John 11

 JESUS RAISES LAZARUS

Lazarus was sick, and his sisters, Martha and Mary, sent for Jesus. When Jesus received word, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

Jesus waited two more days before He said to His disciples, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." The disciples thought He meant that Lazarus was just resting and that he would get well again; but Jesus meant that Lazarus had died and that for their sakes, He was not there to make him well, that they (those who will witness what He was about to do) may believe.

When they arrived in town, Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for four days. Martha had met Jesus on the way and said to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 

Jesus replied, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha said, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

She replied, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God who is to come into the world." 

Then Mary came out to meet Him and fell at His feet and said the same thing Martha had said. When Jesus saw Mary weeping, His spirit was troubled. He asked them where Lazarus had been laid to rest, and they brought Him. Then Jesus wept for them.

Many wondered why Jesus did not keep Lazarus from dying, since He had performed many other miracles. Since He knew what they were thinking, His spirit groaned within Him.

At the grave, there was a tomb before the cave, and Jesus commanded that it be moved. Martha remarked that there would be a terrible stench because Lazarus had been dead four days. Jesus said, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 

Then Jesus gave thanks to God and said: "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." 

Then He called, "Lazarus, come forth!" And Lazarus came out of the cave bound with his grave clothes still wrapped about him. And they unbound him.

Many people believed in Jesus, but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus did. Their response was: "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."

Caiaphas plotted that Jesus should die rather than the whole nation, but he did not think this of his own accord because it was actually a prophecy that "Jesus would die for the nation and not for that nation only but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad."

After that,  Jesus no longer showed Himself publicly, but remained in hiding with His disciples. 

COMMENTARY

This is the chapter where Jesus retires into a private ministry because His time has almost come. It is also important to note that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which is different than the resurrection. At the Resurrection, believers will get glorified bodies, like Jesus did after His resurrection. Lazarus was just raised back to life. 

Also, another important issue is sickness. Even as Christians, we often pray and demand for the sick to be made well. However, we must remember that God permits sickness and death for a host of reasons. We would do better to pray for our heart attitudes and our faith. 

Jesus permits sickness and death of loved ones for our goodness and His glory. For Lazarus, it was for Jesus to get the glory and that those who saw and heard might believe in Him. As McGee states: "Nothing will come into our lives without His permission, and if He permits it, it is going to be for His glory."

Jesus' disciples did not understand that when Jesus told them that Lazarus was asleep, He meant Lazarus had died. Death is separation between the body and the soul. The body is asleep. (There is no such thing as soul sleep.) Jesus will awaken the body at the Resurrection when He will call us out by name, as He did Lazarus!

The reason Jesus wept was not because Lazarus had died; He wept for the living. Then Jesus prayed that those around Him would know that He was doing the will of the Father. 

When Jesus called Lazarus out, his life was restored to his old body, which was why he was still wrapped in grave clothes. 

Now, you would think more and more people would believe in Jesus, but this was not so. This was why Jesus said: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." (Luke 16:31) The problem is not a lack of evidence, but an abundance of hard heartedness.

The Sadducees and the Pharisees were the two political religious groups of the time who opposed one another outright, but they absolutely rejected Jesus and hated Him the same. They were determined to kill Him. Why? Simply because "they FEARED a massive turning to Jesus which would bring a revolution, which would provide opportunity for Rome to crush them." 

Ironically, Rome is going to do that anyway, after Jesus is long gone.