1. 'Lord, if you had been here...' (29-32)

Mary loved Jesus. She wanted his human sympathy. She got up quickly and went to him, weeping. Human friends had come to comfort her, and she was feeding her sorrow on their human sympathy. They expressed the doubt she felt when they questioned Jesus' love. He could have come and helped them, but he didn't come until it was too late (36,37). To doubt the love of Jesus opens the door to Satan's work.

2. Jesus wept (33-37)

Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. There is a suggestion of anger in the word for 'troubled.' Jesus wept because he understood their hearts and shared their sorrow. But that was not all. Jesus was troubled because of their unbelief; he was sorry to see them clinging to human sympathy and closing their hearts to the resurrection power of God in Christ.

Application: Lord, help me to put out all self-pity from my heart. Teach me how to give spiritual help to those who are suffering grief.
One Word: Jesus weeps because of unbelief