John 11:36-37

The Jewish onlookers interpreted Jesus’ angry tears in two ways. They took them as evidence of Jesus’ great love for Lazarus. They did reflect that, but not as the Jews thought. Jesus was not weeping because death had separated Him from His friend. The Jews also concluded that Jesus’ tears reflected the grief He felt over His apparent inability to prevent Lazarus from dying. This deduction revealed unbelief as well as ignorance of Jesus’ person. Jesus’ healing of the man born blind had occurred several months earlier, but it had obviously made a strong impression on the people living in Jerusalem since they referred to it now.