Palm Springs Drive Church of Christ

Series: N/A

Service: Sun Bible Study

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

Series: Authentic Relationships

Service: Praise and Preaching Service

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Brian Messerli

Series: N/A

Service: Sun Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

Series: N/A

Service: Praise and Preaching Service

Type: Lord's Supper Talk

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

The Tears of Jesus

9-14-25

John 11 is one of the most emotional chapters in the Bible. It shows us a side of Jesus that is deeply human—one that reminds us He didn’t just take on flesh and blood, but also every emotion that comes with being human.

Over the last few months, we’ve been looking at the emotional moments of Jesus’ life—times when His humanity was on full display. He laughed. He smiled. He got angry. He grew frustrated. He was compassionate. He was rejected. And, as we’ll see today, He also wept.

That may sound simple, but it’s profound. The Son of God, the Creator of the universe, cried real, human tears.

And the Bible records three specific times when Jesus cried. Each of them shows us something different about His heart—something that helps us know He understands ours.

1. Jesus Wept at the Tomb of a Friend (John 11:32–35)

Lazarus, one of Jesus’ closest friends, had died. His sisters Mary and Martha had sent word for Jesus to come, but He delayed several days. When He finally arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.

When Mary saw Jesus, she fell at His feet and said through her tears, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32)

The Bible says, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ He asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept.” (vv. 33–35)

Two words—yet they hold the weight of eternity.

Jesus knew exactly what He was about to do. He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead in just a few minutes. He knew that victory over death was certain. He knew the story would end in joy.

So why did He cry?

He cried because Mary was crying.

He entered into her sorrow. He stood in that moment with her, not above it, not looking down from a divine distance, but standing beside her in grief.

We’ve all been there. You tell yourself you won’t cry—but then you see someone you love crying, and your eyes fill too. You feel what they feel. That’s what Jesus did. He was present in the pain.

He didn’t lecture Mary about how everything would turn out fine. He didn’t rush past her grief with a theological explanation. He simply joined her in it.

That’s our Savior. The same One who conquered death also sat down and wept beside a grieving sister.

But Jesus’ tears weren’t just for Mary. The text says that when people saw Him crying, they said, “See how He loved him!” (v. 36) He also wept because He loved Lazarus.

Jesus felt the full ache of human loss. He was mourning not only His friend but the tragedy of death itself—the brokenness of a world groaning under the curse of sin.

I can’t help but believe His tears also carried the weight of what it would cost to defeat death. He knew that the only way to wipe away our tears forever was to go to the cross Himself. And though He knew that truth intellectually, this moment made it personal.

Sometimes we “know” something for years, but then comes a moment when that knowledge hits us with full force. Jesus knew He would die for the world—but standing before that tomb, surrounded by sorrow, He felt the cost more deeply than ever.

The victory He was about to show by calling Lazarus from the grave would only be temporary. Lazarus would die again. But the permanent victory—our eternal resurrection—would require Jesus’ own suffering and death. And that reality brought tears to His eyes.

2. Jesus Wept Over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41–44)

The second time Jesus cried wasn’t at a graveside but on a hillside.

Luke tells us that as Jesus approached Jerusalem for the last time—just days before His crucifixion—He stopped and looked over the city. The people were cheering. Palm branches waved. The crowd shouted, “Hosanna!” Yet Jesus’ response wasn’t a smile. It was tears.

“As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.’” (Luke 19:41–42)

Imagine that scene. Jesus looking across the city of David—the city of the prophets, the priests, and the kings—and weeping. Not because of its buildings, but because of its people.

He knew what they were about to do. In just a few days, the same city that sang His praises would demand His crucifixion. He wept because they were rejecting the very One who could give them peace.

He also wept for what was coming. Jesus saw the destruction that would fall on Jerusalem about forty years later when Rome would besiege the city, killing thousands and leveling the temple. He knew those children playing in the streets that day would be grown men and women when the judgment came. He knew the anguish that was coming.

But His tears weren’t limited to one generation. Jesus saw the long history of Jerusalem—its prophets slain, its kings corrupted, its people straying from God. He saw all of it at once. The city that should have recognized the time of God’s visitation had become blind to it.

That’s why He said, “They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (v. 44)

Jesus’ tears here are not just tears of sadness; they’re tears of heartbreak over human rebellion.

He loved these people. He loved the ones who would shout “Crucify Him.” He loved the ones who would spit and mock. And He wept because sin had made them blind to the peace He offered.

Even today, He weeps for those who still reject Him—for cities, nations, and hearts that turn away from the only One who can bring true peace.

3. Jesus Wept in the Garden (Hebrews 5:7)

The third time Scripture tells us that Jesus cried comes from Hebrews 5:7, which looks back on His prayers in Gethsemane:

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission.”

The Gospels tell us that in the garden, His sweat was like drops of blood. Hebrews fills in the rest: there were tears.

