Does God Cry? Celebrating Christmas at the Cross
Is God a distant Being who is indifferent to the trajectory of humanity? Does He see the suffering, heartache, and pain we experience on a daily basis? Does God cry? Does God care? Does God cry when we cry?
Baby Jesus cried like any other human baby. Being born brings pain.
What was His first breath of earthly air like? Were His cries simply from the rush of cold, dusty night air as His lungs opened for the first time, or were those wailing and whimpering infant cries holding more?
I think they were.
God Himself, as a human baby, cried in the manger. What could the tears of God be for? Cries for redemption drawing near and tears for salvation becoming a reality.
Tears for the souls of millions of sinners who would be made right, and tears for the millions who would refuse.
Did baby Jesus cry because He knew the cross was His reason for living, and for dying?
The cry of Jesus was spiritual warfare and the enemy was put on notice.
Wouldn’t that be just like God to have a newborn cry, rally heavenly armies to the epic battle of the ages? With infant wailing, all of heaven shook with wonder and praise, while the demons shuddered.
That is our God, sending His only begotten Son to cry in feeding trough, surrounded by animals, and adored by simple shepherds. The perfect, spotless Lamb of God, born in a barn-bawling.
God sent the Savior of the world, miraculously into the womb of a young, virgin girl and whimpering in the arms of a man who wasn’t His real Dad.
Jesus the Savior of the world, born to parents that were young, scared, and yet obedient to the core.
The Creator of the Universe chose to be taken care of by His own creation.
It was a joyous night. A Silent night. A holy night.
Joyous because heaven came down to earth!
Silent, because it would take thirty-three years until God’s plan of salvation would be nailed to a cross.
Holy, because those who are heavy-laden with guilt and wandering in sin, would wander no more.
The ravaged, sin sickened soul would search for peace and wholeness in Bethlehem’s manger, and find it at Calvary.
Does God Cry? Yes, God cried, so we wouldn’t have to.
5 Bible Verses About God Crying
- Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
- Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
- Hebrews 5:7 “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.”
- Luke 19:41 “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it…”
- John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”
Meet the author
Sheryl Aeschliman
Sheryl Aeschliman loves being a Midwest farmer’s wife, mom, and grandma. As an author, teacher, and leader in women’s ministry, she draws from over thirty years of experience in helping women of all ages discover Biblical truth. Her calling and passion to equip Christian women led her to create Simply Scripture to help others find their identity in Christ. Sheryl writes and teaches online Bible studies designed to guide women into the grace that is only found in Jesus.
