The question “Why Did Jesus Cry?” delves into the deeply human yet divine nature of Jesus Christ. The Gospels record instances of Jesus weeping, offering profound insights into His compassion and His perspective on human suffering and spiritual realities. These moments, documented in the Bible, particularly in John 11:35 and Luke 19:41, reveal not only His emotional depth but also the reasons behind His tears. Examining these passages allows us to understand the heart of Jesus and His profound love for humanity.
Jesus Wept at Lazarus’s Tomb: Compassion for Grief
One of the most poignant instances of Jesus weeping is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 11, concerning the death of Lazarus. Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was a dear friend of Jesus. Upon arriving in Bethany after Lazarus had already died, Jesus encountered the profound grief of Mary, Martha, and their community. John 11:33 describes Jesus’s emotional response: “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” This verse sets the stage for the shortest verse in the Bible, yet one of the most impactful: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
It is crucial to understand that Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. His tears were not of despair or hopelessness regarding Lazarus’s eternal fate. Instead, Jesus wept in solidarity with human sorrow. He was deeply moved by the visible pain and anguish of Mary and Martha. The original Greek in John 11:33 suggests a deep, inward groaning and emotional turmoil within Jesus. His tears were tears of empathy, reflecting His profound compassion for human suffering and the pain of loss that death brings, even temporarily. He intimately felt the weight of human grief in that moment. His weeping was a demonstration of His genuine human nature, capable of experiencing and sharing in the sorrow of others.
Jesus Wept Over Jerusalem: Sorrow for Unbelief and Future Judgment
The second significant instance of Jesus weeping is recorded in Luke 19:41. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, nearing the end of His earthly ministry and shortly before His crucifixion, He paused and looked upon the city. Luke 19:41 states, “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.” This was not a quiet weeping; the Greek word used here is the same one used to describe the loud weeping of Mary and the mourners in John 11:33, indicating audible and passionate sorrow.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem not because of its beauty or grandeur, but because of its spiritual condition and impending doom. He foresaw the city’s rejection of Him, the Messiah, and the tragic consequences that would follow. He lamented their spiritual blindness and their refusal to recognize “the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44). Jesus knew that Jerusalem, instead of embracing peace and salvation offered through Him, would face destruction and immense suffering. This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD when Roman legions besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, resulting in immense loss of life.
In Luke 13:34, Jesus had already expressed His deep longing to protect Jerusalem, saying, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!” His tears in Luke 19 were the outpouring of this profound sorrow and unfulfilled longing. They were tears of prophetic grief, lamenting the city’s chosen path of rejection and its devastating future. Unlike the tears at Lazarus’s tomb, which were primarily driven by compassion for personal grief, the tears over Jerusalem were driven by sorrow for collective spiritual blindness and its eternal repercussions.
Hebrews 5:7: Tears and Prayers in Gethsemane
While John 11 and Luke 19 explicitly describe Jesus weeping in specific situations, Hebrews 5:7 offers a broader perspective on Jesus’s emotional and prayerful life. It says, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to God, who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” This verse, likely referring to Jesus’s prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, highlights that weeping was not an isolated occurrence in Jesus’s life. He offered up prayers “with fervent cries and tears,” underscoring the intensity of His communion with God and His deep emotional engagement in prayer, particularly in the face of immense suffering and the shadow of the cross.
Conclusion: The Significance of Jesus’s Tears
The instances where Jesus wept are not mere displays of emotion; they are profound revelations of His nature and mission. “Why did Jesus cry?” Because He was fully human, capable of experiencing and sharing in human emotions, particularly grief and sorrow. His tears at Lazarus’s tomb demonstrate His deep compassion and empathy for individual suffering. His tears over Jerusalem reveal His prophetic sorrow for spiritual blindness and its devastating consequences. These tears underscore His profound love for both individuals and communities, a love that grieves over suffering and longs for salvation.
In both cases, the reasons behind Jesus’s tears point to His unique position as both fully God and fully human. They highlight His heart of compassion, His understanding of human pain, and His divine perspective on eternal realities. They invite us to reflect on the depth of His love and the significance of His mission to bring both comfort in grief and salvation from spiritual destruction.
