Lazarus Come Forth

A story of compassion, great faith and a great miracle.

Prologue:

Jesus’s earthly ministry was almost completed. He had performed many miracles of healing, raising some from death, showing forgiveness to those who needed their past sins removed in preparation for following His path to Heaven. He had met with God, Elijah and Moses

(Matt. 17:2 And He was transfigured before them. And His face shone as the sun, and His clothing was white as the light.)
(Luk 9:30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah,
Luk 9:31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His exodus, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.)

on the mount of transfiguration where He learned of what His future held. An agonizing death and humiliation on a cross. This knowledge greatly affected His attitude toward events leading to His death. Surly, He must have seen a parallel to the death of Lazarus and his being placed in a tomb in His own soon to be future.

Joh 11:1 And there was a certain sick one, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
Joh 11:2 (And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Joh 11:3 Then his sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.
Joh 11:4 When Jesus heard, He said, This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God might be glorified by it.
Joh 11:5 And Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

Verses 2 & 5 clarifies the caring relationship that existed between Mary and Jesus. As close as they were, it is even likely that Jesus had shared how He must soon die. This could have resulted in Mary’s affectionate gesture in Joh 11:2 and 12:3 & 7. The sisters also knew who Jesus was (John 11:27) and so when Lazarus became ill they looked to Christ for help. Later, when Jesus spoke in the hearing of the messenger, the messenger must have wondered what it all meant. Especially, the part when Christ spoke about the sickness not being one to cause death. How would Christ know Lazarus’s condition when He had not even seen the sick Lazarus. Looking back at this now, we can better understand the words as a prophecy to give Christ more glory. This would be another example how God could work to raise the dead to life again. Later, Christ glory would go to a higher level when He raised Himself from death.

Joh 11:6 Therefore, when He had heard that he was sick, then indeed He remained two days in the place where He was.
Joh 11:7 Then after that He said to the disciples, Let us go into Judea again.
Joh 11:11 He said these things; and after that He said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps. But I go so that I may awaken him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12 Then His disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.
Joh 11:13 But Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He had spoken of taking rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Joh 11:15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, in order that you may believe. But let us go to him.
Joh 11:16 Then Thomas (he being called Twin) said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with Him.

Jesus was in no hurry to come help Lazarus. He delayed leaving until He knew Lazarus had died. (It is interesting that He knew this even though no one had told Him of Lazarus’s passing.) Then, when Jesus explained His approval of this death to increase the faith of the disciples, Thomas even felt that all the disciples should die also. It is ironic that Thomas evidently wanted more faith and yet was lacking in faith when he heard of Jesus rising from death. It was only after touching Christ’s wounds and seeing Him that he could believe that Christ had risen from a tomb just as Lazarus had. Thus, Thomas gained in faith through the experience.

Joh 11:17 Then when Jesus came, He found him already being held in the tomb four days.
Joh 11:18 And Bethany was near Jerusalem, fifteen stadia away.
Joh 11:19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary in order to comfort them concerning their brother.
Joh 11:20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house.
Joh 11:21 Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Joh 11:22 But I know that even now, whatever You will ask of God, God will give You.
Joh 11:23 Jesus said to her, Your brother shall rise again.

Verses 21, 22 & 27 show the great faith of Martha and her knowledge of Jesus as the son of God. She completely believed that Jesus could raise the dead to life if He asked God to do it. Martha excelled in faith while Mary (at first) pouted that Jesus had not come sooner to help her brother. She had remained in the house. Recall, that it was Mary that had strong feelings for Jesus and later anointed His feet while Martha prepared a meal for Jesus and the risen Lazarus.

Joh 11:24 Martha said to Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Joh 11:25 Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.
Joh 11:26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
Joh 11:27 She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.

Joh 11:30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him.
Joh 11:31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw that Mary rose up hastily and went out, they followed her, saying, She is going to the tomb to weep there.
Joh 11:32 Then when Mary had come where Jesus was, seeing Him, Mary fell down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Joh 11:33 Then when He saw her weeping, and also the Jews who came with her weeping, Jesus groaned in the spirit and troubled Himself.

Now, Mary’s faith rose and she hurried to Jesus and humbled herself before Him in grief. She also knew Him as the son of God and believed that He could heal a sick Lazarus or raise a dead Lazarus. When Jesus saw her great grief (plus the crowd of grieving mourners) and a faith that believed that He could heal and that even now, in hope, encouraged Him to come to the tomb, He was greatly move with compassion and also wept.

Joh 11:34 And He said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see.
Joh 11:35 Jesus wept.
Joh 11:36 Then the Jews said, Behold how He loved him!
Joh 11:37 And some of them said, Was not this Man who opened the eyes of the blind able also to cause that even this one should not have died?
Joh 11:38 Then Jesus, groaning in Himself again, came to the tomb. And it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

I think that Jesus grieved for two reasons here. One, for the death of His friend Lazarus and also for the vision of the tomb before Him. He knew that a similar tomb was soon to be in His immediate future.

Joh 11:39 Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who died, said to Him, Lord, by this time he stinks. For it is the fourth day.

Martha was always the practical sister that knew her brother’s body was decaying by now. She was almost questioning and wondering if Jesus could still raise Lazarus. But Jesus knew that this would only add to the wonder that He was about to perform. It also encourages us to know that God can resurrect anyone. Even, if they had been dead for any length of time.

Joh 11:40 Jesus answered her, Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?
Joh 11:41 Then they took away the stone where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
Joh 11:42 And I know that You hear Me always, but because of the people who stand by I said it, so that they may believe that You have sent Me.
Joh 11:43 And saying these things, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, (come forth) Here! Outside!
Joh 11:44 And he who had died came out, bound hand and foot with sheets, and his face was bound with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Untie him and let him go!
Joh 11:45 Then many of the Jews who came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him.

God the Father always hears Christ to perform what He speaks and Christ always hears and obeys the will of God the Father. You will find that this is always true. The Holy Spirit is faithful to deliver their messages and also to obey the will of the Father. And, as usual, whenever God is given glory through a miracle, amazement always overcomes unbelief to save those seeing and hearing the miracle. Never waste your miracles, given by God, by not sharing them with others. You and they will be blessed by your obedience. Remember also to ask for miracles, for all things in God’s will are possible through Christ. God desires that you gain greater faith to sustain you in times of peril and difficulty. Your voice has more power in God than you can imagine!