John 11:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

NIV: Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

NASB: So the Jews were saying, 'See how He loved him!'

CSB: So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

NLT: The people who were standing nearby said, 'See how much he loved him!'

KJV: Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

NKJV: Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

"The Jews" referred to here are most likely the friends and neighbors of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha (John 11:17–19). The group may also include some of Jesus' religious critics from nearby Jerusalem. John uses this phrase—"the Jews"—mostly in reference to those religious leaders and their immediate followers. Prior verses show that Jesus was agitated at the pain the mourners were experiencing (John 11:33). Despite having come specifically so He could raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:11–15), Jesus still weeps in compassion over what has happened (John 11:35).

The depth of His emotion is shown here. The exact term used in the prior verse was a reference to quiet tears; it is usually translated as "weeping." Others in this passage have been labeled using Greek terms that might be rendered as "sobbing" or "wailing." Onlookers recognize it as genuine, however. In fact, the depth of Jesus' sorrow makes quite an impression on the assembled crowd.

That compassion is especially amazing, in that Jesus is God incarnate (John 1:1–4). Rather than being a distant, disconnected Creator, He is a compassionate and loving Savior.

John 11:28–37 contains the meeting between Lazarus' sister, Mary, and Jesus. Lazarus had died even before word reached Jesus that he was sick. Even so, Jesus waited until four days had passed to arrive in Bethany. Mary repeats her sister Martha's lament that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus from dying in the first place. The crowd—probably including mourners and hostile observers loyal to local religious leaders—say the same thing. Heading to the tomb, Jesus weeps: expressing sorrow for the pain of others, despite knowing that His visit here will end in Lazarus' resurrection.

Jesus has left the vicinity of Jerusalem to avoid hostile religious leaders. While gone, He receives word that a good friend, Lazarus, is sick. In fact, Lazarus has died by the time this message reaches Jesus. He purposefully waits a few days before returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus' burial. In front of Lazarus' mourning sisters—who Jesus weeps with—and an assembled crowd, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in a stirring and spectacular miracle. This is the seventh of John's seven ''signs'' of Jesus' divine power. In response, religious leaders coordinate in their effort to have Jesus murdered.

After giving sight to a man born blind (John 9), Jesus sparred with religious leaders on at least two occasions (John 10). After another failed arrest attempt, Jesus left the area and went out where Jerusalem's politics had little influence. In this chapter, He returns to resurrect a recently-departed friend, Lazarus. That results in a renewed commitment from Jerusalem's religious leaders to have Jesus murdered. As the crucifixion draws near, Jesus will stage His triumphal entry in chapter 12, and then begin His final teachings to the disciples.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.