by Father Tom Ferguson
It has been said that John 11:35 is one of the shortest verse in the whole Bible. Succinctly, it states: “And Jesus wept.”
The context is Jesus’ arrival at the tomb of his friend Lazarus.
Jesus, like us in all things but sin, is overcome with emotion and responds in a way characteristic of all of us at a time of loss.
Jesus wept.
We would all do well to ponder the image described and the message proclaimed in these three words.
Jesus experienced sadness and grief when He considered the prospect of physical separation from His dear friend.
He also shared with compassion the loss of Martha and Mary who mourned the death of their brother.
Raising Lazarus from the dead would be one of the greatest signs of the divinity of Jesus recorded in the gospel of John.
But before He revealed the glory of His divinity, Jesus revealed the glory of His humanity when He became willing to share in one of the most visceral of our experiences.
Jesus wept.
The context is Jesus’ arrival at the tomb of his friend Lazarus.
Jesus, like us in all things but sin, is overcome with emotion and responds in a way characteristic of all of us at a time of loss.
Jesus wept.
We would all do well to ponder the image described and the message proclaimed in these three words.
Jesus experienced sadness and grief when He considered the prospect of physical separation from His dear friend.
He also shared with compassion the loss of Martha and Mary who mourned the death of their brother.
Raising Lazarus from the dead would be one of the greatest signs of the divinity of Jesus recorded in the gospel of John.
But before He revealed the glory of His divinity, Jesus revealed the glory of His humanity when He became willing to share in one of the most visceral of our experiences.
Jesus wept.