Lazarus was perhaps Jesus’ closest friend while He was on Earth. We are first introduced to Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary, in Luke 10:38-42 when Jesus visits their village of Bethany. It is possible that Jesus knew Lazarus’ family even before the events of Luke 10, as Luke describes Bethany as a “certain” village and Martha as a “certain” woman, indicating that Jesus perhaps had travelled there before and had developed a relationship between Lazarus and his sisters. Regardless, Jesus remained close with this family, evident from the message that Martha and Mary sent to Him: “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
It is therefore surprising that Jesus did not rush immediately to Bethany after hearing about Lazarus’ illness. Yet we must not misunderstand this as indifference. Considering that the journey from where Jesus was “beyond the Jordan” to Bethany was about a day’s journey, and that when Jesus eventually arrived in Bethany Lazarus had already been dead for four days, it is likely that Lazarus was already dead by the time Jesus received the news. John clearly expresses that Jesus loved Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. And yet He was also fully confident in the power of the Father over life and death. This was also why Jesus crossed over the Jordan and returned to Judea, despite the misgivings of the disciples. Although He had just been threatened with stoning by the Jewish leaders, He knew that it was not yet His time and that God would preserve Him for the complete fulfillment of His redemptive mission. God sees much more beyond what we can see as we encounter tragedy and opposition in our lives.
Bethany was not far from Jerusalem. When Jesus and the disciples arrive in Bethany, they discovered that some of the Jewish leaders were also present and were among the mourners comforting Martha and Mary. Some of the Jewish leaders perhaps genuinely grieved with them, but we also have a hint in verse 37 that others may have also used Lazarus’ death to claim that Jesus was a false Messiah. Regardless, Jesus approaches Lazarus’ tomb. Verse 35 is the shortest in the entire Bible, but also among the most powerful: “Jesus wept.” It is a simple, yet beautiful confirmation of God’s love for humanity. He is not indifferent to the pain and suffering we see and experience in this broken world. He grieves alongside us. And yet He also offers us hope, that through His death and resurrection we can look forward to eternal life and the promise of a world where sin, suffering, and death no longer have any power.
Jesus demonstrates this through the resurrection of Lazarus, His dear friend. His command, “Lazarus, come forth!” affirms that Jesus is the Son of God and fully divine. Only God has the power over life and death. Traditional Jewish belief held that a person is legally pronounced dead after three days. Jesus waited four days to perform this miracle to demonstrate without a shadow of a doubt that Lazarus had indeed been risen from the dead. For Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, it was a beautiful reunion; one that also pointed to the joyous heavenly reunion believers are assured of with those who have gone before them in Christ. For many of the Jewish leaders, it only strengthened their resolve to kill Jesus. Jesus had conclusively demonstrated that He was who He said He was:
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.
Read the passage prayerfully a few times over and then answer the questions: John 11
Questions:
- What lessons on faith do you draw from Jesus’ response to Lazarus’ death in contrast to that of the disciples? (v. 1-16)
- What do you observe about the way Jesus explains the Resurrection to Martha and how He resurrects Lazarus from the dead? (v. 17-44)
- How does Caiaphas’ intervention in the discussion regarding the plot to kill Jesus illustrate God’s sovereignty? (v. 45-57, cf. Genesis 50:15-21, Proverbs 19:21, Acts 5:12-40)
Application:
- What do you find comforting about the fact that Jesus is not indifferent to human suffering and weeps alongside us? (v. 35, cf. Psalm 34:18, Psalm 103:13-14, Psalm 147:3, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Revelation 21:4)?
- What hope do you draw from the Resurrection? (cf. Romans 6:1-14)
Conclusion & Heart Prayer:
Lord, what are You saying to me? And what are You calling me to do about it?
