The Gospel of John - part 27
Lazarus & Resurrection
The significance of John 11
This chapter marks the turning point in John's Gospel. The chapters leading to 11 varied in their timeline and marked a series of festivals to demonstrate Jesus' power and authority. Chapter 11 begins the Passover Festival which will be the setting for the remainder of the book.
Because it is such a pivotal moment in John’s gospel, it will be helpful to pause and look back at how far we have come. The outline below will help us as we recap:
Preparing the Way of the Lord : Prologue & John the Baptist (1:1-51)
The Cana Cycle : Jesus’ Widening Influence & The First Two Signs (2:1-4:54)
Water to Wine - 1st Sign
Cleansing the Temple
Nicodemus & Passover
The Samaritan Woman
Healing of the Official’s Son - 2nd Sign
The Festival Cycle : God’s Promises Fulfilled in the Rejected Christ
Healing at Bethesda on Sabbath - 3rd Sign
The First Passover & Feeding the Multitude - 4th Sign
Jesus Walks on the Sea - 5th Sign
Festival of Tabernacles
Healing the Blind Man - 6th Sign
Festival of Dedication
Raising Lazarus - 7th Sign
Hopefully a couple of things become apparent as we look at this outline. First, John’s story of Jesus is not exactly straightforward, though it is fairly easy to understand. John is an artist of storytelling. Rather than a simple “here’s the facts”, John has woven a few story threads into his tapestry—which will only grow as we progress through the remainder of the gospel. Second, the two sections that focus on the geography and timing of Jesus’ work also include seven signs that point to Jesus as the Messiah.
The first two signs also bracket the Cleansing of the Temple story which points to the need for transformation. Just as the water was turned to wine (remember it was purification water turned to a celebratory wine), the Temple needed purifying, and the official’s son needed healing. And, though the son was far from Jesus, he was still healed. These three acts point to the truth that no matter how far we are from Jesus, He can transform and heal us, if we are willing to turn to him.
The remaining five signs coincide with the Festivals, which with the festivals, point to Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises in the Old Testament, and Jesus’ identity as the Son of God and source of all we need. Also, notice the progression of the signs. Water to wine is the first which is amazing. But then, Jesus heals which is more amazing. Then, he walks on the sea, something not even traveling healers could have done. Then, he heals a blind man which not even the Old Testament prophets could do. For those with an open mind, it becomes quite clear Jesus is the real deal. But then, to remove all doubt in Jesus’ power and authority, we have our story today. Jesus reaches beyond even death to revive Lazarus.
Let’s look today at the climatic turn in Jesus’ ministry.
Lazarus has died
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
John 11:1-16
Verse 1-2 mention the story of Mary who anointed the Lord whose story the Synoptics tell and John will get to in chapter 12.
Rhetorical Question: The sickness does not lead to death, and yet Lazarus does die. Is Jesus wrong, or is He simply prophesying what will happen?
Two points stand out from Jesus’ statement.
First, Jesus always has the end in mind.
Second, this is another example of how a person’s sickness can be used to the glory of God.
Next, we see Jesus uses the contrast of light and dark (this time day and night) to invoke courage in the disciples. It harkens back to Jesus’ statement that He is the light of the world. Because Jesus is with them, they should not fear heading back toward the Jews.
Thomas’ reaction is actually one of bravery. Typically, when people talk about Thomas, he is given the title ‘doubter’, but look closely here. All the disciples feared for their safety. (They were almost stoned to death.) But when Jesus tells them plainly Lazarus has died, and he wants to visit, it is Thomas who steps up and says, let’s go. Now, he is convinced they are going to die, but courage in the face of certain death is far superior to courage in the face of ignorant optimism.
Which brings me to my next point:
If you are going to doubt, doubt like Thomas.
He may have questioned his safety, even with Jesus with him, but at least he was willing to follow Jesus into the danger. And, when we get to the part with Thomas’ famous line of doubt about the resurrection, well, that’s just healthy skepticism. He asks for proof, and Jesus gives him proof. Church tradition tells us that after Thomas is convinced of the resurrection, he will head east and reach as far as India with the gospel. Paul may have headed to the outer west with the gospel, but Thomas heads to the outer east. So, as I said, if you are to doubt, doubt like Thomas, because once convinced there is no stopping the conviction of a transformed skeptic.
I AM the resurrection and life
Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
John 11:17-27
By the time Jesus arrives Lazarus has been buried for four days. There is an ancient Jewish tradition that the soul of a deceased person will hover around the body for a few days, but at the fourth day, it leaves upon seeing the decay. It is interesting that here, Lazarus will rise in four days, but Jesus will only take three. Now, I’m sure some numerologist will point out that the number four is an earthly number while the number 3 is a heavenly one, which could point further to the divinity of Jesus...but that’s not really necessary since we are talking about two dead people coming back to life.
Now, at first glance Martha’s statement to Jesus appears as though she foresees what will happen, but it is also Martha who tells Jesus about the impending odor. She is upset that Lazarus has died, and she is upset that Jesus was not there to stop it. But, even in her anger, she remains convinced Jesus is who He says he is.
So, just as when you doubt, doubt like Thomas,
When you are upset with God, be upset like Martha.
She is honest with her emotions, but she is also faithful in her convictions. Likewise, she is assured of the resurrection on the last day. She knows there will be a day when all the faithful will rise to life.
