The full, open, public ministry of Jesus is over (ended at the end of the previous chapter when the people tried to kill Him). The cross is just a few days away and Jesus is now building up (edifying) the believers so they might carry on. This miracle is performed in defiance of their rejection of Him and is a bridge or transition from the public ministry to His private ministry to the believers. This is the 7th and final miracle in the Gospel and serves to bring Glory to God in three ways: 1) It points to deity in Christ (only God can give life), 2) it confirmed and strengthened the faith of Christ’s disciples, and 3) it leads directly to the cross.
1Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.
This home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus was as close to a home as Jesus had; it was a surrogate home. This house and its people were dear to Jesus and He spent many hours here. It was His physical refuge from Jerusalem.
3So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
This is a good model for prayer – humble – no demands or requests, just a statement of the facts. We are to bring our cares before God and trust that He will take care of things and do so in His own time. ‘He whom you love’ – not ‘the one who loves you’. Jesus’ care for us is not dependent on our love for Him but instead on His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us. The word for love here is brotherly love (philia), not erotic love (eros) or divine love (agape). This use instead of agape shows Christ’s humanity as does vss 35 and 36.
4But 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.”
This message was not news to Jesus. As God, He knew of the illness, death, and coming resurrection of Lazarus before the messenger ever approached. Our God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. There is nothing that has or ever will happen that He does not know about and is sovereign over. Illness – this is the word for ‘very sick leading to death.’ “It” in the next sentence refers back to this word and is for God’s glory (why?) so that God’s Son may be glorified through it. The purpose of this whole event is God’s glory. We must not forget, overlook, or have the event itself diminish this. God’s glory and the Son of God’s (Christ’s) glory are the same and equal. This is consistent throughout the Bible. We cannot give glory to God without also giving glory to Christ. Any trial a believer faces can ultimately bring glory to God because God can bring good out of any bad situation. When trouble comes, do you grumble, complain, and blame God, or do you see your problems as opportunities to honor Him?
5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
The word for love used here is agape and not philia as before. This love is in no hurry (see next vs and Isaiah 30:18).
6So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
So – transition word – ties previous verse to the next. He stayed where he was two more days because of his love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. This is also for the disciples’ benefit (vs 15). The timing of God is seen by us as His always being late. His delay had a specific purpose. God’s timing, especially His delays, may make us think He is not answering or is not answering the way we want, but He will meet all our needs according to His perfect schedule and purpose. Patiently await His timing.
7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”
Jesus had a good ministry in Bethany while a stoning awaited Him in Jerusalem. In addition, He had just stated that this sickness would not end in death. So the response of the disciples is understandable. The ‘Jews’ here refer not to the Jewish people but instead to the Jewish leaders. This is also true when ‘the Jews’ is used later in vss 19, 31, 33, and 36.
9Jesus 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. 10But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
This was a common cultural saying and was used to indicate that all things are to be done in their time. Jesus was saying that He would go where He was supposed to go when He was supposed to go there. In this instance, that meant going to Bethany. However, as Jesus often does, this saying also had spiritual significance. In this situation, Jesus was also saying that God has control over the length of life and is in control of when night (death) comes. This would apply to their going to Jerusalem and the assumed stoning that awaited them as well as the result of Lazarus’ sickness. Also, while similar but slightly different, this saying also indicates that things must happen according to God’s timeline. This is similar to what Jesus meant when he said “Mine hour has not come.”
11After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
Fallen asleep is a euphemism for death. This term is used 14+ times in the Bible and always means death. Anyone that teaches ‘soul sleep’ based on this term is misinterpreting the Bible. This misinterpretation is addressed head-on in vss 13-14. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
This is days before the cross and this will be Jesus’ last miracle. Jesus needed something the disciples could cling to as they gazed upon Him on the cross. This would do that and bring to mind His power and that they could trust in it and in Him. Again we see Jesus’ omniscience.
16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
This is a sarcastic comment. Thomas’ love was so strong he was willing to die with Jesus, but his faith was so weak he knew he would. “Doubting Thomas” doubted long before the resurrection. Thomas was eventually martyred, so this was somewhat prophetic. Would you die for Christ? Even harder – would you live for Him? To live for Christ you must crucify yourself daily. It is wise to consider the high cost of being Jesus’ disciple.
17Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.
This is a humble act by Jesus. He put Mary and Martha before Himself. He stopped what He was doing and came in response to the request. He came to give life. In the same way, Jesus put us before Himself. He stepped down out of heaven and came to this world, into a funeral, out of humility to give life. Humility is the first of four basic ingredients of salvation.
18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.
Jesus deals with Martha and Mary differently since their personalities are different, respecting them as individuals, and loving them each as they needed. Jesus, the unchanging God, does the same with us.
