“When Jesus saw Mary sobbing, and the Jews who came with her [also] sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. [He chafed in spirit and sighed and was disturbed.] Jesus wept” (John 11:33, 35).

The Scripture states that the two sisters Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus lived in Bethany. All three were dear, valued friends of Jesus, and He held them in loving esteem. One day while the Lord was away ministering in another town, Lazarus became ill and died. When Jesus received the message about Lazarus’ death, He told his disciples that this sickness was not to end in death. On the contrary, it was to honor God and promote His glory. A miracle would bring Lazarus back from the dead-a miracle that was designed to encourage, advance, and increase faith and true belief in God’s loving Son.
Four days later, Jesus returned to Bethany to find two grieving, brokenhearted sisters who could not comprehend why He had not come earlier and kept their dear brother from dying. Jesus met each sister-each with a different personality-at her point of need.
Martha’s personality was that of a doer, and she often got caught up and overwhelmed with the cares of this world. She attempted to work things out by trying to understand what was going on so she could get some relief from her anguish. When she rand to Jesus, explaining and questioning, He took her aside and tenderly spoke and reasoned together with her, helping her understand and find comfort through her faith in His words.
Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. Her priority was to be still and sit at Jesus’ feet to listen, learn, and worship Him as the Messiah. Mary’s tranquil personality gave her heart the time to recognize what was in it, and the ability to work through the grief she experienced by feeling it. Mary was a spiritually evolved woman.
The Scripture states that when Jesus saw Mary sobbing over the loss of her brother, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Mary was feeling her pain and grief when Jesus came to her. Jesus chose to come close and grieve with her, to share in the experience of her pain. Jesus felt what Mary felt-and Jesus wept. Even though the Lord knew Lazarus’ life with Mary and Martha was going to be restored, it was important for Him to understand and feel the sorrow of His two special friends.
Today, as in Bible days, Jesus understands and feels our pain. When we are confused, hurting, or low, it is Jesus’ desire to meet us individually, to help us work through our pain and discover that He has the remedy, the solution, the answer to all of life’s problems.