John 16 Raising Lazarus
RAISING LAZARUS (Part 1)
#16
John 11:1-46
1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha. 2It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.” 4But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.” 8The disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.” 11He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.” 12The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep. 14So Jesus said to them plainly then, “Lazarus is dead. 15 I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.” 16Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go also, that we may die with him.”
17So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. 19Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. 20Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 22Even now I know that, whatever you ask of 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 at the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. 26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
28When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here, and is calling you.” 29When she heard this, she arose quickly, and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him. 31Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” 32Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” 33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!” 37Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?”
38Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?” 41So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me. 42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude standing around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”
45Therefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him. 46But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.
Life and Death
"If life is like a candle bright, death must be the wind. You can close your window tight, but it still comes blowing in. These are the lyrics that begin the song by Moe Bandy, Till I'm Too Old to Die Young. Death affects everyone. Every person reading this book has been impacted by death. There are family members you will never know because death stole them away. There are loved ones you will never see again. There are futures you won't be able to experience. If they haven't already, your mom and dad will die. Your friends will die. Your children will die. You will die. We don't know in what order those things will happen. We have a progression that feels more natural to us, but death doesn't always play by our rules. Death doesn't care about your feelings, your hopes, your future, your finances, your importance, or your love. Death is the cruel, heartless enemy.
There are those who make a pact with death. Rome made a pact with death. They used warfare, violence, death, and the cross to punish and torture their enemies. They instilled fear into the hearts of all who opposed them. They used death for their own gain. There is something ironic about a pact with death, though. Death always turns against you, too. No Roman emperors are walking around today. Jerusalem even made a pact with death: "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol, we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood, we have taken shelter" (Isaiah 28:15). They think they've bought off death by a deal with Assyria; Assyria will save them from death! Yet death turns against them, too: "Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand" (Isaiah 28:18). Death is no friend.
The Jews want a Messiah who can destroy Rome. They are asking for way too little. They need a Messiah who can destroy death. What power does Rome have without death? What power does any nation have without death? Death is how nations gain power. How do nations gain independence and establish peace? War brings peace. So many think they can control death, bend death to their own will, and make death their slave. In reality, every single person and nation is captive and prisoner to death's chilling chains. Who can free us?
"In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men" (John 1:4). By giving sight to the blind man in John 9, Jesus proved He is the Light of the World. Now it's time to prove He is "the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). A death has wounded Him. His dear friend, a man He loved (John 11:3, 36), has "fallen asleep" (John 11:11-13). Lazarus has died. This death hurts. It hurts Jesus. It hurts Mary and Martha, his sisters. Everyone knows Jesus could have saved him. Jesus healed the nobleman's son merely by speaking a word (John 4:50). Jesus could have gone to see Lazarus before he died, but He didn't (John 11:6). Mary and Martha, both reeling from the loss of their brother, can't believe Jesus didn't come. He didn't even help (John 11:21, 32). They both believe Jesus could have saved him. Why didn't He come? Why didn't He just speak a healing word? Why did Lazarus have to die? Why did Death win again?
“This Sickness Does Not Lead to Death.”
Think about this phrase for a moment: "This sickness does not lead to death" (John 11:4). What a remarkable thing to say about a sickness that absolutely leads to death. Within just a few days, it leads to death. In fact, if you read carefully, it actually leads to two deaths. Lazarus died from the sickness, but this sickness also led to Jesus' death in an indirect way. In John 11:8, the disciples are concerned because Jesus wants to go to Judea to see Lazarus. The last few times Jesus went to Judea, "they picked up stones to throw at Him ... The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him" (John 8:59; 10:31). His disciples say, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" (John 11:8).
Judea is getting dangerous for Jesus. Jesus and His disciples all seem to know what will happen if they show their faces in Judea again. They still decide to go see Lazarus, and Thomas says, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him" (John 11:16). That's a pretty powerful statement from the one we call "Doubting Thomas." This is not just any trip, this is a final trip. In fact, after raising Lazarus, it became so dangerous that "Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews" (John 11:54). The raising of Lazarus was the last straw; from that day on, the chief priests decided to kill Jesus (John 11:53). Raising Lazarus seals Jesus' fate as that final Passover draws near (John 11:55).