It is in her honesty and proclamation of faith that Jesus gives us the great Truth of Christianity:
It is in Jesus we find eternal life.
The resurrection that Martha believes in is found in Christ. For the Christian, one day we will see Lazarus. We will see all the disciples. We will see Martha, Mary, and all those who have gone before us, because for those of us who have put our trust in the risen Christ, “though we die, yet shall we live.”
Death is certainly not a fun event, and Paul calls it the final enemy. But that enemy has been defeated in Christ. Christians do not enjoy the experience, but we have no need to fear it.
On the contrary, to live is Christ, but to die is gain.
Through death, our faith becomes sight.
Lazarus lives again
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
John 11:28-44
Martha returns for Mary, and she repeats that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ death. The growing tension and sobbing mourners becomes too much for Jesus and He weeps with them.
Verse 35 is very important, because it reminds us of Jesus’ humanity. But why did Jesus weep?
Was he really upset about Lazarus’ death, considering that He is about to raise him from the dead?
A couple of word studies help shed some light:
Verses 33 and 38 use the same Greek root which does not mean ‘grieved’ like the mourners, but something like ‘angry’ or ‘a stern warning’. He is not mourning, he is upset with the situation.
Verse 35 has ‘wept’, but it is not the same ‘weeping’ as the ladies and mourners. Theirs is a loud, prevailing crying, whereas Jesus is more of a silent weeping. It could also be translated ‘burst into tears’.
I heard a theory from a youth a long time ago that Jesus wept, because he knew Lazarus was perfectly fine where he was at. Consider the next time we see Lazarus, he doesn’t speak much. He is at dinner with Jesus and the disciples, but he is not a part of any action. Maybe he remembered being dead, maybe not. But in either case, Jesus is bringing Lazarus back from the grave and into this sinful world. Lazarus will also become a target for the Jews because his very life is a testimony to the power of Jesus, the Son of God. I haven’t found this interpretation in any commentary, but I thought it was a interesting thought.
A more compelling argument is that Jesus is preparing to wrestle with his final enemy. Jesus is preparing to do battle with the curse of death caused by sin. It is one thing to alter the course of nature, God’s handiwork. But, here, Jesus is going to reach beyond the physical veil and chip away at death’s authority.
In the fourth century, John Chrysostom interpreted the passage to mean Jesus was upset with himself. It is one of a few places where we see Jesus’ humanity at odds with his divinity. Jesus, as the Son of God, knew the nature of death and that Lazarus would rise. There was no need to be bothered. But, Jesus is also human, and his human side was upset that his friend had died. When Jesus wept, we see the humanity of our Savior and his ability to sympathize with us. Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
When a Christian loses a close family member or friend who is also a Christian, it is still painful. We can know in our head and heart that they are fine, but that doesn’t change the fact we don’t get to see our loved one for the rest of our lives. It is a conflict of emotions that encompasses our grieving, and when we read John 11:35, we are reminded “that’s ok”.
Verse 35 reminds us it is ok to grieve.
So the group heads to the tomb where Lazarus lay, and we see that Jesus is deeply moved again. The context suggests that when the Jews make their comment, it brings back Jesus’ emotions. Jesus is dealing with several lines of stress. Consider, (1) his friend has died (2) his followers are unsure and upset (3) the peanut gallery is making hypocritical comments.
Then, in 39 we come to possibly one of the most humorous verses. Jesus has been preparing himself emotionally for this moment, he commands the stone be moved, and Martha, who has just been told that Jesus is the resurrection humanity hopes for, says, “Jesus…there’s going to be a stink”.
Jesus replies that he had already promised she would see the glory of God if she will believe.
Church!
If you believe, you will see the glory of God.
Jesus then prays a thanksgiving prayer. Evidently, he has already spoken with God about Lazarus rising. He is not praying for Lazarus to be revived, he is thanking God for hearing his prayer. Of course, Jesus knows God always hears his prayers, but it is for “the people standing around”. They need to know this is not some parlor trick, some demonic activity, or anything other than the power of God working.
Then, with a loud, uncontrolled yell, Jesus commands Lazarus to come out of the tomb.
And up from the grave he rose! Death had been dealt a mighty blow. One of the dead has come back to life.
Before, I had said, if you doubt, doubt like Thomas.
If you are upset with God, be upset like Martha.
Here, I offer one more:
If you are dying, die like Lazarus.
Now, that may sound a little bizarre, because if you’re dead…not much you can do. What I mean is this:
Lazarus died—John repeats it so we’re sure. He is physically dead. But, then “the man who died came out”. How is it possible? Jesus makes it possible.
Death is a certainty for everyone on earth. We live, we die, that’s that. But, Jesus came so that death would not be the end. Again, for the Christian, death is just falling asleep and waking up Home.
So, do not go to your grave without Jesus. Don’t live this life as though this is all there is, because there is so much more waiting for us, if we will believe!
If we will believe in Jesus, we will see the glory of God.
If we do not, we will die in our sins and forever be separated from God.
We will spend eternity without love, without hope, without peace, without any good gift, because all that is good is from the Father. And to be in hell is torment because it is to exist without any good whatsoever.
But, if you will believe in Jesus and turn from your sin, you will see the glory of God and have eternal life.
Today is the day to believe!