It was a mournful scene. Lazarus had been much beloved, and his sisters wept for him with breaking hearts, while those who had been his friends mingled their tears with those of the bereaved sisters. Jesus had also loved Lazarus, whose faith had ever been strong in him, never wavering nor failing for a moment. In view of this human distress, and of the fact that these afflicted friends could mourn over the dead, when the Saviour of the world stood by, who had power to raise from the dead,—“Jesus wept.” His grief was not alone because of the scene before him. The weight of the grief of ages was upon his soul, and, looking down the years that were to come, he saw the suffering and sorrow, tears and death, that were to be the lot of men. His heart was pierced with the pain of the human family of all ages and in all lands. The woes of the sinful race were heavy on his soul, and the fountain of his tears was broken up, as he longed to relieve all their distress. {2SP 363.2}

Det var et sørgeligt skue. Lazarus havde været meget afholdt, og hans søstre begræd ham med (364) et sønderbrudt hjerte, medens de, som havde været hans venner, blandede deres tårer med de bedrøvede søstres. Jesus havde også elsket Lazarus, hvis tro på han havde været så stærk, og aldrig havde vaklet eller svigtet et øjeblik. Ved synet af al denne sorg og ved tanken på, at disse bedrøvede venner kunne sørge over den døde, når verdens Frelser stod os dem, som havde magt til at oprejse fra de døde - græd Jesus. Det var ikke blot det, han så foran sig, der vakte sorg hos Jesus; men han så fremad gennem de kommende tider, og byrden af menneskenes sorg nedtryngede hans sjæl, idet han så de lidelser og den smerte, tårerne og død, som ville falde i menneskers lod. Det stak ham i hjertet, når han tænkte på al dem smerte, som menneskeslægten gennem alle tider og i alle lande skulle lide. Den syndefulde slægts elendighed lå tungt på hans sjæl, og tårernes kilde blev opladt, idet han længes efter at lindre al denne elendighed.