Tear-Stained Savior

Perhaps you have this little verse tucked away in your treasury of Bible trivia as the shortest verse in the Bible:

John 11:35 – Jesus wept.

This is probably the simplest verse in the entire Bible, just two little words. But these two little words give us much more than Bible trivia or a good verse to memorize. In these two words John reveals something special about our Savior.

John’s Gospel begins by laying the foundation that Jesus was there with God in the beginning and that Jesus was and is completely God. Everything was created by Him and for Him. But there was a problem: sin. Man disobeyed God, and with that act he opened the door to all sorts of pain and suffering, including death and eternal punishment in a very real hell. Mankind was doomed to suffer the consequences of his sin and things looked bleak.

Until one night in Bethlehem, when a boy was born: Immanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ. Jesus was completely God and completely man, he never sinned, but He saw the consequences of sin and felt the pain of death and loss firsthand. That is where we find ourselves in John 11:35. Jesus’ friend had died and it hurt. Remember, Jesus was completely man. He was tempted, abandoned, mocked and abused. He felt pain, disgust, joy and sorrow. But today we have hope because of Him. He conquered death and paid the price for our sin.

So if you are hurting, if you have wept, if you are carrying a burden or if you have known pain. I want you to know that you are not alone. Jesus knows exactly how you feel, not through some distant sympathy, but through personal experience. Jesus is a personal Savior and He is there for you, just reach out to Him. He sees your tears, He knows your pain and He loves you more than you will ever realize. And perhaps if you let Him close enough, you will see that His cheeks are tear-stained just like yours.