21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
There is no indication of tone here. Is this an accusation? Some argue that it is or that it is laced with a touch of sarcasm. If taken by itself, it could be seen that way. However, this is not all that Martha said. One must continue reading (vs 22) and when taken as a whole, combined with her personality as seen throughout Scripture and her relationship with Jesus, this is most likely not the case and is instead a lament and/or a statement of fact/faith.
22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
The topic of the resurrection was a highly debated ‘hot topic’ of the day. This shows that Martha was informed of the theology, had considered the arguments, and had come to a conclusion. From this we gain a little insight into her personality.
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Vs 25 pertains to the physical while vs 26 pertains to the spiritual. These two vss are revelation – divine truth revealed. Revelation is the second basic ingredient of salvation. This is the fifth of seven ‘I am’ statements in John’s Gospel where Jesus takes the same title that God ascribed to himself in Exodus 3. There is no life without Him. Do you believe this? This question forces Martha to NOT look at herself, her pain, her loss, her brother, or anything else but instead to look to Him. This question is for us as well as Martha. To those who believe, what wonderful assurance and certainty we have.
27She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Faith – I believe. Faith is the third basic ingredient of salvation. Martha demonstrates here that Lazarus’ death and her grief had not undermined her confidence in God or her Savior Jesus Christ. She demonstrates how we can maintain our trust in God even when we do not understand why God allows tragedy. This intellectual approach, that is getting things settled mentally, is important to do before the tragedy strikes because when it does, this understanding will guide the emotional side of it during it.
28When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31When 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. 32Now 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.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.
This is love. Love is the fourth component of salvation. It is the overarching umbrella under which the other three operate and is the thing that ties them all together. In vs 33, Jesus is intensely human, loving, and caring. ‘Deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled’ – see notes on vs 37.
34And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
Vs 35 shows the same deep human emotion of Jesus as in vs 33. The word love in vs 36 is again the word philia.
37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
For some of those there, seeing Jesus weeping did not add-up. His display of emotion at the loss of Lazarus did not seem to align with His power to give sight to the blind. This calls into question exactly what Jesus was weeping over. Was it indeed Lazarus’ death, or was it something else such as the ‘put-on’ mourning by some of those present, the pain that death causes loved ones, sin that causes death, etc. The same questions arise regarding the unrest and troubled spirit we read about above in vs 33. One argument is that Jesus was angered at the emotional grief of the people because it implicitly revealed unbelief in the resurrection and the temporary nature of death. The group was acting like pagans who had no hope. We are left to draw our own conclusions, however, and perhaps it is some of all of these things and more. Regardless of the reasons, we see Jesus’ humanity and the heart of God- raw, intense, and real. Also missing is the tone of this question. Is there an accusation here, or is this simply a statement of perplexity? What they failed to recognize is His will, power, and timing are not ours. We must trust Him for these things. How often do we see that in times of tragedy and difficulty people point the finger at God? Without tone we must reconcile and harmonize this with vs 36, but it does bring up a good question nonetheless.
38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus 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.”
Our logic is based on our power and abilities. We can arrive at a conclusion that ‘it’s impossible’. This is because we do not look beyond ourselves to Him who made the world. This shows lack of faith. Should it be His will, there is nothing that is impossible; should it not be, nothing is possible (understanding properly God’s ordained will, permissive will, etc.). Culturally, some Jews believed the spirit hovered over the corpse for four days before departing, waiting for an opportunity to re-enter the body. By waiting, Jesus would have dispelled the explanation that Lazarus’ spirit came back to him of its own.
40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
This promise is not contingent upon her faith as it may appear. The miracle would happen whether she believed or not. What her faith was required for was to see God’s glory in the miracle. Martha is to watch Jesus, not Lazarus.
41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I 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.”
Father and Son are one – unified – connected. This prayer was said for the benefit of those that heard it. Likewise, our audible prayers bless those that hear them.
43When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”
Some say that had Jesus not called Lazarus by name, cemeteries the world over and possibly Hell itself would have been emptied at this command. Again, this is done for the faith of those that heard, either to strengthen it or initiate it. This audible statement was not necessary to accomplish the feat.
44The 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.”
Notice the involvement of man in vss 39 and 44. Jesus does not need nor require our involvement, but allows it that through it our faith might be increased and others might be won to Him. Our service to Him is a blessing for us. He gives life, we get to roll away grave-stones and take off grave-clothes. How wonderful He is to permit us to do such things.
And the someone you are thinking of is DIFFERENT than the someone I’m thinking of. True, they are both called “John” but they are different people. If I had told you more about John, perhaps given you some specific details about him like he’s married, has two boys, has a limp from a car accident, his wife plays the piano at the church, and the pickup he drives is a black restored ’46 Ford with flames down the hood and fenders. With these additional details, you would have realized that you were not thinking about the person I was describing and would have moved away from whomever you were thinking about since he no longer met the given description.