If you grew up in church or have been going for a while, most of us know the answer to this trivia question: What is the shortest verse in the Bible? It’s John 11:35 – “Jesus wept.”
However, did you know that this is only one of two places in Scripture where our Savior cried? The other place where He wept was in Luke 19:41. The passage says, “As He approached and saw the city, He wept for it…”
It is actually really interesting to contrast these two passages. In John 11, Jesus is going to visit Lazarus’ tomb. We know that He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead. And yet, though He knows that miracle is coming, He still weeps. On the surface, it might seem like Jesus has the same reaction to Lazarus’ death that He does to Jerusalem. However, when we dig a little deeper, we see there is a stark difference between how Christ “weeps” in these two passages.
In the original Greek, there are two different words used for “wept.” In Luke 19, the word used for weep is klaio. This type of weeping is best described as crying aloud in anguish. Interestingly enough, this is the type of weeping that we see Mary and others have in Luke 11:33 as they mourn the loss of Lazarus. Jesus is mourning over Jerusalem because He knows, in AD 70, that Jerusalem will be sieged and overthrown.
In John 11, the word for “weep” is dakryo. This words means that He wept silent tears, best described as tears of compassion. In other words, it seems like in John 11, Jesus is crying not out of anguish, but He is full of compassion for the grief that Lazarus’ friends and family are dealing with. Jesus cares about them, so He weeps. However, His crying isn’t marked with anguish. Instead, He knows what is going to happen with Lazarus. He knows that a resurrection is coming!
Why was Jesus’ weeping so different in these two passages? Because, in both situations, Jesus knew what was coming. In Luke 19, Jesus is in anguish over Jerusalem because He knows that the city is full of people who will not repent and trust in Him. When the city is destroyed, He knows the eternal implications of its residents. He is heartbroken over their impending demise.
When it comes to Lazarus, Jesus has compassion for those who are mourning. He knows that they are heartbroken for Lazarus in the same way that He was devastated for Jerusalem. However, He isn’t heartbroken Himself. He knows that Lazarus will be restored to life and that the mourning of his family and friends will turn to joy.
So Jesus wept…twice! But He was only truly heartbroken for those who didn’t have the hope of eternity with Him.
Let me close with this last question. What breaks your heart? It is evident by contrasting these two passages that Christ’s heart breaks over the lost. Will you join me in praying that we have the same burden for the lost in our city?
In Him,
Pastor Zach