These were tears of surrender.

“Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Matthew 26:39)

In that moment, the full weight of the cross settled on Him. The physical suffering was only part of it—the deeper pain was spiritual. He was about to bear the sin of the world.

And so He cried out—not in rebellion, but in submission. These were not tears of weakness. They were tears of costly obedience.

Every one of us has prayed a version of that same prayer—“Not my will, but Yours be done.” And often it’s accompanied by tears. Jesus knows that feeling. He’s been there.

That’s why we can come to Him with our own tears. He understands them. He has felt them. He has sanctified them.

The Savior Who Cries With Us

If Jesus were walking this earth today, He would still be weeping with us.

He would have cried when Sister Irene passed away—not only because He loved her, but because He loves those who loved her. He would have cried for her daughters. He would cry for the pain that loss brings.

He would have cried on that train in North Carolina where tragedy struck. He would have cried on that college campus in Utah. Because He still feels what we feel.

When we grieve, He grieves. When we cry, He understands.

That’s the beauty of the incarnation: God didn’t just come to save us; He came to feel with us.

He knows what it’s like to have human flesh. He knows what it’s like to have human desires and human emotions. And He poured out those emotions for people like us—people who laugh, ache, hope, and mourn.

The Tears That End All Tears

When we come to the Lord’s table, we remember more than just the physical suffering of Jesus. We remember the emotional cost as well—the sorrow, the compassion, the heartbreak that led Him to give His life for us.

He wept so that one day we wouldn’t have to.

The cross was not only about nails and thorns; it was about the burden of grief, the pain of rejection, and the cost of love. Jesus endured all of it so that one day He could wipe away every tear from our eyes.

As Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

When that day comes, there will be no more funerals, no more sorrow, no more broken hearts—because our Savior who once wept will have turned every tear into joy.

Until that day, every time we gather around the table, we remember Him—the Savior who cried for us, the Savior who still walks with us, and the Savior who will one day dry our eyes forever.

Series: N/A

Service: Wednesday Night

Type: Invitation

Speaker: Connor McClenny

Series: The Parables of Jesus

Service: Wed Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Phil Story

*

Series: N/A

Service: Praise and Preaching Service

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

Baptism: The Moment We Are Washed in the Blood of Christ

When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, heaven opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father’s voice declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” It was a breathtaking scene—a moment that announced to the world that Jesus had come to fulfill all righteousness. He wasn’t baptized because He needed forgiveness; He was baptized to show perfect obedience, to identify with sinners, and to set the pattern for all who would follow Him.

That same pattern still stands. When a person believes in Jesus Christ, repents of sin, and is baptized, they share in that same divine story. They are washed in the blood of the Lamb, buried with Christ, and raised to walk in newness of life. This message—simple yet world-changing—lies at the very heart of the gospel.

The Authority Behind Baptism

Jesus began His ministry by being baptized, and He ended His earthly ministry by commanding baptism. In Matthew 28:18-20, often called the Great Commission, He declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

The key word is authority. When we act “in the name” of someone, we act by that person’s authority. If a son takes a signed check from his mother and spends it however he wishes, that is not authority—it’s rebellion. But when we baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we do so precisely as they have instructed. We do not have the right to change it, redefine it, or delay it.

Baptism is not a church tradition invented by men—it is a divine command sealed with heavenly authority. To change the way or purpose of baptism would be to use that signed check for something God never authorized.

What Jesus Taught and What His Followers Preached

When Jesus told His apostles to baptize, He linked it directly to salvation: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). The connection is clear—faith leads to obedience, and obedience leads to the washing away of sins. The book of Acts unfolds as the record of that command being carried out again and again.

Acts 2 – The Birth of the Church

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached to the crowds in Jerusalem that the Jesus they crucified was both Lord and Christ. When their hearts were pierced with guilt, they cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter’s answer was simple and Spirit-guided: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”

In that moment, 3,000 souls obeyed. They were not told that there was nothing they could do; they were told exactly what God required. Baptism was not a human work to earn salvation—it was the response of faith to the grace God had offered in Christ. It was the moment their sins were washed away.

Acts 8 – The Ethiopian Eunuch

Later, Philip preached Jesus to an Ethiopian official riding home in his chariot. As they traveled, they came to some water, and the man said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

Philip answered, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch confessed, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Immediately, they stopped the chariot, went down into the water, and he was baptized. Then the man went on his way rejoicing.

That story teaches several eternal truths:

• Baptism is for believers who understand and confess their faith in Jesus.
• Baptism involves immersion in water.
• Baptism should not be delayed once a person believes—it is urgent and immediate.

