(John 11:28-35[HCSB])

28 Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

29 As soon as she heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him. 30 Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met Him.

31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw that Mary got up quickly and went out. So they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to cry there.

32 When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and told Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died! ”

33 When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, He was angry2 in His spirit and deeply moved. 34 “Where have you put him? ” He asked.

“Lord,” they told Him, “come and see.”

35 Jesus wept.

This is the shortest verse in the Bible and the most profound. It speaks for itself, and for the depth of Jesus’ own humanity, even as He remained fully God. We can be assured that God weeps for us in our individual tragedies, and in our collective atrocities. God is grieved and saddened by our sin condition.

Further we see that in our pain Jesus is saddened, even angered within Himself. If it were possible, I believe Jesus would take away all of our pain and wipe out every one of our transgressions again and again because they create such a heavy heart in Him. Our sin burdens not just you and me, but Jesus Himself! But know that Jesus has done this already on the cross. Until He returns we are now the ones who wipe away the tears and comfort those who mourn.

Jesus feels our pain as personal grief, and He is at the side of every believer when there is tragedy and loss of life. He is there before rescue, EMT, fire or law enforcement arrives. He is there as the Holy Spirit in our despair to hold us until we can regain our composure and mourn in the arms of our communities.

About Lazarus: Lazarus physically died presumably of old age or maybe an illness. Nonetheless, he was dead for 4 days when Jesus finally arrived. Note that Jesus’ delay, in the end, does not thwart His purpose. The purpose for Jesus’ delay, then and now, is the glorification of the Father. What ensues is a miracle of resurrection of a physically dead body. This again foretells Jesus’ own death and resurrection, proving that He is God and has the power to back up His claims.