“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom You love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” John 11:1-16.
At some point in the life of Jesus He realized His time had come for Him to cross from this world into the next. So it was at this time that Jesus left Jordan and entered Jerusalem, and it was then that He performed the Lazarus miracle. The text is long and so we will take it one section at a time. The raising of Lazarus represented a kind of half-way stop for Jesus between Jordan and Jerusalem, and the Lazarus miracle because the primary cause of the condemnation of Jesus. It is a surprise that not one of the three synoptic Gospels mention the Lazarus miracle. In Luke’s Gospel as Jesus returned in triumph to Jerusalem the crowds were excited but the Pharisees were turned upside down with anger, and all based on the “all the deeds of power” of Jesus. “37 As Jesus was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven”
Luke 19:37. In John’s Gospel surely the miracle of Lazarus was an example of “deeds of power” that led to Jesus’ death. How ironic it is to see that it was Jesus’ gift of life that led to his very own death!
Jesus is the Light, as is shown by His healing of the blind, and Jesu sis the Life, as is shown by the rising of Lazarus. This miracle is a sign that points to the promise of what Jesus will do when He is glorified, for the life we live here is a pledge of the supernatural life we will live when given by the glorified Jesus Christ! Sadly and ironically the decision to kill Jesus is the decision to glorify Jesus.
Notice the very tender wording of the report sent by Lazarus’ sisters down to Jesus who loved Lazarus: “Lord, he whom You love is ill” John 11:3. And Jesus is clear why He will raise Lazarus from the dead: “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” John 11:4. So when Jesus decides after a few days to head into Jerusalem to see Lazarus, His disciples are frightened because they know of the danger that lurks for Jesus if He returns to Jerusalem. But Jesus reminds them of the time limit for the Light, for the night of the passion is closing in. “8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them” John 11:8-10. And then finally notice that Thomas misunderstands what Jesus means when He speaks about Lazarus sleeping. Jesus has to explain to Thomas and the others: “14 Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead’” John 11:14.
So dear friends, we have in these beginning verses of the raising of Lazarus Jesus teaching about our own death as well as His death. We see as well the completion of our life and death through the glorification of Jesus on the Cross, in the empty tomb, and His ascension to His Father in heaven. Take time today in prayer and consider your own life and death, praying for forgiveness and eternal life.
Oh dear Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner. I pray for Your steadfast love and enduring mercy on my soul. Please welcome me into Paradise when You call me home. Look not on my sins but on the faith of the Church, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
From the Bible:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.
“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” John 17:3.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” John 5:24.
“If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9.
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