The LORD id the word, bread and water of life; he has the power over life and death; he thus rightly claims to be “the resurrection and the life.” John 11 contains a sign that highlights this great work of God in Christ.
A cry for help
When he received an urgent appeal to come to the immediate aid of a seriously ill Lazarus, Jesus responded: “This sickness is not unto death [although he knew Lazarus would die] but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
In many other situations, Jesus had sought to deflect attention from his miracles. He told people not to speak of how they had been healed or he healed on a selective basis (e.g. John 5). This time, however, he deliberately waited for Lazarus to die so that he might raise him from the dead. Jesus clearly wants it publicly and dramatically known that, “As in Adam all die; so in Christ, shall all be made alive.”
The raising of Lazarus is the seventh of the eight signs recorded in John’s gospel. It is the one that leaves no doubt that Jesus is the Son of God and it confirms the eventual fulfillment of the words, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the son quickeneth whom he will…Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God [‘Lazarus, come forth!’]: and they that hear shall live…For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the son to have life in himself” (John 5:21,25,26).
Lazarus
Lazarus clearly represents the redeemed.
We are dying creatures. We all suffer the results of the sin of Adam and Eve. Everyone who reaches an age of accountability proves he deserves to die by his own conduct.
There are, however, people who are exceptional from the vast majority of mankind; they are those who truly know Jesus Christ. These people know him, his purpose, his will, his love, obedience and his life, his death and his resurrection; they know him and want to be like him in every respect, including being immortal as Jesus is now.
In his conversation with Martha, Jesus assures us that this a real possibility. “He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live [when Christ returns], and whoever lives [is still alive when Christ comes] and believes in me shall never die” (vs. 25- 26 RSV).
Lord, if you had been here
The two sisters greet Jesus with the same words, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died” (vs. 21,32). Both are totally confident in the ability of the Lord to heal any illness. Martha, however, seems to have the greater faith. She knows Lazarus will rise at the resurrection, and evidently she even believes that if Jesus asks, God would restore Lazarus to life right then.
Jesus’ response to Martha makes it clear that his primary interest is in the eternal well-being of those who believe in him. Death is the ultimate end for all flesh unless the individual knows and believes that Jesus is the Christ.
In this case, the reason for the Lord’s delay is evident. Lazarus has been dead for days and by now corruption has started to settle in: “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (v.39). If he had been there to heal Lazarus from his illness, he would not have conclusively proven to anyone that the Father had given him power over death. And he would not have set in motion the events that would lead to Messiah’s death.
They wept
In verses 33-35, three references are made to weeping: “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping…and the Jews who came with her weeping…Jesus wept.” Mary’s response is normal. The Jews’ response is normal for Middle Eastern countries but was probably more for show than an expression of true feelings. Their weeping evidently does not strike the right chord with the Lord for, “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.” The Greek for “groaned” is enebrimesato which occurs five times, twice in this incident (vs. 33 and 38) and in Matt. 9:30; Mark 1:43 and 14:5. In the last three cases, it expresses indignation or perhaps severity rather than sorrow. It literally means to snort or growl. His indignation is readily explained by the action of some of the Jews who, immediately after this incident, sought the death of the one who could give life.
What of the expression, “Jesus wept?” The word rendered “wept,” dakruo, is used only here in the New Testament and means to cry inwardly. Jesus intensely shares the feeling of Martha and Mary. Death is a real enemy. It has met its equal, however, in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The lamb of God
Raising Lazarus comforted Martha and Mary and led to the conversion of some of the Jews (v.45). The full ramifications, however, were broader than this as it directly led to the crucifixion of Jesus. It caught the attention of the chief priests and their counsel and caused them to determine that “one must die for the nation” (v.50).
The Passover was almost upon them. While they did not deliberately set out to do so, they began a course of action that would see that the true passover lamb would be provided. Caiaphas, who was the chief priest, was used as a mouth-piece by the spirit of God and “he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad” (vs. 51-52).
Caiaphas was high priest from 1835 AD and for some time had been trying to find a way to trap Jesus. Now he went after not only Jesus but also Lazarus as they determined to “put Lazarus to death also” (John 12:10).
One of the true paradoxes of this whole situation is that the chief priests did not deny the evidence of what Jesus had done. They accepted the resurrection of Lazarus as a miracle even as they recognized other miracles. They just refused to accept Jesus as Lord. Shortly, Jesus was to pronounce the judgment of such people, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (12:48).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One