation, and when He was preparing to give His life for the world.

May we have hearts like Jesus. Hearts that are strong but soft. Hearts that are full of love, not pride. Hearts that cry, pray, and hope for others to know God.

So, have we ever cried for someone’s soul? Have you ever cried and prayed for the souls of our family and friends? We may not even have compassion for a single soul in our hearts. But Jesus cried for us. He did not cry because He was weak or soft. He cried because He loved us. His tears were not just from sadness, but from deep love and desire to save us.

As, fallowers of Jesus, let us be people who not only believe in Jesus but share His heart. Let’s pray for our families, our friends, our church, and our world. Let’s not be afraid to cry as Jesus did—because those tears may be the beginning of someone’s salvation.

And, as we approach the end of the Lenten season, I encourage you to think of one person in your heart. Pray for them with tears. Pray that they may come to know Jesus with tears. May you become someone who sincerely prays for others to meet Jesus, and may you be able to share the joy of His resurrection with them.