Two Words at a Funeral: Jesus Wept (John 11:35)

Expository Outline

Title: Two Words at a Funeral Text: John 11:35

1. The Person: Jesus
   • The Word made flesh, the Creator of the universe, stands in a graveyard.
2. The Action: Wept
   • Quiet tears (dakryō). He does not wail like the hopeless, but He sheds genuine tears of sorrow.
3. The Implication: Divine Compassion
   • Even knowing He will raise Lazarus in minutes, He validates human grief. We do not serve a distant, unfeeling God.

Topical Outline

Title: Our Compassionate High Priest

1. He Understands Our Pain
   • Jesus experienced the full spectrum of human suffering and loss.
2. He Cares for His Creation
   • His tears prove that God is intimately acquainted with the sorrow of His people.
3. He Offers Comfort and Hope
   • We weep, but not as those who have no hope. Our tears are temporary; His salvation is eternal.

Textual Outline

Title: The Tears of God Text: John 11:35

1. The Brevity of the Verse
   • Two words in English carry the profound weight of the incarnation.
2. The Reality of the Grief
   • It destroys the idea that faith means hiding your sorrow.
3. The Proof of His Love
   • The crowd saw His tears and correctly concluded, "See how He loved him!"

John 11 Sermon Series