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He Understands Our PainThe Watchtower—2008 | May 1
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The account says: “Jesus, . . . when he saw [Mary] weeping and the Jews that came with her weeping, groaned in the spirit and became troubled; and he said: ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him: ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus gave way to tears.” (John 11:33-35) Why did Jesus cry? True, his beloved friend Lazarus was dead, but Jesus was about to undo that by resurrecting him. (John 11:41-44) Was there something else that also touched Jesus’ emotions?
Look again at the above-quoted words. Notice that when Jesus saw Mary and those with her weeping, he “groaned” and “became troubled.” The original-language words used here indicate intense emotions.a Jesus was deeply moved by what he saw. The surge of strong emotions within him was evident as his eyes brimmed with tears. Clearly, Jesus’ heart was touched by the pain of others.
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He Understands Our PainThe Watchtower—2008 | May 1
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a The Greek word rendered “gave way to tears” often refers to “a quiet weeping,” while the word used to describe the weeping of Mary and the others may signify “a loud weeping, a wailing.”
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