The word baptize itself literally means to immerse. The early Christians did not sprinkle or pour. They went down into the water and came up out of the water, reenacting the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Acts 9 and 22 – The Conversion of Saul

Saul of Tarsus, later called Paul, met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Blinded by the light, trembling, and broken, he asked, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Jesus told him to go into the city and wait for further instruction. When Ananias came to him, his words were direct: “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

Saul’s faith was genuine, but his sins were not washed away until he obeyed that command. Baptism was the point where he entered into the cleansing power of Christ’s blood.

Acts 16 – The Philippian Jailer

When the earthquake opened the prison doors, the jailer thought the prisoners had escaped and was ready to take his own life. Paul stopped him and said, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Overwhelmed by what he had witnessed, the jailer fell before Paul and Silas and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They told him to believe in the Lord Jesus, and then they taught him the word of the Lord. That very night—long before dawn—he and his family were baptized. He rejoiced because he had believed in God and been forgiven. Again, the urgency of baptism is evident. When a person understands what it means, there is no reason to wait.

Acts 19 – Re-Baptized in Jesus’ Name

In Ephesus, Paul met some disciples who had been baptized only into John’s baptism. When he explained that baptism must now be “in the name of Jesus,” they were baptized again. The lesson is timeless: it is not enough to be baptized simply because it is a religious act; we must be baptized by the authority of Christ, for the purpose He ordained—for the forgiveness of sins.

Baptism in the Epistles

The apostles continued to teach about baptism long after the book of Acts. Their letters show what baptism means and what it accomplishes in the life of a believer.

Romans 6:3–4 – Buried with Christ

Paul wrote, “Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead… we also should walk in newness of life.”

Baptism unites us with Christ’s death and resurrection. It is the moment when our old self is buried, our sins are left behind, and we rise to live a new life. This is not symbolic only; it is the divine moment when God performs His saving work on the soul.

Galatians 3:27 – Clothed with Christ

“As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” In baptism we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. God no longer sees us in our sin; He sees us wrapped in His Son. It is the entry point into every spiritual blessing.

Ephesians 1 – All Blessings Are in Christ

Paul reminds us that “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” is found in Christ. Redemption, forgiveness, and grace are located in Him—and baptism is how we come into Him. Outside of Christ, there is no salvation. Inside Christ, there is no condemnation.

1 Peter 3:20–21 – The Antitype that Saves

Peter connects baptism to Noah’s salvation through water: “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism—not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.”

Peter clarifies that baptism is not about external washing. It is not a ritual bath or a physical cleansing. It is the inward pledge of a conscience that says, “I will do whatever God commands.” Baptism does not earn grace; it accepts it. It is faith in motion.

God’s Grace and Human Response

Some object that baptism sounds like a “work.” But the truth is, baptism is the opposite of earning anything. It is the humble act of surrender, where we allow God to do the cleansing. It is grace that provides the water, grace that sent the Son, and grace that washes the sin.

Naaman, the Syrian commander, learned this lesson when he was told to dip seven times in the Jordan River to be healed of leprosy. He didn’t like the command. He thought there were better rivers back home. But when he obeyed, he was healed. Not because the water had power, but because God did.

Baptism is our Jordan River. When we step into the water in faith, God keeps His promise to wash us clean. If He had chosen something else—if He had said, “Do 100 pushups to be saved”—the only faithful response would be to start doing pushups. What matters is not the method, but the obedience of faith.

Everything God says is true. The truth is everything God says. And God says that when a penitent believer is baptized, their sins are forgiven, they are united with Christ, and they rise to live a new life.

A Word to the Heart

For some, baptism happened long ago, but the memory still shines. Remember what God did for you in that water. Remember the grace that met you there. Live every day as someone who has been raised from death to life.

For others, the story may bring a question: Was I baptized the way the Bible describes? If not, there is no shame in making sure. Many believers, even those baptized young, have later chosen to obey again once they truly understood sin, repentance, and the meaning of being buried with Christ. God’s arms are always open to those who want to obey from the heart.

Baptism is not about joining a local congregation; it is about becoming part of Christ Himself. You are not baptized into the Palm Springs Drive Church of Christ—you are baptized into Christ. You belong to Him, and your name is written in heaven.

The Invitation Still Stands

In every generation, the call is the same: “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

Baptism is not merely a ritual. It is the moment of rebirth—the divine intersection of faith and grace. Through it, our sins are forgiven, our conscience is cleansed, and we are added to God’s family. In that sacred water, heaven rejoices, sins are erased, and a new life begins.

So if your heart is pricked—if you hear the echo of Peter’s words, “Repent and be baptized”—don’t wait. The same God who opened heaven at Jesus’ baptism is ready to open heaven for you.

Come to the water. Come to the cross. Come to Christ.

Series: The Parables of Jesus

Service: Sun Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Rory Salimbene

Series: N/A

Service: Lord’s Supper Service

Type: Lord's Supper Talk

Speaker: Brian Messerli

Series: N/A

Service: Wed Bible Study

Type: Invitation

Speaker: Rory Salimbene