Jesus' Tears in the Gospels: Frequency and Significance
Jesus' tears are explicitly mentioned in two primary contexts within the Gospels and the New Testament: at the tomb of Lazarus in John 11 and in Gethsemane as described in Hebrews 5:7. These instances highlight His profound humanity and priestly role.
The most direct and well-known reference to Jesus weeping is found in John 11:35, stating simply, "Jesus wept" [3]. This occurs during the scene where Jesus arrives in Bethany after Lazarus's death. Upon seeing Mary and the Jews who were with her weeping, Jesus "groaned in the spirit, and was troubled" [1]. The tears of Mary and her companions deeply affected Jesus, drawing forth His emotions and demonstrating His "real" humanity [7]. Some interpretations suggest that the Greek word used for Jesus' tears in John 11:35 (δάκρυω, dakryō) implies silent tears, distinguishing it from the louder wailing (κλαίω, klaiō) of Mary and the others [5]. This brief yet powerful statement underscores Jesus' tender sympathy with His afflicted friends and His share in their sorrow [6]. His groaning in spirit has been interpreted as an inward motion of the mind, possibly reflecting indignation or anger, perhaps at the weakness of Mary's faith or the presence of death itself [10]. This moment reveals Jesus' compassion and sympathy for the afflicted [4].
A second significant mention of Jesus' tears appears in Hebrews 5:7, which states, "During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence" [2]. This passage is widely understood to allude to Jesus' suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, as depicted in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46) [8]. In Gethsemane, Jesus experienced intense fear and anxiety, praying for the "cup of suffering" to be taken away, a metaphor for experiencing judgment [11]. The "loud cries and tears" in Hebrews 5:7 emphasize the depth of His anguish and His complete identification with humanity in suffering [8, 9]. This act of offering prayers with tears was part of His experimental lesson of obedience to the Father, qualifying Him for His role as high priest [9]. God heard His prayers, affirming His righteousness and suitability for this role [8].
These instances of Jesus weeping are not merely expressions of sorrow but are integral to understanding His person and work. They demonstrate His perfect oneness with humanity, experiencing emotions such as grief, trouble, and anguish [5, 6, 11]. His tears at Lazarus's tomb reveal His deep empathy and compassion for those who mourn, while His cries and tears in Gethsemane highlight His submission and obedience to God's will, even in the face of immense suffering, as He prepared to fulfill His priestly office [4, 8, 9].
Sources
- John “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, -- John 11:33”
- Hebrews “Hebrews 5:7 (BSB) — During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.”
- John “Jesus wept. -- John 11:35”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Compassion and Sympathy of Christ, The — Necessary to his priestly office -- Heb 5:2,7. Manifested for the Weary and heavy-laden. -- Mt 11:28-30. Weak in faith. -- Isa 40:11; 42:3; Mt 12:20. Tempted. -- Heb 2:18. Afflicted. -- Lu 7:13; Joh 11:33,35. Diseased. -- Mt 14:14; Mr 1:41. Poor. -- Mr 8:2. Perishing sinners. -- Mt 9:36; Lu 19:41; Joh 3:16. An encouragement to prayer -- Heb 4:15.”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 11:35: Jesus wept--This beautifully conveys the sublime brevity of the two original words; else "shed tears" might have better conveyed the difference between the word here used and that twice employed in Joh 11:33, and there properly rendered "weeping," denoting the loud wail for the dead, while that of Jesus consisted of silent tears. Is it for nothing that the Evangelist, some sixty years after it occurred, holds up to all ages with such touching brevity the sublime spectacle of the Son of God in tears? What a seal of His perfect oneness with us in the most”
- John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on John 11:33: Here we have, I. Christ's tender sympathy with his afflicted friends, and the share he took to himself in their sorrows, which appeared three ways: - 1. By the inward groans and troubles of his spirit (Joh 11:33): Jesus saw Mary weeping for the loss of a loving brother, and the Jews that came with her weeping for the loss of a good neighbour and friend; when he saw what a place of weepers, a bochim, this was, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. See here, (1.) The griefs of the sons of men represented in the tears of Mary and her friends. What an emblem was”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 11:33: When Jesus . . . saw her weeping, and the Jews . . . weeping . . . he groaned in the spirit--the tears of Mary and her friends acting sympathetically upon Jesus, and drawing forth His emotions. What a vivid and beautiful outcoming of His "real" humanity! The word here rendered "groaned" does not mean "sighed" or "grieved," but rather "powerfully checked his emotion"--made a visible effort to restrain those tears which were ready to gush from His eyes. and was troubled--rather, "troubled himself" (Margin); referring probably to this visible difficulty ”
- Hebrews (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Hebrews 5:7: 5:7-10 Jesus’ suffering was a foundation for his superior priesthood. The Son’s humiliation and suffering preceded his exaltation (2:9; Phil 2:5-11). 5:7 The phrase with a loud cry and tears is probably an allusion to Christ’s suffering in the Garden (see Matt 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46). God heard his prayers in the sense of affirming his righteousness and suitability for his role as high priest. Jesus’ faithful devotion is being presented as an example for the readers (cp. Heb 12:2-3).”
- Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 5:7: in the days of his flesh-- (Heb 2:14; Heb 10:20). Heb 5:7-10 state summarily the subject about to be handled more fully in the seventh and eighth chapters. when he had offered--rather, "in that He offered." His crying and tears were part of the experimental lesson of obedience which He submitted to learn from the Father (when God was qualifying Him for the high priesthood). "Who" is to be construed with "learned obedience" (or rather as Greek, "His obedience"; "the obedience" which we all know about). This all shows that "Christ glorified not Himself”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 11:32: When Jesus therefore saw her weeping,.... At his feet, who, for sorrow and grief of heart, could say no more to him; but having expressed these words, burst out into floods of tears: and the Jews also weeping, which came with her; either through sympathy with her, or hypocritically: he groaned in the spirit; in his human soul; and which shows, that he had a real human soul, subject to passions, though sinless ones. The word signifies an inward motion of the mind, through indignation and anger; and it may be partly at the weakness of Mary's faith, and at her immoder”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 22:42: 22:42 please take this cup of suffering away: A cup is a metaphor for experiencing either judgment or blessing (see, e.g., Pss 23:5; 75:8; 116:13; Isa 51:17). Jesus felt all the emotions of his humanity, including fear and anxiety.”