Jesus Wept
Ralph McTell Lyrics

The day that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem
When Jesus came to Jerusalem

The adventure almost over
The journey was coming to an end

The night he hadn't slept
He didn't sleep at night

Dreams and premonitions made him tired
His dreams and visions made him exhausted

And emotional and that's why Jesus wept
He was overwhelmed with emotions, leading him to cry

He wasn't scared of dying
He wasn't afraid to die

He'd made that commitment
He had made a promise to fulfill

Fulfilling the old prophecy
He fulfilled the prophecy from the past

His bargain he had kept
He kept his part of the deal

He was due some satisfaction
He deserved some fulfillment

But he was deeply troubled
But he was very troubled

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

Was this his true destiny
Was this his true fate

Or could he still make changes
Could he change things

Someone else's nightmare into
The hardship of others

Which he'd stepped?
That he had entered?

Damage limitation couldn't save the situation
A solution couldn't prevent the damage

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

In his dream he saw the crusade
In his dream, he saw the religious wars

And all the wars that would follow
And all the upcoming battles

Declared in his name when he
Declared in his name, though

Thought he'd been direct
He believed he had been clear

Love thy neighbour, do not kill
To love one's neighbor and not kill

And turn the other cheek
And to accept mistreatment

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

And he saw the inquisition and
He witnessed the inquisition and

The burning of the saints
The execution of the holy ones

And the conversion of the innocents
And the conversion of the innocent people

He swore he would protect
He promised to safeguard

And he saw them bless the bomb
He watched them consecrate the bomb

That was dropped on Hiroshima
That was dropped on Hiroshima

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

Though Peter would betray him
Even though Peter would betray him

He made him the rock
He made Peter the foundation

On which he would build his church to
To build his church upon

Sort of keep him in his debt
To keep Peter in his gratitude

A man about to die is allowed some confusion
A dying man is allowed to be confused

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

And he thought of his disciples
He thought of his followers

Especially of Judas
Especially of Judas

The job that was ordained for him
The task that was assigned to him

And the reward he'd collect
And the compensation he would receive

And he saw him in the tree
He saw Judas in the tree

With silver coins around him
With silver coins in his possession

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

Then he thought about the good times
He reminisced about the happy moments

When he turned the tables over
When he overturned the tables

Chastised the money lenders and he
Scolded the lenders and he

Earned the boy's respect
Earned the admiration of the boy

He was proud of Godly anger
He was proud of his righteous anger

But ashamed of manly temper
But ashamed of his human temper

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

Rumours started flying about water into wine
There were rumors about turning water into wine

Sight to the blind and that
Giving sight to the blind and

He'd even raised the dead
Even bringing the dead back to life

The biggest miracle was that
The actual miracle was that

Anyone believed it and that's why Jesus wept
People believed it, which made Jesus cry

Then he mused on human nature
He pondered human nature

How fickle were the public
How quickly the public changes their minds

So ready to accept him
So quick to accept him

So quick now to reject
So quick now to reject him

Where were the five thousand he
Where were the five thousand people that he

Fed with loaves and fishes?
Fed with bread and fish?

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

In his dream he saw a garden
In his dream, he saw a garden

With all his friends asleep
With all his friends sleeping

He walked away the hours
He passed the time by walking

Until the morning crept
Until the morning came

And he wondered would the nails hurt
And he wondered if the nails would hurt

Would he be man enough?
Would he be strong enough?

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

Was he supposed to bear it like
Was he supposed to endure it like

A man or like a God
A man or a God?

Would tears show a weakness or
Would tears show a lack of strength or

A strength by their effect?
Being strong because of crying?

Would they be viewed as compassion
Would they be seen as empathy

Or failure and self-pity?
Or as a sign of weakness?

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

Then he saw his houses burning on
He then saw his houses burning on

Both sides of a border
Both sides of a boundary

Saw the guiltless suffer with the
Saw the innocent suffer with the

Guilty and the rest
Guilty and everyone else

And when they called his name and
And when they called out his name and

He knew he couldn't help them
He knew he couldn't assist them

That's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

Then he saw two armies marching
Then he saw two armies marching

And he heard their crucifixes
And he heard their crosses

Reduced to superstitious muted jangling
Reduced to muted superstitious noises

Round their necks
Around their necks

And he heard his name intoned
And he heard his name being called

As they interred their companion
As they buried their comrade

And that's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried

Then he thought about his mother and
He then thought about his mother and

The stories she had told him
The tales she had told him

Who'd filled his dreams with angels
Who had filled his dreams with celestial beings

Put voices in his head
Put ideas in his mind

Then the scent of pine trees made
Then he smelled the fragrance of pine trees

Him think of dear old Joseph
And he thought of dear old Joseph

That's why Jesus wept
And that's why Jesus cried