Even Yeshua Cried…

Tikkun Global

Jerusalem, Israel

Many people know the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” These words come from the story of Lazarus, when Yeshua stood before the tomb and cried even though He knew Lazarus would soon be raised from the dead. But there is another moment when Yeshua cried that we speak about much less. This moment took place in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before the greatest suffering He would endure.

In that garden, Yeshua knew exactly what was coming. He knew the betrayal, the arrest, the false accusations, the beatings, the humiliation, the mocking, the whipping, and the crucifixion that awaited Him. More than that, He knew He would carry the weight of the sin of all mankind. The Gospel writers describe a moment of deep anguish. Yeshua fell on His face before the Father and cried out, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) This was not weakness. It was not unbelief. It was the Son crying out honestly to His Father in the middle of overwhelming suffering. Yet in that same prayer we see the heart of true surrender: “Not my will, but Your will be done.”

One of the lessons I have learned in life, actually from my wife, is that sometimes we simply need to cry, and that is not a bad thing. As a trained Israeli combat officer, I was taught to push through pain, to stay strong, and to simply endure suffering without showing it. In many cultures we are taught to hide our tears and carry on. But the Scriptures show us something different. Even Yeshua cried out to the Father in His moment of deep anguish. Crying before the Lord is not complaining, and it is not losing faith. It is a cry of dependence. It is a cry that says, “God, I need You.” It is bringing our pain honestly before Him.

Throughout the Bible we see this again and again. The Psalms are full of cries from David and others who poured out their hearts before God in times of distress, and those cries lead them back to renewed trust in the Lord. These days many of us are once again walking through difficult moments. As war and uncertainty continue in the Middle East, many people are carrying fear, grief, and exhaustion. In moments like these, the story of Gethsemane speaks deeply to us. Yeshua did not pretend the suffering was easy. He brought His anguish before the Father. But at the end of that cry came surrender: “Not my will, but Your will be done.”

This is the same prayer He taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) If you are walking through a difficult season, know that crying out to God is not a failure of faith. In many ways, it can actually be an expression of faith. Like Yeshua in Gethsemane, we bring our pain, our fears, and our struggles before the Father, and in doing so we entrust ourselves again to His will and His purposes. So if your heart is heavy today, do not be afraid to cry out to the Lord. But let your cry end where Yeshua’s did: “Father, not my will, but Yours be done.” And in that surrender, we find the strength to continue walking forward.