“A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF JOHN” ST. JOHN 11:11-27

The Raising of Lazarus

An Illustration of God’s Love and Power

In our previous lesson, we discussed the fact that our Lord delayed His coming to Bethany after receiving the news of Lazarus’ sickness.   His delay was not a sign of His indifference to Lazarus’ illness, but was a manifestation of His love for Lazarus’ situation and will be used to manifest the glory of God (St. John 11:4).  At the outset of this passage, we find that our Lord is going to Bethany, having left the region where John the Baptist first baptized, namely, Bethabara (St. John 1:28, 10:40).

In verse 11, our gracious Lord demonstrates His concern for Lazarus’ situation, when He said – “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth:  but I go, that I may awake him out of  sleep.”  The Lord was not obsessed with His own personal safety, having had intense trouble in Judea because of Jewish opposition, for He was willing to risk His life in order to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Because of the disciples’ spiritual dullness and stupor (v. 12-13), they misunderstood Jesus’ use of the word “sleepeth” in verse 11 to mean natural sleep; however, our blessed and gracious Lord used it in a figurative way to refer to physical death (v. 14).

When a child of God dies, his body is said to be asleep, only to be raised at the rapture of the church (I Corinthians 15:42-44, 52; I Thessalonians 4:16).  Thanks be unto God we have the blessed assurance, and our hope is anchored in the fact that because our Lord was victorious over the grave, we too will be raised from the dead (St. John 14:19).  Also, we need to be thankful that the horror of death and the darkness of the portal of the grave cannot hold a child of God from hearing the life-giving power of Christ’s voice (St. John 5:28-29).

Because of the Lord’s delay in going immediately to Bethany, the disciples will reap the blessing of witnessing Christ’s awesome power to raise Lazarus form the dead (v. 15).  In view of Christ’s determination to go to Bethany, the supreme devotion of Thomas, the doubting one, to Christ is manifested, for he was willing to accompany Christ in death, remembering the awful opposition that Christ received in Judea.

In verses 17 and 18, the solemn fact that Lazarus had died and Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem will magnify the power and glory of God.  Although Mary and Martha had these Jews in their midst, no unsaved person can ever console children of God, for only God and His word can do that (v. 19)!  Upon hearing that Jesus was approaching the village of Bethany, Martha voices the sentiment of her grief-stricken heart, in that she said – “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”  In her mighty statement, she exudes confidence in Christ, but she limits His power.  The awesome power of Christ transcends distance.  In our times of unusual sorrow, we must tell out the grief of out hearts.  From verse 22, Martha was assured that God will answer the request of Jesus.

Having reached the vicinity of Bethany, our Lord offers a promise to Martha, for He said – “Thy brother shall rise again” (v. 23).  In verse 24, Martha expresses the common hope of the Jews, revealing the fact of a future resurrection in the last day.  However, in verses 25 and 26, our Lord tenderly directs Martha’s mind and heart to the fact that Lazarus will be raised immediately, not just in the distant future.  Finally, the faith of Martha revealed that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (v. 27).