What is the meaning of John 11:35? Jesus “Jesus” isn’t just a name in this verse; it carries the full weight of who He is. • The eternal Word made flesh (John 1:14), the One through whom “all things were made” (John 1:3). • Fully divine—“the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3), yet also fully human, able to draw near to us in every experience (Hebrews 4:15). • A personal Friend who “loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5), making His coming tears deeply relational, not distant or abstract. • The promised Messiah who came “to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), including death itself, which He is about to overturn in Lazarus’s tomb. Seeing the verse begin with “Jesus” reminds us that the One who is about to weep possesses both absolute power and perfect compassion. wept. “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) is the shortest sentence in Scripture, yet it pulls back the curtain on God’s heart. • Not weakness but love. His tears flow even though He knows He will raise Lazarus moments later (John 11:43–44). Love engages the pain before it removes it. • Shared sorrow. Like Paul’s call to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15), the Lord stands beside Mary and Martha and joins them in grief. • Holy anger at death’s sting. Earlier He was “deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (John 11:33), echoing God’s hatred of the curse that sin brought (Genesis 2:17; 1 Corinthians 15:26). • Assurance for us. Because He “has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), His tears confirm He understands every tear we shed (Psalm 56:8; Psalm 34:18). • A preview of victory. Revelation 21:4 promises a day when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,” and Jesus’ present weeping points forward to the final end of weeping itself. summary Two words reveal two majestic truths: the sovereign Son of God stands with us, and the Savior’s heart breaks with us. “Jesus” assures us of His power; “wept” assures us of His compassion. Together they guarantee that every tear we shed matters to Him, and every grave will one day give way to His resurrection power. |
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