“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.”

John 11:33–35 ESV

This passage contains the shortest verse in the Bible, yet one of the deepest revelations of God’s heart.

Like me, before I knew Jesus as my Lord and Savior, many of us—when trials came—would cry out to God in frustration, saying, Don’t You see? Don’t You hear? Are You heartless? Don’t You have pity? We throw tantrums and display attitudes toward God when pain overwhelms us.

But after I came to know the light of God and understand the love of Jesus, I realized something profound: He had already wept with me. He helped me endure the pain and upheld me even before I loved Him or truly knew Him.

This truth became a great revelation to me and later helped me thank God even in the midst of trials.

In this passage, we learn about two sisters who lost their beloved brother, Lazarus. Jesus was informed of Lazarus’s illness, yet He waited—even after Lazarus had died. When one of the sisters heard that Jesus was coming to the village, she ran to Him and wept. Seeing her grief, along with the sorrow of the family and villagers, Jesus Himself was moved—and He wept.

Jesus then raised Lazarus, who was dead and decaying. He unbound him and gave him life and a future. Jesus could have come while Lazarus was sick, but He intentionally delayed His journey to reveal the glory of God.

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. He wept with them, sharing their grief and pain. Yet He also stood at the entrance of the grave and called, “Lazarus, come out.” In that moment, He displayed His sovereignty and authority over all things.

This Word brings great encouragement: our God understands every emotion we carry. He is closer than we think, and His Spirit lives within us to give us peace. We may not see our prayers answered immediately, but we can be sure that the glory of God will be revealed in every situation.

Instead of demanding a Lazarus-type miracle, let us surrender our situations into the loving hands of Jesus. The glory God reveals will not be worth comparing to the pain we endure. Jesus is with you—in the loss of a loved one, the loss of a home, the loss of a job etc. Through it all, His grace will be sufficient, and great will be your peace in the midst of it all.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for being a God who sees, hears, and weeps with us. Teach us to surrender every situation into Your loving hands and rest in the peace Your Spirit gives. May Your grace be sufficient for us today and always. In Jesus’ name, amen.