Why was Jesus crying?

Question

John 11:35 Question: Why is Jesus crying? He knows He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead.. so why is He crying.. actually. I believe the english gives the wrong "feeling" about what He was actually doing. He wept, sob sob.. NO! He completly lost it! why?

I'll give you a the full answer in about 10 minutes I want to hear what others have to say or why they think this happened.

I have heard hundreds of pastors and teachers say the wrong answer for many years.. This verse used to bother me because it just doesn't make sense. Then the Holy Spirit showed me the plain simplel truth of this verse. Jesus wept ( he completly lost it) why ?? BECAUSE he had to call Lazarus OUT OF PARADISE!!! That is the reason he was crying in such travail! Lazarus was in paradise.(Abraham's bosom ) for four days! True there is no time in paradise.. but in Earthly terms. Lazarus had been there for "a while"! Now to leave that.. to come back into this &^$%^ world! Was too much pain for Jesus!

Answer 1

i say it's because he was showing sympathy. if you are sad about something, you'd want your friend to weep with you.

Answer 2

All Egyptians went through a process of spending 3 days in a cave, without company or food/water. This deprevation leads to fantastic dreams, similar to the paote use of Native Americans, South American toad licking, or Aboriginal dream walking. After 3 days, the person would be taken into a room, where alone with his/her resurrectorm the dreams would be recounted and analysed.
There would then be a great feast.
Clearly Jesus was moved by the honour of being asked to 'resurrect' such a wealthy person as Lazarus, after all he did marry his sister.
Bet the food and wine was great, too.

Answer 3

Yes in contrast to the Jews and Mary who wept Jesus "burst into tears". Here His humanity is on display along with His deep love not only for Lazarus but for the others, Mary and Martha who were truly grieving. I would also have to believe He wept because of sin as all of this pain, suffering and death is a result of sin. What a contrast that the very one who here sheds tears is in the midst of the very suffering and humiliation leading to death that would one day wipe away every tear and take away every pain. For by His stripes we are healed.

Answer 4

Knowing that He would raise Laz from the dead is one thing.
Seeing His friend dead is another. Jesus was fully man in His emotions; sorrow and empathy were His to show.

He also wept because His friends and followers didn't quite "get it." That being God, He had the power to do all things. If healing the blind and making the lame to walk were not enough, He knew that raising Lasarus from the dead was not going to lead anyone to salvation.
The Jews of old wandering through the wilderness with Moses saw miraculous signs and wonders daily, yet they could not enter in to the Promised Land because they lacked faith.

Answer 5

Who am I to argue with the Holy Spirit?

I would submit, though, that the Holy Spirit will get a lot of mileage out of those two little words, and people who are asking Him what they mean, and whether there is an application for their lives.

I wouldn't discount what other people have to say about the results of their meditations on the Weeping Christ.

Jesus did nothing shameful, therefore, it is not a shame for men to weep.

Answer 6

He was grieving along with Martha and Mary, missing his friend Lazarus, realizing how far he was going to have to go to make people believe in him. Raising someone from the dead was a serious matter at the time. Still is, but people don't notice.

Answer 7

Jesus seeing all the Jews in attendance with Mary, Lazarus' sister, weeping and Mary weeping saying Lord if only you had been here my brother would not have died, groaned in the spirit and became trouble as he had much feeling and love for them gave way to tears. Jesus' deep feelings for Mary and Martha and the fact they were so grieved caused him to give way to tears also. Your personal opinion is not correct as the Bible states; Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man.(John 3:13) No one went to heaven before Jesus died and went back to his Father in heaven.

Answer 8

Jesus was a man. Lazarus was his friend. Wouldn't you cry if your friend died?

I believe the human side of Jesus felt the pain. I don't agree that he felt Lazarus would have to leave Heaven or what ever you termed it in your note.

Answer 9

The word for wept, in the greek accourding to my referance, here implies weeping quietly as contrasted to the wailing in v33... it must be remembered that Jesus was both fully God and fullly man. the body was mortal and subject to mortal emmotion. Controled for most of His mortal time...but still present... why would he not weep for his friend and, in my opinion, for the fact that he was going to bring Lazarus back from paradise to the mortal world... though that thought is not biblicaly supported

Answer 10

Jesus wept because the people doubted
John 11:40 Jesus said "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God."

Answer 11

When Jesus saw the weeping and wailing, he too wept openly. Perhaps he empathized with their grief, or perhaps he was troubled at their unbelief. In either case, Jesus showed that he cares enough for us to weep with us in our sorrow.
I have wept with others who are grieving because I have felt their pain.