are you weeping

There are a number of reasons why Jesus weeps over Lazarus in 11:35, but I'll cover only one of them here. He wept because He knew that prior to His own death, all death was futile; all death separated man from God; all death without His work on the cross hurt on a spiritual and eternal level that man could not grasp.

The proof of this can be seen in the almost joyous questioning that greets the two Marys on Sunday morning. What is the first thing said to Mary by the angel guarding the tomb? "Woman, why are you weeping?" What is the very first thing Jesus asks Mary when she sees Him? "Woman, why are you weeping?"

The question is asked (in my mind) incredulously. Don't you understand what just happened? Don't you understand that death is no longer eternally futile? Don't you understand that through Me there no longer is separation between God and man? Don't you understand that it doesn't hurt, it doesn't have to hurt anymore?

Don't you understand?