When you have grown up going to church from a very young age, you come to make a most important discovery.
Every once in a while, whether in Sunday School or in church, it would be a time of sharing a memorized Scripture. One would stand and quote the verse, from memory, and then call on the next person.
The entire time could be well spent in prayer for one of two things: one, that you would never get called or two, that the verse you had in mind would not be shared before you were called on.
And that is where the important discovery comes in. If you didn’t have a verse in mind, one could always share, the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35, NASB).
The one verse which didn’t require much memorization at all. Everyone knew it. One could only hope and pray to be called on before the verse was already shared.
As short as it is, those two words convey much about the heart of Jesus.
Jesus was called to come to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus for Lazarus was sick. Jesus delayed going for several days and upon arriving is told Lazarus was placed in a tomb for he had been dead for four days.
Seeing the grief of the sisters, Jesus was troubled and asked to go to the tomb.
Jesus is troubled because He sees the pain death causes to those who are yet living. He knows this is the result of sin.
Jesus’ weeping confirms for us how Jesus experienced every emotion humanity would ever experience. Jesus knows what loss and grief feels like because He felt it firsthand while here on earth.
Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead yet it did not remove the recognition of the pain Mary and Martha were feeling.
Jesus recognized the doubt, the fear, the loss, the pain, the tears, and the loneliness. He also knew He was their hope:
“I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” (John 11:25-26,NASB)
So what does the shortest verse, “Jesus wept”, tell us today?
Jesus is with us in the middle of every situation.
We can come to Him with confidence
for He is our hope and help in our time of need.
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16, NASB)
“Nothing God is working in our souls is instant.” Those words have been poking me since I read them. In her post, In a While, Paris Renae brings beautiful encouragement and the reminder that we can wait and trust God.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Image by hartono subagio from Pixabay
This might be the shortest verse, but for many it turns out to be the most meaningful and profound as they come to realize that Jesus truly has been there, done that. That He was a man of sorrows aquainted with grief. He gets it. That He can fully enter into our pain and sorrow is a tremendous gift of healing grace.
Thank You, Lord.
Jesus wept because He KNOWS. He is present, and He knows what we are going through at the moment. He enters into our grief and sorrow. And it means that He understood what it would mean to Lazarus to leave the glories of heaven and return to earth. He understood what it meant to leave the heavenly body and heavenly realm to be clothed with an earthly body and live on the earth with all its weights and cares. I think there are different layers to his weeping.
There’s so much packed in that one small verse. It helps so much that Jesus knows our sorrow by experience and sympathizes with them. Even though He knew He was going to resurrect Lazarus, He took time to grieve with those He loved. What a Savior!
That whole story challenges us and stretches our trust and understanding of how God loves. He loved them and waited 3 days to go—until Lazarus had died! Then He wept before He resurrected him. So rich. Thanks for reminding us of his love and feelings.
Yes, that short verse, is so impactful!
I love that story of Jesus, Lazarus, Martha and Mary. I love intentionality of the waiting. Waiting is difficult. We most often focus on Jesus sharing in our grief and weeping with us, but today I see how He understands our difficulty with waiting.
This reminds me that faith does not need to be complicated! We have the One who truly wants us to understand His Way to everlasting life!
I love your summary of those two words, Joanne.
Joanne, I love the humanity of Jesus shown in that tiny verse. It speaks volumes as to His acquaintance with grief and Him as a man of sorrows.
in John 11:33, Jesus groaned in anger in the spirit, then some translations say in v. 35 that Jesus burst into tears. I don’t think this was a quiet shedding of tears. Jesus was upset at the effects of sin and death and the pain it caused the sisters of Lazarus. It is so comforting to know He is not okay when our loved ones die. He understands our feeling!
Thanks for sharing Joanne. I’m right there with you in those childhood church memories, except I was always praying to be the one who got to recite John 3:16!
Thank you, dear Joanne. God bless you in this new year.
In the years when I was a confirmation leader, many junior high kids would choose that verse to share… often not realizing the full weight of what those two simple words meant! It always sparked a great conversation and, thanks to your post, Joanne, I, too, have new insights to it’s true intent. Happy New Year!
There is so much in those two words. It is so profound to know that Jesus felt all human emotions. He gets us. It’s comforting and oh so soothing that I can come to him with both lament and joy and praise him because he’s been there and gets me.