Devotion on John 11:35

John 11

English Standard Version

The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus[a] was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin,[b] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[c] off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved[e] in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odour, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for[f] Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

1. John 11:6 Greek he; also verse 17
2. John 11:16 Greek Didymus
3. John 11:18 Greek fifteen stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
4. John 11:25 Some manuscripts omit and the life
5. John 11:33 Or was indignant; also verse 38
6. John 11:56 Greek were seeking for

The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.

1. Exegesis of the Verse

“Jesus wept.” — John 11:35, English Standard Version.

Read the verse within the story. Lazarus has died, Martha has confessed her faith, and Mary and the accompanying mourners are grieving. Jesus sees their sorrow, asks where Lazarus has been laid, and weeps before raising him. His tears express genuine love, not uncertainty about his power: he has already announced his intention to awaken Lazarus (John 11:3–15, 17–44).

Attend to the English Standard Version. Its brief sentence presents Jesus himself as the one who sheds tears. The underlying Greek verb, dakruō, differs from the verb describing the mourners’ weeping in John 11:31 and 33. This distinction identifies the shedding of tears; it does not establish that Jesus’ grief was weaker or that other expressions of grief are wrong.

The English Standard Version also describes his profound emotional disturbance in John 11:33 and 38. The underlying language can carry indignation, but the passage does not explicitly identify its precise object. Opposition to death and its devastation is a reasonable interpretation, not an exhaustive explanation of his feelings. His love and sympathy are clear (John 11:5). These emotions are authentic, sinless human experience, not a performance for the mourners.

Follow John’s larger purpose. The tears belong to the incarnate Son’s ministry, not merely to a lesson about kindness (John 1:14). The raising of Lazarus reveals his life-giving authority and prompts both faith and opposition. The resulting death plot, together with Caiaphas’s prophecy, directs attention towards Jesus’ saving death (John 11:25–27, 43–53). John records signs to lead readers to faith in Jesus and life in his name (John 20:30–31).

2. Theological Teaching

One Christ, fully divine and fully human. Jesus’ tears reveal real humanity without diminishing his divine authority. Christian theology confesses two distinct natures united in one person: the eternal Son truly experiences sorrow according to his human nature. This neither divides him into two persons nor implies that his divine nature is overwhelmed or changed by suffering (John 1:14).

Sovereign love is not emotional distance. John deliberately places Jesus’ love beside his delay. His purpose is God’s glory and the disciples’ faith, yet he enters the family’s grief personally (John 11:4–6, 14–15, 33–35). This supports trust in his wise rule, but does not authorise us to explain the hidden purpose of every tragedy.

Compassion leads towards redemption. Jesus is more than a sympathetic companion: he gives life, and his death gathers God’s children (John 11:25–26, 43–44, 49–52). Christian theology locates salvation in his obedient life and sacrificial death, applied by his Spirit, rather than in our emotional strength or good works. His sinless sympathy encourages believers to approach God for mercy and help (Hebrews 4:14–16).

3. Practical Application to Modern Christian Living

Bring sorrow to Christ. In bereavement, illness, or disappointment, speak honestly in prayer. Jesus’ tears show that grief need not contradict faith. Do not make cheerfulness, emotional composure, or the absence of tears a test of Christian maturity (John 11:25–35).

Offer presence before explanations. Listen without rushing to correct someone’s feelings. Offer a meal, transport, help with daily tasks, or a follow-up visit. Christ’s compassion calls for tangible care, not merely moving words (John 11:33–36).

Trust without demanding a particular outcome. Pray for healing, while resting in Christ rather than a timetable. Lazarus’s restoration is a particular sign of Jesus’ authority, not a promise that sufficient faith will reverse every death now. The chapter directs hope towards life in Christ beyond death (John 11:24–26, 40–44).

4. Meditation Guide

Read John 11:17–44 slowly.
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[c] off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved[e] in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odour, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Pause over John 11:35,
35 Jesus wept.
and use these prompts without pressure to produce a particular feeling.

Notice: How do Jesus’ tears and his life-giving authority belong together? Where does the passage show love, grief, and hope?

Reflect: What sorrow am I reluctant to bring to Jesus? Have I mistaken his delay for indifference, or treated someone else’s grief as deficient faith?

Pray: Lord Jesus, thank you for your genuine compassion and saving power. Help me bring my sorrow to you, trust your wisdom, and care patiently for others. Strengthen my hope in the life you give. Amen.

Respond: Choose one grieving person to contact this week. Ask what support would be welcome, and offer one specific act of care. Return to John 11:25–26 when fear returns.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. Used by permission. All rights reserved.