“Jesus wept”
Many people talk about the emotions of Jesus losing a close friend. His empathy as he saw those He close to Him mourning. That could be true as Jesus was fully man with emotions like you and I. But let us look at another perspective.
Jesus knew that His ministry on earth was coming to an end. That soon He would be sacrificed, rising again and He knew that Lazarus’ illness was would not lead to death. Jesus even waited a few days before He went to see Lazarus! (John 11:4-5) So when Lazarus died, was Jesus wrong or did He know that He would raise Him from the dead?
Imagine you are about to show your power, something people have experienced before, raising people from the dead, and the ones closest to you still do not believe. You might cry wondering if all your work, all your teaching, was in vain.
We may not know why Jesus cried, but we know He did cry, that He had emotions just like you and I. When we get upset, for whatever reason, and we begin to cry, we can know that Jesus understands how we feel because He experienced it as well.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think Jesus cried?
- When was the last time you cried? Did you ask God to help you through that time?
- How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus cried and can relate to you when you cry about something?
End in prayer asking God to help you when you are sad and thanking Him for His sacrifice on the cross, rising again as He said He would.
