A Scene of Sorrow in Bethany: “Jesus wept”
There is a verse in the Bible which reads: “Jesus wept”. 2000 years ago, in a home in Bethany, a small village in Judea, two sisters lost their only beloved brother to death. Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were close friends with Jesus of Nazareth, so the sisters informed Jesus when he was sick. But by the time Jesus and his disciples arrived, Lazarus was already dead. Both Martha and Mary ran to Jesus, weeping and telling Him that if He had come earlier, their brother would not have died. They truly believed that Jesus could have healed their brother, but He was not there on time! As is common in funeral homes, there was a lot of weeping and mourning; Mary, Martha, and the friends and dear ones – all were in great sorrow.
“Jesus Wept”: The shortest verse in the Bible
John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible in most languages. In this verse, we read, “Jesus Wept”. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, who gave life to men, weeps and groans in spirit for his friend who died? Later, we see Jesus raised Lazarus from his death. Standing before the grave of Lazarus, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And Lazarus, who was dead for four days, came out alive. If Jesus, in His sovereignty, knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, why did He weep? Why did he groan in the spirit and why was he troubled? Didn’t He know how this would end? Well, that is exactly what I would like to shed light on today.
Jesus’s Humanity and Divinity:
Jesus, the Son of God, came down to this earth as a man. The verse “Jesus wept” is one of the greatest proofs of His humanity, and His raising Lazarus from the dead is a significant proof of His divinity. Yet, when Jesus saw Martha and Mary weeping, He was moved in His spirit and wept with them. This is the compassion Jesus has for mankind. Though He knew how this story would end, at that moment, He shared in their pain as His own.
Jesus as a Compassionate Friend:
People often complain about how alone they are in their troubles and how others cannot understand their situation. But anyone who has met Jesus and found Him as their Savior knows that they have a friend in Jesus who rejoices with them in their joys and weeps with them in their sorrows.
Jesus’s Greater Grief: Spiritual Death:
The physical death of Lazarus caused a lot of pain in Jesus’ heart, but He grieved even more when He saw the spiritual death of people. In Mathew 9:36, we read: “But when He saw the 
multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” On seeing the multitude being weary, Jesus pitied them for the state they were in. Today, He truly desires to be your Shepherd and bring you under His care.
An Invitation to Accept Jesus:
When God realized the only way that humanity could be saved was by laying down His own life, He came down as a complete and perfect man, just like one among them, and died a cruel death on the cross of Calvary to pay for the sins of mankind, including you and me. Would you be interested in accepting this God into your life? A God who rejoices in your joys and weeps in your sorrows? The one who truly understands you and your circumstances. Someone who can accept you the way you are and be part of your life in the good and bad times. Well, Jesus is a friend you can have too.