Lazarus's sickness led directly to his death and indirectly to the death of Jesus. So why does Jesus say, “This sickness does not lead to death?” Because with Jesus, death leads to life. Jesus is the Messiah who can destroy death. He doesn't need to destroy the Romans. He doesn't need warfare. Jesus will make sure death cannot have the final say. The final result of the sickness is not death but something glorious. The glory of God will be seen (John 11:4, 40). Jesus will prove emphatically He is the resurrection and the life. He will verify the statement, "In Him is life" (John 1:4).
Death Loses and Life Wins
Jesus accomplishes this by raising Lazarus. That resurrection is also a sign. It is pointing to something beyond itself. Jesus will not only raise Lazarus but in a few days, He will be resurrected as well. The raising of Lazarus is a climactic sign that points to the singular moment that changed all human history: the resurrection of Jesus. When Lazarus is raised, he comes out of the tomb, still wrapped in his burial clothes. This may symbolize that while Lazarus was raised, he was not raised to immortality. He is still wrapped in death. Death is still draped around him and dictates his future. Death is still in his nature. When Jesus was raised, however, the wrappings were off, they were lying on the ground with his facecloth rolled up by itself (John 20:5-7). Death was removed, cast off, and laid aside forever more.
This moment not only shows Jesus holds the power of life for Lazarus and Himself, but it also vindicates the claims made in John 5:28-29: "An hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs, will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." Martha, Lazarus' sister, knows about this final resurrection. After Lazarus died, Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again" (John 11:23). She heard this as a generic word of comfort; someday there will be a resurrection at the end of time. A nice thought, but not overly comforting when she misses her brother right now. She says, perhaps despairingly, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day" (John 11:23). While that is not exactly what Jesus meant, she's not wrong. Jesus will raise Lazarus from the tomb. Twice. Once in John 11, when Jesus says, "Lazarus, come forth," and again, forevermore, on the last day. Because Jesus was raised from the tomb, all who are in the tombs and all who have ever died will be raised to life again.
In Jesus is life: sorrow turned to joy. Death loses, and Jesus wins. Life wins. Life is eternal. Life wins both spiritually and physically. Death cannot destroy spiritual life. Through Jesus, life is more powerful than death. "These things have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31).
Now, please answer the questions in this lesson.
RAISING LAZARUS (PART 2)
Scriptural Tension Regarding Death
Tension exists within our souls when a loved one dies. This is especially true when the deceased is a Christian. We know better things await. We have hope. We have reason not to "grieve as the rest who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Paul writes, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain ... having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better" (Philippians 1:21-23). Clearly, death produces something valuable and something better for the Christian. Through this hope, we can find some comfort in our misery. We don't need to fear death or live in dread of its cold grip. We know death isn't the end, so we shouldn't act like it is. The misery is still there, though. The pain and anger and hurt linger. We know the good but feel the bad, and that's where the tension lies. For us, and in Scripture, hope and misery walk hand in hand.
It's hard to be positive about death because we know death is an attack on God-given life. Death is a terrible and dreadful enemy. The majority of Scripture does not paint death in any sort of positive light. God says, "I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies" (Ezekiel 18:32). Death only entered the world by sin. Because Jesus defeated sin on the cross, life necessarily wins again. Sin is the lifeblood of death. When sin is removed, death dies, and life wins again. Jesus' death was a victory over sin. Every death is a reminder of this sinful, painful, fallen world, but we hope for something better. For us, and in Scripture, the death of sin and the victory of life walk hand in hand.
Paul calls death an enemy doomed for destruction; "the last enemy that will be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:26). At the final resurrection, when our bodies are raised to eternal glory, we can fully appreciate the saying, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). When a weakened army is defeated and captured, the ensuing celebration is replete with taunts and ridicule. Paul pictures Christians taunting death at our victory: "Where is your victory now, death? Where is your sting?"
