And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, the Master is come, and calleth for thee. (29) As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. (30) Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. (31) The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. (32) Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. (33) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. (34) And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. (35) Jesus wept. (36) Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! (37) And some of them said, Could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
Here are many interesting things said in these verses, which, had we room to enlarge upon, would afford ample subject for meditation. The call of Mary; the company of the Jews; their observations; and the affecting interview of Christ with the sisters, when Mary fell at his feet, with the reiterating what Martha had said before; these are all capable of calling forth much matter for improvement. But I pass the whole by, in order to direct the Reader to have his mind solely engaged in contemplating Christ. Every incident in this memorable event becomes tenfold interesting from its relation to Jesus. And it were to lose sight of the great object for which the Holy Ghost caused it to be recorded, to be looking to any other.
The tears of Jesus's open an endless subject for contemplation. I dare not, for sure I am I cannot, explain the wonderful circumstance in a thousandth part of it. Nevertheless, in a matter which interests the Church of God so highly, I must not be wholly silent. Jesus wept. Yes! Reader! it is our mercy that the Lord Jesus perfectly knew, and as truly felt the whole of what human nature is in all its parts, yet without sin. Had it been otherwise, he would have been man in appearance, and not in reality. Whereas, the Holy Ghost expressly saith, that in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. Hebrews 2:17-18
Let us only attend for a few moments to the necessity of the measure, according to what the Holy Ghost here saith. It behoved him to be so. The original marriage and union between Christ and his Church made it so. For had the Son of God taken upon him the nature of angels, what union would our nature have had with him? But it is expressly said, that he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Hebrews 2:16. It was essentially necessary also, that the Son of God should become man, not only to marry, and to take into union with himself his spouse the Church as one nature, but also for the purpose of redeeming that nature from the Adam-transgression into which that nature fell. The right of redemption was by the law belonging to the next of kin. Leviticus 25:25. It could be redeemed by no other. Hence it behoved the Son of God, under both these grand and indispensible obligations, to take upon him our nature, and to be united to it. And this union was to be in all points. He was to be very and truly man, as he was very and truly God. All the sinless infirmities of our nature to know, and feel, in order that he might not only know them as God, but feel them as man. And it was by this very process alone, that he became fitted for our High Priest and Mediator. Most blessedly God the Holy Ghost bears testimony to this, when by his servant the Apostle, he saith, For every High Priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. Hebrews 5:1-2
Reader! pause over this blessed view of Jesus, for it is indeed most blessed. Thy God, thy Husband, thy Jesus, felt in his human nature, yet without sin, all that thou feels. He wept, groaned in spirit, knew sorrow, temptation, soul-agonies, hunger, thirst, weariness, affliction, persecution, and the long train of human evils which frail flesh is subject to, in this time-state of the Church. Before that holy portion of our nature which he took into union with the Godhead, should put on that glory which is the ultimate design for which he took it, it behoved him to be cloathed with all the sinless infirmities with which his Church is cloathed. And, oh! the unspeakable blessedness of thus viewing Christ, thus knowing him, and going to him, under all our exercises! When upon earth, behold how he entered into the feelings of his people; and how their sorrows called forth the groans of his heart! And now in heaven, the sweetest of all thoughts is, that his nature is not changed, but his feeling is the same. All the affections of tenderness in Jesus, in his human nature, however highly glorified that nature is, are as truly so now as when below. He that wept upon earth at the sorrows of his redeemed, hath the ever-lasting continuance of the same tender feelings for them now he is in heaven. Reader! let you and I never lose sight of it, but always seek for grace to keep in remembrance those sweet views of Jesus, as often as we read, Jesus wept!