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Miracle #7 (The Raising Of Lazarus)
(John 11:1–44)
Introduction:
A few weeks ago, I read this little story…
Two 90-year-old men, Moe and Joe, have been friends all of their lives. When it’s clear that Joe is dying, Moe visits him every day. One day Moe says, “Joe, we both loved baseball all our lives, and we played minor league ball together for so many years. Please do me one favor: when you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there’s baseball there.”
Joe looks up at Moe from his deathbed, “Moe, you’ve been my best friend for many years. If it’s at all possible, I’ll do this favor for you.” Shortly after that, Joe passes on.
At midnight a couple of nights later, Moe is awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to him, “Moe, Moe.”
“Who is it?” asks Moe, sitting up suddenly. “Who is it?”
“Moe—it’s me, Joe.”
“You’re not Joe. Joe just died.”
“I’m telling you, it’s me, Joe,” insists the voice.
“Joe! Where are you?”
“In Heaven,” replies Joe. “I have some really good news and a little bad news.”
“Tell me the good news first,” says Moe.
“The good news,” Joe says, “is that there IS baseball in Heaven. Better yet, all of our old buddies who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we’re all young again. Better still, it’s always springtime, and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play baseball all we want, and we never get tired.”
“That’s fantastic,” says Moe. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams! So what’s the bad news?”
“You’re pitching Tuesday.”
(From Mikey’s Funnies Daily Email – 03/29/2011)
I don’t think the family at Bethany had any such advance notification of Lazarus’ death. In fact, they certainly hoped and prayed that he would recover of his sickness.
Over the past several weeks, we have been looking at the miracles of Christ that are highlighted in John’s Gospel.
In the book, “The Apologetics of Jesus,” Norman Geisler and Patrick Zukeran note that…
Natural laws describe what occurs regularly by natural causes, but miracles are special acts of God that interrupt the normal course of events and confirm the Word of God through a messenger of God. Several words are used for miracle in the Gospels. … The Greek word most often used is semeion (usually translated “sign”). … The basic meaning of semeion is a sign by which one recognizes a particular person or thing and which serves as an authenticating mark or token.
And in the Gospel of John, there are seven specific signs set forth for the purpose of authenticating Jesus’ ministry and identity. Notice the statement that John makes towards the end of his book…
(John 20:30-31) And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: {31} But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
These seven signs (or miracles with a message) that are highlighted in the fourth gospel include…
· The Changing Water Into Wine At Cana John 2:1-11
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Change Us
· The Healing Of The Nobleman’s Son John 4:46-54
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Heal Us No Matter How Far Away We Are
· The Healing Of The Man At The Pool Of Bethesda John 5:1-16
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Cause Us To Walk
· The Feeding Of The 5,000 John 6:1-13
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Feed Us And Bring Us Into Fellowship
· Jesus Walking On Water John 6:16-21 (Also in Matt. 14 & Mark 6)
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power Over Our Storms
· The Healing Of The Man Born Blind John 9:1-7
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Has The Power To Give Us Vision
· The Raising Of Lazarus John 11:1-44
The Spiritual Lesson Is That Jesus Even Has The Power Over Death
Today, we’re looking at The Miracle Of Jesus Raising Lazarus From The Dead in John chapter 11.
As Barrett Warren Johnson wrote…
The ministry of Christ was a manifestation of God in him; of the Father in the Son; of the Son by his own works and words. The miracles selected by John out of the great number wrought by the Redeemer, are chosen according to their bearing on this manifestation and reach their climax in the resurrection of Lazarus, the fitting prelude to the resurrection of the Lord himself from the dead. In this wonderful miracle he reveals himself as the Resurrection and the Life, the Conqueror of Death in his very dominions, while his own resurrection manifests him as having life in himself, the very fountain of life, and hence, divine. The other Gospels give no account of this part of the Savior's ministry.
(From “The New Testament Commentary: Volume III — John” – WordSearch)
J. C. Ryle said…
The chapter we have now begun is one of the most remarkable in the New Testament. For grandeur and simplicity, for pathos and solemnity, nothing was ever written like it. It describes a miracle which is not recorded in the other Gospels—the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Nowhere shall we find such convincing proofs of our Lord’s Divine power. As God, He makes the grave itself yield up its tenants. Nowhere shall we find such striking illustrations of our Lord’s ability to sympathize with His people. As man, He can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Such a miracle well became the end of such a ministry. It was fit and right that the victory of Bethany should closely precede the crucifixion at Calvary.
(Expository Thoughts on the Gospels – WordSearch)
As we look today at John chapter 11 and this seventh miracle of John’s gospel…
I. Let’s Consider The Tender Relationship In This Chapter
A. Notice The Comments That Seem To Certify His Compassion
1. His Love Was Evident
a. There Was Evidence Of An Observable Feeling Of Love
(John 11:3) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
lovest – Greek 5368. phileo, fil-eh'-o; from G5384; to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling; while G25 is wider, embracing espec. the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety: the two thus stand related very much as G2309 and G1014, or as G2372 and G3563 respectively; the former being chiefly of the heart and the latter of the head); spec. to kiss (as a mark of tenderness):--kiss, love.
