Two things follow, two marvelous things, in connection with the Lord, which, if they are beyond our comprehension, may not be passed over, for they are called forth by Mary’s tears, and the tears of the Jews who came with her. It says explicitly that “when Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.” This was the first thing, and we may surely be allowed to ask, What was it that evoked this groan from the Lord’s inmost soul and thus troubled Him? Without discussing the exact force of the word rendered “groaned,” we may at least say that His being so “deeply moved,” or “groaning,” was caused by His having gone down in spirit under the heavy load of sorrow which lay upon the heart of Mary and upon the hearts of those around. Through His sympathy He entered into their grief, identified Himself with it, took it up upon His own shoulders, so to speak, and He felt the burden so heavily in His perfect knowledge of its cause, and in His estimate of its real character before God, that it extorted this groan. And remember that the essence of this burden was death—for death at that moment lay upon the mourners’ hearts and upon the whole scene. But death is the judgment of God upon man, and consequently we may say that the Lord in this scene anticipated His death upon the cross, only here He took up and bore this judgment in His compassion and sympathy, whereas on the cross He bore it for the glory of God in making atonement for sin. How precious it makes the Lord to our own hearts when we see such a manifestation of His love and sympathy for His own in their griefs, and as we learn anew that in all their affliction He was afflicted.
His thoughts, when He groaned in the spirit and was troubled, were upon Lazarus in his grave, for He immediately said, “Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see.” Then we have the second thing which is to be reverently noted: JESUS WEPT. No words could enhance our wonder at this remarkable statement; it is one to be observed and meditated upon in the presence of God, as our hearts pour out their thanksgiving in that we are permitted to witness, as it were, this precious evidence of the ineffable sympathy of our blessed Lord. We know that the verses of our Bible are merely a human arrangement, and yet who can doubt that the Spirit of God controlled the one who made it in putting these two words into one verse! They indeed should stand alone, inasmuch as they afford such an insight into the inmost recesses of the Lord’s heart. They have been the comfort of mourners in all ages, and they will continue to minister consolation to His people until God Himself shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. His tears, it may be added, expressed His sympathy, but the sympathy itself flowed out of His heart of unfathomable and unquenchable love.