Why Jesus Wept.

John 11:33-35 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

To be honest I’ve never actually been a fan of this verse.  If you ask most Christians they say, “Well, that just shows how human Jesus actually was.”  What about being born to human?  Does that not show how human Jesus actually was?  He had skin, bones, hair, teeth, Jesus ate food, He was tempted; why would this show Jesus as being more human than any other piece of scripture?  How come to most Christians, this is the verse where they go, “Yep, he cried he’s a human being!”  When I see people crying my first thought isn’t, “Oh well, now I know they’re human”.

More importantly, as I believe God is pouring infinite amounts of wisdom into me, why would Jesus weep when we see just a few verses later Jesus wakes up Lazarus from the dead. He knew he was going to do it.  Why would Jesus grieve and weep over something that a half-an-hour later He knew he was going to fix?

Hebrews 2:17-18 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of people.  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

These verses pretty much sum up why Jesus’ life was the way it was. The birth in the manger, temptation in the desert, the anger against Him from the people who believed he wasn’t the Messiah, the weeping, the mockery, “Hosanna” to “Crucify Him,” the kiss of betrayal, the arrest, the beatings, the crucifixion.  Why couldn’t Jesus have just come down lived a life of praise and then just had the cross and the resurrection at the end?  Jesus is God He could have done it anyway He chose, so why this way?

Hebrews answers it.  He had to be made like us, His brothers, in every respect so that Jesus could show us mercy.  I love how the writer of Hebrews says that, “For because HE himself was suffered with tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”  It just so comforting to know that Jesus has been in our shoes and knows what we are going through.  If Jesus hadn’t of lived the life He did, Jesus wouldn’t have been able to relate to us, humans, the way that He does.  If Jesus had just come, done some miracles, and then the cross happened the Bible wouldn’t have so much security in it.  If Jesus hadn’t wept we wouldn’t be able to see the sad side of Jesus.

Just like in my previous post we learned that Jesus was on a throne at the right hand of God – we now understand more of Jesus’ character on that throne.  Rather than Jesus being this lifeguard-like figure who is sitting next to God, Jesus is weeping when we weep.  He knows. When we are hurting, he’s up at the right hand side of God saying, “I know, Pete.  I know.”

How is this not comforting to some?  Jesus was there and He has compassion and sympathy for us when we are going through trials and tribulations, and just like how He knew how He was going to bring Lazarus back to life, He knows what is going to bring our spirit’s back to life, but when we hurt Jesus does too he sympathizes.

I often say, “I know what you’re going through” to a person to comfort them when really I don’t know what they’re going through.  I’m a blonde hair, blue eyed, nineteen year old boy, that was raised in a suburb of one of the most powerful cities in the world.  I’ve lived a life on a cushion and people feed me grapes when there have been people on the ground starving.  I don’t relate to everyone.  Jesus does and can.  That is why God made the gospel the way it is – it’s for that relationship.  Jesus went through the same thing so that He could have mercy on us. Beautiful.