(John 11:36) Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
loved – Greek 5368. phileo, fil-eh'-o; from G5384; to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling).
They saw an expression of affection.
b. There Was Evidence Of An Ongoing Fact Of Love
(John 11:5) Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
loved – Greek 25. agapao, ag-ap-ah'-o; perh. from agan (much) [or comp. H5689]; to love (in a social or moral sense):--(be-) love (-ed). Comp. G5368.
A. T. Robertson said…
Now Jesus loved eegapa de. Imperfect active of agapaoo picturing the continued love of Jesus for this noble family where he had his home so often (Luke 10:38-42; John 12:1-8).
2. His Love Was Expressed
(John 11:11) These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
friend – Greek 5384. philos, fee'-los; prop. dear, i.e. a friend; act. fond, i.e. friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.):--friend.
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says that the word “friend” here suggests “he who associates familiarly with one, a companion.”
The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says…
These things said he: and after that he saith, Our friend Lazarus - illustrious title from such Lips! To Abraham only did the Lord under the Old Testament accord this, and not until hundreds of years after his death (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8); to which, as something very unusual, our attention is called in the New Testament (James 2:23). When Jesus came in the flesh, His forerunner applied this name, in a certain official sense, to himself (John 3:29); and into the same fellowship the Lord’s chosen disciples are declared to have come (John 15:13-15). Lampe well remarks that the phrase here employed - “our friend Lazarus” - means more than “he whom Thou lovest” (John 11:3); because it implies that Christ’s affection was reciprocated by Lazarus.
By the way, the action mentioned in verse 2 (as well as the hospitality seen in Luke 10 and John 12) also indicates that they were expressive of their love for Him.
B. Notice The Circumstances That Seem To Contradict His Compassion
1. Did He Really Love Them? Why Was There Disease?
(John 11:1) Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
(John 11:3) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
sick – Greek 770. astheneo, as-then-eh'-o; from G772; to be feeble (in any sense):--be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak.
Warren Wiersbe said…
When the messenger arrived back home, he would find Lazarus already dead. What would his message convey to the grieving sisters now that their brother was already dead and buried? Jesus was urging them to believe His word no matter how discouraging the circumstances might appear.
No doubt the disciples were perplexed about several matters. First of all, if Jesus loved Lazarus so much, why did He permit him to get sick? Even more, why did He delay to go to the sisters? For that matter, could He not have healed Lazarus at a distance, as He did the nobleman’s son? (John 4:43-54)
(Jesus was probably at Bethabara, about the same distance from Bethany as Cana was from Capernaum.)
The record makes it clear that there was a strong love relationship between Jesus and this family (John 11:3, 5, 36); yet our Lord’s behavior seems to contradict this love.
… The fact that He loves us, and we love Him is no guarantee that we will be sheltered from the problems and pains of life. … Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ sickness or even healed it from where He was; but He chose not to. He saw in this sickness an opportunity to glorify the Father. It is not important that we Christians are comfortable, but it is important that we glorify God in all that we do.
The Life Application Bible Commentary says…
Lazarus had been close to Jesus, yet he became deathly ill. The disciples may have asked a question similar to the one asked about the blind man in chapter 9, “Who sinned?” Or perhaps, “What did Lazarus do wrong?” But the Bible helps us see that sickness and death do not indicate that God has rejected someone or that they have done something wrong.
We must remind ourselves that neither we nor our loved ones are exempt. These three disciples of Jesus were his close friends and associates. Jesus loved them. Yet he did not rush to spare them grief. The presence of pain and suffering in the lives of faithful disciples of Jesus can teach us that Christians do not have different experiences in life; rather, they experience life differently. Our hope in Jesus does not insulate us from life’s difficulties, but it does provide a way through and beyond them
2. Did He Really Love Them? Why Was There Delay?
(John 11:6) When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
abode – Greek 3306. meno, men'-o; a prim. verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):--abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.
MacArthur said…
The Lord’s close relationship with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha makes what happened next seem all the more puzzling. Instead of rushing back to Bethany in response to the sisters’ message, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. The Lord did not delay to allow Lazarus to die since, as noted above, he had probably died before the messenger reached Jesus. The delay did serve several purposes: it strengthened the sisters’ faith in the Lord by forcing them to trust Him; it made it clear that Lazarus was truly dead and hence that Jesus’ raising of him was indeed a miracle; and, as always, Jesus operated according to God’s timetable, not man’s.
Let’s go back for a moment to the distinction in meaning of phileo and agape. Marvin Vincent said…
Loveth filei. “To love” is expressed by two words in the New Testament, fileoo and agapaoo. Agapaoo indicates a reasoning, discriminating attachment, founded in the conviction that its object is worthy of esteem, or entitled to it on account of benefits bestowed. Fileoo represents a warmer, more instinctive sentiment, more closely allied to feeling, and implying more passion. Hence, agapaoo is represented by the Latin diligo, the fundamental idea of which is “selection,” the deliberate choice of one out of a number, on sufficient grounds, as an object of regard. Thus, fileoo emphasizes the affectional element of love, and agapaoo the intelligent element.