He Cried Too

I know people right now that weep with great anguish. They have lost a son; a parent; a spouse. And it hurts; it hurts so bad.

I don’t know about you, but there brings a certain level of comfort knowing that Jesus understood that sort of sorrow, not just from the position of Creator God, but from the position of lowly man. He knew what it was like to weep.

Yesterday we looked at the shortest verse in the Bible and why Jesus wept, but scripture records two other times and we are looking at those today.

The second time was when Jesus saw the sins of humanity.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Luke 13:34 NIV

“And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:41-44 ESV

Jesus saw the city of Jerusalem and the sight brought Him to tears. He clearly sees the sins of the past and future and it broke His heart.

Being a caring Father, God experiences deep sorrow when we choose to distance ourselves from Him. He earnestly longs to draw us near. Yet, despite His desire to embrace us, we often opt to pursue our own paths, disregarding His love. He saw the pain it would bring. He saw the separation it would cause and it caused Him great sorrow knowing the pain it would bring.

The third recorded time that Jesus wept was in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before His crucifixion.

The 3rd time Jesus wept the Bible does not specifically say He wept, but we can only imagine, or maybe we cannot begin to imagine, the anguish that our Savior went through that night.

Luke 22:39-44 is just 6 short verses and yet the salvation of the world hung in balance there that night.

“Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him…“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” NKJV

I think we are most comfortable thinking that was just a horrifying process Jesus had to go through to save us from our sin, but have we ever stopped to think, that He, in his humanness, could have given up? He could have said, “Stop! No more!” He could have called ten thousand angels to set Him free, but He chose to die on Calvary’s tree, as the old song goes.

I am quite sure Jesus cried more than 3 times while on this earth. In fact, Hebrews 5:7 tells us "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence."

I just want to remind you that our Savior, our Friend, our Creator and Redeemer: Jesus the Christ, The Word, He understands. He knows you and He understands your sorrows and heartaches. And our Heavenly Abba, He understands and will comfort us. He comforts like no other can.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV

by Jeanette Stark – Friday, August 4, 2023