"she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, 'The Teacher has come and is calling for you.' As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, 'She is going to the tomb to weep there.' Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, 'See how He loved him!' And some of them said, 'Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?'" (John 11:28-37).
Not only does Mary want to see Jesus, but she also wants to comply with His wishes. Thus, "she arose quickly and came to Him." Jesus waited outside of town for Mary to come to Him.
Although their intentions are noble, the assumption of the Jews is incorrect. Mary was not going to the tomb. Their following of her prevented Jesus from having a private conversation with her as He had with Martha.
"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Since both sisters made the same comment to Jesus it seems likely that they had probably discussed the matter together in the previous days (cf. 11:21). Although neither of them blamed Jesus, they were probably hurt by His delay in coming to them.
"She fell down at His feet" because of her grief. Mary shows less self-control emotionally than her sister. "He groaned in the spirit and was troubled." Jesus was emotionally stirred up. He was touched by the sorrow of others as He witnessed them weeping.
"Where have you laid him?" - Jesus doesn't ask this question to learn the information for Himself but to bring everyone to the tomb where they could witness His great miracle.
"Jesus wept" (John 11:35). The verb used here refers to shedding tears, not wailing. Jesus is surely not weeping because of Lazarus' death for He would resurrect him momentarily. He is crying out of sympathy for the mourners. He grieves with those who grieve (cf. Rom. 12:15). Jesus shows His humanity with this display of emotion. Interestingly, some have speculated that Jesus may also be crying because He knows He is going to take Lazarus from a better place and bring him back to Earth. This verse is the shortest one in the entire English Bible, but not in the Greek (cf. I Thess. 5:16).
Some of the Jews observed the great love Jesus had for Lazarus, and some of them believe--like the sisters do--that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus' death had He been present.
We will conclude studying this great narrative in our next lesson.