WHY DID JESUS WEEP AT LAZARUS TOMB?

1/17/26 WHY DID JESUS WEEP AT LAZARUS TOMB?

Today when I opened my Bible, it turned to this scripture where they were questioning why Jesus couldn’t keep Lazarus from dying.

Joh 11:37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” 

Immediately I thought of the Sovereignty of God where He has a purpose for everything that He allows. I pondered that Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb and asked the Lord if He would help me to understand what was going on in Jesus’ heart. I re-read the whole event in John 11 and here are the nuggets I found.

JESUS HAD A PURPOSE IN ALLOWING LAZARUS TO DIE

The passage clearly states that even when asked to come help, Jesus stayed away on purpose, allowing Lazarus to die!

John 11:5-6 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

But Jesus stated God’s purpose very clearly: He wanted to give God glory by people believing in Him and seeing that God even had power over the grave. I noticed that the word BELIEVE was recorded 8 times in this passage. This was Jesus’ focus and intent for allowing Lazarus to die.

John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

John 11:14-15 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent you may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

John 11:25-27 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? 27 She said unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world.

John 11:40 Jesus said unto her, Said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?

John 11:42 And I knew that you hear me always: but because of the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me.

John 11:45 Then many of the Jews who came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

SO WHY DID JESUS WEEP WHEN LAZARUS DIED?

Scripture tells us that when He saw Mary and the Jews weeping,

• Jesus groaned
• Jesus was troubled
• Jesus wept

Why was Jesus feeling these things? Jesus’ heart was between a rock and a hard place. He loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. He loved His Father and His will. And Jesus stayed away to allow this.

John 11:20-21 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

John 11:32-38 Then when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, he groaned in his spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have you laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

I believe that Jesus was deeply troubled and wept because He felt the deep hopeless disappointment that Mary expressed. They had asked Him to come help, He stayed away on purpose and allowed her brother – whom she knew Jesus’ loved – to die. After seeing Him heal so many people, she knew He could have stopped Lazarus’ death. And now Lazarus was gone. They were disappointed in Jesus and hopeless in the loss of their brother.

Jesus deeply loved them, and not only understood what they were feeling, but He felt the pain of their broken hearts. In that moment Jesus was the faithful Son of God, a man, a friend, their Intercessor, Deliverer and Advocate. He was moved to tears because of Who He was. He was the One standing between the anguish of mankind and the invisible Father Whom He wanted them to trust.

Always remember that when you are disappointed in the Sovereignty of God, that Jesus weeps over you and longs for you to believe.

John 11:40 Jesus said unto her, Said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?