Did You Know That Jesus Wept Three Times in His Life?

💧 The Man of Sorrows: Why the God of the Universe Shed Tears ✨

Have you ever seen a strong man break down? It is a jarring sight. We are used to seeing leaders project strength, stability, and composure.

But the God of the Bible does not wear a mask of stoicism.

We often quote “Jesus wept” (John 11:35) as a trivia fact—the shortest verse in the Bible. But did you know that Scripture records Jesus weeping on three separate occasions?

He didn’t just cry once.

1. He wept at a grave.
2. He wept over a city.
3. He wept in a garden.

Why did Jesus cry?

It wasn’t because He was weak. It was because He was fully human and fully divine. His tears were the physical manifestation of God’s heart breaking over the ravages of sin. He wept so that we would know we never have to weep alone.

Part I: Tears of Sympathy (The Friend) 🤝

The Tomb of Lazarus (John 11) 🪦

The first instance is the most famous. Jesus arrives at the grave of His friend Lazarus. He knows—with absolute certainty—that in five minutes, Lazarus will be alive again.

Yet, He stops. He looks at the grief of Mary and Martha. And He breaks down.

“Jesus wept.” —John 11:35 (KJV)

The Theology of the Tear: The Greek word for “groaned” in this passage (embrimaomai) implies anger or stern indignation. Jesus wasn’t just sad; He was furious at Death. He saw the pain death causes His creation, and He hated it.

He wept to show us that God enters our grief. He doesn’t just fix the problem (resurrection); He feels the pain (incarnation).

For a deeper dive into this specific moment, read Why Did Jesus Weep? The Powerful Meaning of John 11:35.

Part II: Tears of Judgment (The Prophet) 🏙️

The Triumphal Entry (Luke 19) 🌿

The second time Jesus wept, the crowd was cheering.

It was Palm Sunday. The people were shouting “Hosanna!” and treating Him like a King. But as Jesus crested the Mount of Olives and saw the skyline of Jerusalem, the celebration stopped for Him.

“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.” —Luke 19:41 (KJV)

The Theology of the Lament: Here, Jesus stands in the tradition of Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet. He wasn’t crying for Himself; He was crying for the city that was about to reject Him. He saw the future—the Roman armies of AD 70, the destruction of the Temple, and the spiritual blindness of His people.

He wept because judgment is a tragedy to God. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11).

For more on the prophetic significance of this moment, see Revealed: The Hidden Reason Jesus Wept Over Jerusalem.

Part III: Tears of Agony (The Priest) 🩸

The Garden of Gethsemane (Hebrews 5) 🌳

The third time isn’t recorded in the Gospels as “weeping,” but the book of Hebrews pulls back the curtain on what happened in the dark of Gethsemane.

“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death…” —Hebrews 5:7 (KJV)

The Theology of the Struggle: In the garden, Jesus was acting as our High Priest. He was taking the weight of the world’s sin onto His shoulders. The “cup” He asked to pass was not just physical death; it was the Wrath of God.

His tears were mixed with blood (Hematidrosis). This was the cost of our salvation. He wept in the garden so we could laugh in the Kingdom.

For more on this intense prayer, read Understand the Most Powerful Prayer in the Bible in Just 40 Seconds.

Part IV: 3 Common Misconceptions About Jesus’ Emotions 💡

Misconception 1: Jesus cried because He was helpless.

• Correction: In all three instances, Jesus was in total control. At Lazarus’ tomb, He commanded life. At Jerusalem, He predicted the future. In Gethsemane, He laid down His life voluntarily. His tears were a sign of love, not weakness.

Misconception 2: God the Father is emotionless.

• Correction: Jesus is the “express image” of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). If Jesus wept, it means God feels. God grieves over sin (Genesis 6:6) and rejoices over His people (Zephaniah 3:17). We do not serve a stoic statue; we serve a living Father.

Misconception 3: Real Christians shouldn’t cry.

• Correction: If the Author of our Faith wept, grief cannot be a sin. Paul tells us we do not grieve “as others which have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13), but we do grieve. Tears are a holy response to a broken world.

Conclusion: The God Who Cries With You 🌟

Did you know Jesus wept three times?

He wept for His friends. He wept for the lost. He wept for the cost of sin.

This means there is no tear you shed that He does not understand. Psalm 56:8 says God puts our tears in His bottle. He keeps count.

Because Jesus wept, we know that our sorrow is not a sign of God’s absence; it is the very place where His presence is nearest.

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart…” —Psalm 34:18 (KJV)

Reflection: Which of Jesus’ tears means the most to you today? The tears of a Friend,