And Jesus wept.
John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible but carries profound theological and emotional depth. This verse occurs in the narrative of the raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44). Lazarus, a friend of Jesus and brother of Martha and Mary had died, and when Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Despite knowing that He would raise Lazarus, Jesus is “perturbed and deeply troubled” (John 11:33) when He sees Mary and the mourners weeping.
Jesus’ weeping shows his profound compassion and empathy for the sorrow of those around him as well as his love for Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Jesus is fully human and fully divine and his weeping reveals genuine human emotions and solidarity with human suffering. He can sympathize with our weaknesses because he experienced them firsthand (Heb. 4:15). While Jesus is often thought of as serene or detached due to his divine power, this moment reveals his deep, human vulnerability. Although Jesus was fully aware of his divine power to raise Lazarus, he did not dismiss the grief of those around him or shy away from sharing in their sorrow.
Jesus also understood the tragedy of death and its consequences. Death was never part of God's original plan for humanity. It entered the world through sin (cf. Gen. 3:19; Rom. 5:12), and Jesus, as both fully divine and fully human, mourns over the suffering and separation that death causes. His weeping reflects his empathy for those mourning and his sorrow over the broader reality of sin and death, which he came to redeem. This moment, filled with both human emotion and divine power, points to his ultimate victory over death through his Resurrection.
Lord Jesus, in your boundless compassion and love, comfort us in our sorrows and remind us of the hope of eternal life through your power over death. Help us to trust in your presence, knowing that you weep with us, and are leading us to the joy of Your Resurrection. Amen.
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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