King Yeshua in Lamentations
Lament and prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The Hope in Our Grief
Her words caught me completely off guard. The call was supposed to be a run-of-the-mill, regular, old catch-up phone call. Instead, it had ended with a cancer diagnosis out of nowhere. I had absolutely no words for the sorrow that immediately flooded my heart. And at the end of the call, I asked if I could pray with her.
Instead, I wept.
I could barely form the words to pray for my dear sister in Christ, even when I knew that Jesus has her. Even though I know, I will see her again someday, whether healing finds her in this life or in the one to come. My head knows these things. But my heart takes a bit to reconcile it all. Perhaps “a bit” is too short. Overcoming hardship, sorrow, trauma, and unjustifiable pain sometimes take years, even a lifetime.
But my head immediately went to Jesus and his response to Lazarus’ death (John 11). He knew what was happening with his friend, yet He chose to prolong His current trip and wait to head to Bethany. He knew Lazarus had passed. His head knew it…. But His heart? His heart wept when He was confronted with the actual reality of His own grief.
Lamentations is one of the most heartbreaking books in the Bible. Written by the prophet Jeremiah, it captures the devastation of Jerusalem’s fall in 587 B.C.E., a city once filled with God's presence now left in ruins. It is raw, poetic, and unfiltered in its grief.
But where is King Jesus amid so much sorrow?
As we study Lamentations, we find that this book, often overlooked, holds a deep theological richness. It teaches us the importance of lament, reminds us of God’s justice, and ultimately points us to the steadfast love of Christ—the only true hope in the face of devastation.
Underneath the Translation
We must look at a few Hebrew words to grasp Lamentations' depth fully.
The Language of Sorrow
The book’s Hebrew title, אֵיכָה (Eikha), means “How.” The first verse begins with this cry:
"How lonely sits the city that was full of people!" (Lamentations 1:1)
It is a question filled with grief, bewilderment, and longing—a recognition of the deep sorrow that has come upon Jerusalem. When facing extreme grief, anguish, or shock at a situation, the very first word out of our mouths is usually, “How?” or “Why?” So much so, the author of the book of Lamentations, likely Jeremiah, started the entire scroll with it, and the word “How?” became its title.
The word for lonely בדד takes us back to the Garden, when God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18). But this is the author’s way of returning us to the Garden, to how life was supposed to bring tov (goodness and shalom). The author was grieving the loss of what Israel was supposed to hold onto: the city of Zion (Jerusalem), the Davidic throne, and the temple of Adonai, not to mention the Promised Land in totality.
Another Hebrew word often associated with lament is קִינָה (qinah), meaning a funeral dirge. This word is used throughout the Old Testament to describe mourning songs, particularly during significant loss (2 Samuel 1:17-27). Lamentations is structured similarly: a national funeral song for Jerusalem, the once-great city that had fallen under judgment.
But lament is not just about grief. It is a holy act of bringing sorrow before God. As Whitney Woollard explains, "...biblical lament is not just about airing grievances but about crying out to God in faith, trusting that He hears and will act." [1]
And this is where we begin to see Jesus.
The Voice of Suffering: Foreshadowing King Jesus
The pain of Lamentations is not just Israel’s pain—it foreshadows the suffering Jesus would bear for us.
Jerusalem’s Grief and Christ’s Passion
Lamentations describes Jerusalem as a grieving widow, abandoned, humiliated, and utterly alone. The people had turned from God, and now they sat in desolation, suffering the consequences.
“She took no thought of her future; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. ‘O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!’” (Lamentations 1:9)
Centuries later, Jesus, the true King of Israel, would experience this same rejection. On the cross, He bore the weight of sin and became the ultimate "man of sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3).
Lamentations 3:63 gives us another striking parallel:
“Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the object of their taunts.”
The prophet Jeremiah, the voice of lament, was mocked, scorned, and rejected—just as Jesus would be. The people of Jerusalem sat and watched their city burn, just as the crowds would sit and watch the Messiah suffer.
Jesus took upon Himself the full weight of judgment. Not just for one nation but all humanity.
The Turning Point: New Mercies Every Morning
In the center of this book of sorrow, we find hope.
In the very heart of Lamentations, when grief is at its peak, Jeremiah declares:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
This is the Gospel hidden in the ashes.
Even when judgment came upon Jerusalem, God's love had not ended. Even when the people felt abandoned, His mercy remained.
And this is the same promise fulfilled in Christ. Jesus endured the wrath of God on our behalf so that we might wake up every morning to new mercies. The cross was not the end of the story. Resurrection was coming.
The Book of Lamentations teaches us God’s faithfulness remains even in the darkest night.
Why Lament?
We don’t like to lament.
We often prefer to skip ahead to the hope without sitting in the sorrow. But Scripture teaches us that lament is a necessary part of our faith.
Lament Gives Us Language for Grief
Sometimes, we don’t know how to process suffering, and the modern church often struggles with making space for grief. But the Bible does not avoid complicated emotions. Whitney Woollard again writes, “Lament is a form of protest, a way of processing emotion, and ultimately a way of bringing pain into God’s presence.” [2]
When we lament, we bring our deepest hurts before God. It is not an act of doubt, but trust.
Lament Leads Us to Jesus
The Book of Lamentations does not end with a resolution. There is no "happy ending" within its pages. And yet, it leaves us with a powerful truth:
Even when we don’t see restoration yet, God is still faithful.
The book leaves us longing for a Redeemer, and that longing is fulfilled in Christ. Jesus is the answer to every cry of lament.
Behold King Jesus in Lamentations
So, where do we find King Jesus in Lamentations?
In Jerusalem’s suffering, we see Christ’s suffering—mocked, scorned, rejected.
In God’s judgment, we see Christ’s sacrifice—taking on the weight of sin so that we might be free.
In Jeremiah’s weeping, we hear Jesus’ tears over Jerusalem— longing to gather His people.
In the cries for mercy, we hear Jesus weeping for mercy—in the Garden of Gethsemane and later on the cross.
But thank goodness, Jesus’ resurrection was the end of that story.
Lament is not the end of the story. Jesus is.
Behold—He is faithful.
Reflection Questions
How does Lamentations challenge how you think about suffering?
What can we learn from how Jeremiah laments before God (Lamentations 20:7-18)?
How does Jesus’ suffering and resurrection give hope in seasons of grief?
Let’s not rush past lament. Let’s sit in, learn from, and embody our sorrows like the Man of Sorrows, King Jesus.
Behold the One who wept.
[1] Whitney Woolard, The Bible Project: Lamentations: The Volatile Voice of Grief, June 25, 2018, https://bibleproject.com/articles/lamentations-voice-of-grief/
[2] Woolard, Ibid.
