By Chuck Thompson

This is the shortest verse in the Bible; just two words. I wanted to find out, why did Jesus weep, and what is the significance of this short verse?

This story centers around Mary and her sister Martha, who were friends of Jesus. This Mary may be Mary Magdalene whom Jesus cast out seven demons from. (Luke 8:2) She is the one who poured expensive perfume on Jesus feet, and wiped them with her hair. She had to have a tremendous amount of gratitude to Jesus to be willing to do that!
Mary and Martha's brother, Lazarus fell sick and died. Lazarus was also a good friend of Jesus. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was dying. When Jesus got the message, He replied in John 11:4 "This sickness will not end in his death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

Jesus waited two days before He and His disciples went back to Judea where Lazarus was. Jesus waited for two days perhaps so that there would be no doubt in the people's minds that Lazarus really was dead, and not staging anything to try to fool the people.

The disciples however were reluctant to go back to Judea because just a short time ago the Jews there tried to stone Jesus there. Jesus replied to them, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. For it is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." This statement from John 11:9, 10 has much more meaning than the simple logic, because Jesus is meaning that if you walk in the light or by God's guidance from His word, you will be able to avoid the pitfalls that Satan will try to put before you to try to cause you to stumble. But, if you choose to go your own way you will surely fall into Satan's pitfalls of lust, greed, fear, and a host of other sins.

By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Before Jesus and His disciples had arrived, Martha had gone out to meet them. Martha said to Jesus, "If you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died." Jesus assured her that her brother would rise again. Martha assumes that Jesus meant on the day of resurrection that is yet to come.
Jesus response to her is a phrase that is the theme of a familiar song that is a favorite camp song. "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies; and whoever believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Martha acknowledged that she does believe this and that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Martha went back to tell Mary that Jesus, while Jesus waited outside of town. Immediately Mary left the house to go out to meet Jesus. Many of the Jews who were with Mary to comfort her in her time of loss went with her, assuming that she was going out to the tomb where Lazarus was buried.
Mary fell immediately at Jesus feet when she got there and said, "If you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who were with her weeping too, Jesus was deeply moved. He then asked Mary, "Where have you laid him?" "Come and see." Mary said. Jesus was deeply moved by the love they all shared for Lazarus. This is when Jesus wept.
The Jews who were with Mary had earlier witnessed when Jesus restored the sight of a blind man, and acknowledged that this was a miracle that can only come from God. (John 9:1-12)
When Jesus displayed the human emotion of weeping in sorrow, it revealed to them how Jesus is truly the Son of God who took on human characteristics who also had the power to have kept Lazarus from dying.

In a short time they were about to witness an even greater miracle when Jesus brings Lazarus back to life!