Emotions!  Did Jesus have emotions?

Everyone may know the “shortest verse” in the Bible!  You may know it and have memorized it since it’s so short!  Great!

“Jesus wept.”

Where is it found in the Bible? 

Smile. I had to look it up too. It is John 11:35.

Some English translations say “Jesus wept” while other English translations say “Jesus cried”.  Or “Jesus began to cry.” In today’s English language, if you cry, you probably use the word “cried” rather than “wept.” Most English Bible translations use “Jesus wept.” In English, Cry/Cried, or Weep/Wept all mean the same thing. Weep/Wept are older English words.

What was the occasion when Jesus wept?  It was when Lazarus died.  He was a brother to Mary and Martha.  Jesus visited them many times.  They were good friends.  This verse shows Jesus’ emotions after Lazarus died.  Shows the sorrow of death. 

When we have loved ones who die, we can show emotion.  We can cry.  We love them.  We miss them.      

There is another passage in the Bible that shows when Jesus wept. This verse shows Jesus’ love for Jerusalem. 

Luke 19:41 “Jesus came near Jerusalem. Looking at the city, he began to cry for it.” (ERV)

Have you ever wept (cried) over a non-believer?  Or cried for someone to become a Christian?

If we are honest, we probably have not.  Yet, Jesus wept for the city of Jerusalem.  He wept for the people who lived there in Jerusalem.

We may not weep for people like Jesus, but we can pray for them. We may be sad for a person or for people, but we don’t know how to pray.  God will help with our prayers. The Holy Spirit may do our weeping for us while we pray our concerns about others. 

When I worked, I knew some of my co-workers went to church.  Others did not want to go.  They didn’t see a need for church. They thought it was a waste of time.  That made me sad.  So I would pray for them.  At first I didn’t always know what to pray for.  Now I know God helped me to pray for them.