Jesus Shares Their Tears

John 11:1-44

The Big Idea

Jesus cares about people who are hurting. He is compassionate when we grieve and brings hope even in sorrow.

The Bible Story

Jesus Raises Lazarus

John 11:28-37 tells how Martha privately tells Mary that Jesus is calling for her. Mary goes to Jesus, falls at his feet, and speaks about Lazarus’s death. The Jews who came to comfort Mary and Martha are also weeping. Jesus is deeply moved by their grief. When he asks where Lazarus was laid, they show him the tomb, and Jesus weeps. This passage shows Jesus’ compassion in grief. He is not distant from the sorrow of Mary, Martha, and those mourning with them. Earlier, Martha had met Jesus and expressed both her grief and her faith. Soon after this scene, Jesus comes to the tomb, where a stone covers the entrance. The account continues with Jesus calling Lazarus out alive. This page focuses only on the tender moment when Jesus shares the mourners’ tears.

Themes

Faith in Jesus Hope Jesus as the resurrection and the life Jesus’ authority over death Jesus’ compassion in grief

Bible moment

The Bible moment

Look closely

What children can notice

A gentle scene at Lazarus’s tomb: Mary kneels near Jesus, Martha and several comforters stand nearby, and Jesus visibly weeps with them. The tomb and its stone appear in the background, emphasizing compassion and shared grief without graphic details.

Talk together

Talk about it

How do Mary’s tears and Jesus’ tears show compassion?
How can you comfort someone who is grieving?

For families, church, and class

Use this page

Use this page with John 11:28-37 when teaching about Jesus’ compassion. Invite children to notice that faith and grief can be present together. Discuss caring responses to sadness gently, without pressuring children to share personal experiences. Connect the scene to the hope that continues as Jesus goes to Lazarus’s tomb.

Source note