Jesus Knows How You FeelSample

Jesus Knows What It Feels Like to Be SAD

The shortest verse in the entire Bible has just two words:

“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)

But those two words tell us something true about Jesus. Sometimes, Jesus was sad.

Mary and Martha were good friends with Jesus. One day they sent Jesus a message about their brother Lazarus, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

On one hand, because He’s God, Jesus already knew that His friend was going to die. In fact, He told his disciples that not only would Lazarus die, but Jesus would also raise him from the dead. Jesus knew the story would have a happy ending, so why be sad?

On the other hand, because He’s human, Jesus was overcome by emotion when He arrived at the scene. First He saw Martha who wondered why Jesus didn’t come sooner to help her brother. Then He saw Mary and a crowd of people weeping because Lazarus was dead.

Mary took Him to the graveside, and Jesus broke down in tears.

He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, so why was Jesus sad?

Jesus chose to feel the sadness. Maybe it was because His heart broke for the pain experienced by Martha and Mary. And maybe it was because He knew that sickness and death were not a part of God’s original plan. In that moment, Jesus was reminded how hard it is to be human.

So Jesus cried.

He also cares deeply when you are the one crying. He knows the pain you feel when someone you love gets sick or dies. He notices your tears when someone hurts your feelings. He sees you when you cry because of a broken heart or a broken bone.

In Psalm 56, David prays to God and says “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

The next time you’re sad, imagine Jesus sitting right beside you with tears in His own eyes. Then He quietly says, “I know. I know.”

REFLECTION

When was the last time you were sad? When was the last time you cried?

DISCUSSION

How can knowing Jesus was sad help us when we feel sad?