06/25/2026
MORNING MEDITATION
Jesus Wept
The question was, Why so many people refuse to repent after hearing the gospel preached to them?
An Old Testament prophecy mentions why many people would reject Jesus. In the Hebrew Bible we find in the book of the prophet Isaiah, written hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, he states:
Isaiah 53:1-3 KJV
[1] Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? [2] For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. [3] He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
This rejection, this unbelief breaks God’s heart. Jesus wept so many times over the condition of the heart of mankind because many would not believe on him:
John 3:18-19 KJV
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Jesus saw how people often try to protect themselves from their fears by putting their faith in something they do or have: good deeds, skill or intelligence, money or possessions. But only God can save us from the one danger we really need to fear, and that is eternal condemnation. We believe in God by recognizing the insufficiency of our own efforts to save ourselves and by asking God to do his work of salvation in us. When Jesus talks about unbelievers, he means those who reject or ignore him completely, not those who have momentary doubts (Mathew 6:30; Mathew 8:26; Mathew 14:31; Mathew 16:8; Luke 12:28).
This attitude of unbelief causes Jesus to weep. The Bible records three distinct occasions of Jesus weeping, each revealing a different aspect of his humanity and compassion:
Jesus wept:
• At the Tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35): Jesus wept upon seeing Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha, and their companions grieving. Even though He knew He was going to resurrect Lazarus, He was deeply moved and shared in the raw, human sorrow of those he loved.
John stresses that God cares for us. When Jesus saw the weeping and wailing, he, too, wept openly. He empathized with their grief. However he was troubled at their unbelief, at how they saw death’s destructive grip. Jesus showed that he cares enough for us to weep with us in our sorrow. Here we see many of Jesus’ emotions: compassion, indignation, anger, sorrow, and even frustration because of mankind’s unbelief.
Jesus wept:
• Over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44): As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem, He wept over it because the people failed to recognize Him as the Messiah and rejected His message of peace. He foresaw the coming destruction of the city and its temple.
About 40 years after Jesus said these words, they came true. In AD 66, the Jews revolted against Roman control. Three years later, Titus, son of the emperor Vespasian, was sent to crush the rebellion. Roman soldiers attacked Jerusalem and broke through the northern wall but still couldn’t take the city. Finally, they laid siege to it, and in AD 70 they were able to enter the severely weakened city and burn it. Six hundred thousand Jews were killed during Titus’s onslaught.
Jesus wept:
• In the Garden of Gethsemane (Hebrews 5:7): The book of Hebrews mentions that during his time of intense prayer before his crucifixion, Jesus offered up "prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears" to God because of mankind’s unbelief.
Jesus experienced great agony as he prepared to face death (Luke 22:41-44). Although he cried out to God, asking to be delivered, he was prepared to suffer humiliation, separation from his Father, and death in order to do God’s will. At times we will undergo trials, not because we want to suffer, but because we want to submit to God’s will because of mankind’s unbelief. Let Jesus’ example of obedience sustain and encourage you in times of trial. You will be able to face anything if you know that Jesus Christ stands with you.
COME TO JESUS FOR HE WEEPS FOR YOU.
COME TO JESUS FOR WE WEEP FOR YOU.
COME TO JESUS FOR I WEEP FOR YOU.