Even those passages that seem to picture death as precious are often misread or misunderstood. Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones." This passage has been quoted time and again to comfort those who have lost loved ones. While that's not inappropriate, I think it might be comforting in a different way than it's often used. To act as though death is precious and wonderful to God is hard to square, with God taking no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies. It also makes it hard to square with the rest of the psalm which is about God saving someone from death.
Read Psalm 116. Throughout the entire Psalm, death is the enemy God helps us escape: "'O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!’... When I was brought low, He saved me ... You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living" (Ps 116:4-9). That doesn't make death so precious. This passage is not saying death is precious like a wonderful, cherished event, but death is precious like a gemstone, extraordinarily costly or expensive. It could be translated as "[costly] in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones" (Psalm 116:15). Death matters to God. It is costly and expensive. That's why He saved the psalmist from it. That's why He is destroying death through the resurrection!
Death was not part of God's original plan, and it is not part of His eternal plan. The grand blessing of Scripture is not that we get to die and be with God but that death is destroyed forever! We get to live and be with God. Death loses, and life wins. Death itself will be cast into the lake of fire with all of God's enemies (Revelation 20:14). Death dies and goes to hell. Strangely enough, in some way, there can still be glory in death.
Glory in Death
The glory of God: that's what the raising of Lazarus is all about. Lazarus' sickness was "for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it" (John 11:4). So when Jesus tells them to open the tomb and Martha protests (because her brother's rotting dead body stinks with the aroma of death), He responds, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40). Verse 4 and verse 40 bookend the raising of Lazarus with "glory," and the sickness, death, and resurrection are all illustrating the glory of God.
Interestingly, in John, the word "glory" is often associated with death. When speaking about His own death, Jesus says, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (John 12:23). When telling Peter about his future death by crucifixion, the text says, "Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God" (John 21:19). That is such a strange connection. Death is not how I usually think of glory. It's a terrible invasion of God's good creation.
There are, however, a few ways death does produce glory. When a martyr dies faithfully for the cause of Christ, death produces glory. Jesus, through suffering and death, was "crowned with glory and honor" (Hebrews 2:9). When we follow Him to the cross, it is a glorious thing. He brings "many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:10). Suffering with Christ is pictured as a glorious moment, not to be despised, but rather celebrated (Matthew 5:11-12; Acts 5:41; Philippians 1:29; 3:10; 1 Peter 4:12-16).
Death is the endgame of carrying the cross. It's the finish line. The glory seen in the death of Lazarus is not that he got sick, died, and his body began to decay. It's what happened next. Death didn't win. Lazarus was raised back to life, and death became a failure. Death was plundered by the power of Jesus, and that was glorious. Even more glory, however, is seen in the resurrection of Jesus. Lazarus died, then came back to life. Jesus died, and rather than coming back to His old life, He pushed all the way through death to the eternal glory of life on the other side. He experienced all death could accomplish and walked away more powerful than ever. Jesus will never die again; He is always carrying around His victory and offering it to us.
Jesus Wept
While death is not the end, and death does not win, it still hurts. It doesn't mean we should just accept death as natural or somehow "God's will." Death is an affront to the will of God. It is the destination where sin has led us. It is a theft of God-given life, and it steals our friends, family, and, ultimately, each one of us. It lingers over every relationship because we know it will not last. This is why "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). Others saw the depth of His love in that moment. Miraculously, through His despair and sorrow, Jesus produced glory (John 11:40). Death ends in glory, and for now, "you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy." Have faith. Have hope. Never give up. The victory is coming.
This sign is the greatest of all the signs we have seen so far, but it is not the final sign. The final sign is not in this section of the book but is in the Passion. The final sign is Jesus' victory over death. It is the culmination of each of these signs, but also the culmination of all the testimonies, all the conversations, the farewell address, and the cross itself. The final sign comes at the end to give perspective, meaning, and remembrance of everything that came before it. Keep reading as we keep building to that earth-shattering moment.
Now, please answer the questions in this lesson.