Jesus wept

John 11v35 is not only the shortest verse of the New Testament, but also one of the most remarkable. There is no clearer testimony to Jesus’ humanity, as He enters into a scene of death and mourning and responds with grief and tears.

But it also provides a window into His divine attitude to sin and the effects of sin, especially to death. There is no indifference, no simplistic assurance that “all will be right in the end”, but lament at what has become of His world.

November is traditionally a month when we reflect on the persecuted church. Recent news from Nigeria and China highlights our concerns. We are also moved by continuing hostility and conflict in our world, and the fragility of ceasefires and settlements which do not deliver lasting peace. We lament the state of the professing church, and the troubles of our nation. We are grieved over those who are lost. And here Jesus stands with us and weeps. He is not despairing – indeed it would be surprising if His tears were shed for the loss of a friend, because He is about to raise Lazarus from the dead. But He is indignant at the devil’s intrusion into the world, at our sinful folly, the lostness of the world, and the bitter fruit of all of these things.