THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE – John 11:1-44

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on April 10, 2013 under PM Bible Study |

PM Home Bible Study Group; April 10, 2013

John 11:1-44

Theme: This passage presents Jesus to us as “the resurrection and the life”.

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)

In our study of John’s Gospel, we have said that there are seven distinct miracles that our Lord performed in it. So far, we have seen five: (1) the turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana (2:1-11); (2) the healing of a nobleman’s sick son in Cana (4:46-54); (3) the healing of the infirmed man at the pool in Bethesda (5:1-9); (4) the feeding of the 5,000 on the mountain by the Sea of Galilee (6:1-14); and (5) the walk across the Sea of Galilee (6:15-21). In this evening’s study, we consider the sixth of those seven—and what a stunning miracle it is!

Do you remember the rather remarkable thing that the Lord said to the religious leaders who were opposing Him in John 5? He told them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:25-27). We understood those words to refer to a spiritual reality—that those who are dead in their sins are raised to spiritual life by Jesus. And the reason we understand those specific words to be refer to a strictly spiritual reality is because of what He then went on to say; “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (vv. 28-29). In those verses, Jesus was clearly speaking of His authority to raise the dead literally and physically from the grave on the last day for either eternal reward or eternal judgment.

And to prove that our Lord truly has such authority—and that we can fully trust our eternal destiny to Him with a faith that will carry us even beyond the grave and into eternal life—we’re told this truly stunning story.

I. THE SITUATION OF NEED (vv. 1-4).

A. John begins by telling us, “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha” (v. 1). Those of us who are familiar with the Gospels will remember that Jesus was a frequent visitor to the home of this household; and that He dearly loved the members of it. He seemed to have had dinner with the often (see Luke 10:38-42; John 12:1-2). And it must be that the stories of Jesus’ encounter with this family were already well known because John—anticipating the story he would tell in chapter 12—tells us in the next verse, “It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick” (v. 2). If you study those others passages, you can clearly detect something of the differences of personalities between Martha and her sister Mary; and you can see those personalities shining through in the story before us.

B. John tells us, “Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, ‘Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick’” (v. 3); and the reason would have been because they had confidence that Jesus—who had performed miracles of healing for so many—could have surely been able to heal Lazarus. What the nature of the illness was is something we’re not told; but it must have been terribly serious. It would have taken a couple of days for the people in Bethany to get word to Jesus that His dear friend Lazarus was gravely ill. And it would appear that Lazarus had died sometime about the time, or shortly afterward, that the messengers had arrived to Him. But what’s fascinating is what John tells us of our Lord’s attitude at the hearing of this news: “When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it’” (v. 4). Jesus said nothing at this point about raising Lazarus from the dead; but only that the illness (that apparently resulted in the man’s death) was “not unto death” in a permanent sense. God was permitting it in order that the Son of God might be glorified through it.

C. We ought to learn from this that the trials we encounter—even the times of illness—are never out of God’s sovereign control All things truly work for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Our great concern—in every trial—ought to be, “Lord, glorify Yourself even in this!”

II. THE DELAY OF OUR LORD (vv. 5-16).

A. To give us a proper perspective of what happened next, John is careful to tell us “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (v. 5). The seemingly-strange action He took was not because of any lack of love. Perhaps, in fact, we could say that what He did—even though it seemed unloving—was a truly greater act of love than healing the man would have been. The long-term consequence of Jesus’ delay has benefited the saints throughout the ages. We’re told, “So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again’” (vv. 6-7). In other words, even though the situation seemed to have required haste, the Lord delayed. He actually waited until Lazarus died before He took action.

B. The disciples were confused; not by the delay, however, but by His desire to return to the Jerusalem area. They had remembered how twice—once back in John 8:59, and now most recently in the events of John 10:31—the Jews had threatened to stone Him to death. “The disciples said to Him, ‘Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?’” (v. 8). He had already escaped their hands, they thought. Wouldn’t it be better to stay where they are and avoid further danger? But Jesus’ answer to them explained what was behind His delay. “Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him’” (vv. 9-10). For the Jewish man or woman, the day began at 6 am—when there was the break of morning light. The day ended at 6 pm—when the sun began to set and there was no more light by which to walk about in daily life. Jesus was telling them that even though there was the danger of threat from the Jews, the light for duty was shining—the light that was of the opportunity afforded by God’s call. It was no time to hide because of the danger. It was a time to walk and do the work that God had given. And to make the nature of that work clear, John writes; “These things He said, and after that He said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up’” (v. 11).

C. This, however, only added to the disciples’ confusion. They thought Jesus spoke of literal sleep; and they took this as a good sign. “Then His disciples said, ‘Lord, if he sleeps he will get well’ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep” (vv. 12-13). “Sleep” is a way that Paul—in the New Testament—referred to the bodily state of those who were dead in Christ (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). It’s a very fitting way to refer to the physical being of those who are dead in Christ; because those who ‘sleep’ will one day be ‘awakened’ unto life. Jesus Himself refers to Lazarus in this way; because He was about to go and ‘awaken’ Him. But Jesus made His meaning clear; “Then Jesus said to them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him’” (vv. 14-15).

D. The disciples still had the danger of returning to Jerusalem on their minds. Notice that it was Thomas who spoke bravely; “Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with Him’” (v. 16). As an aside: we often call this disciple “Doubting Thomas”—as if his doubt about the Lord’s resurrection was the most important thing about him (see John 20:24-31). But we shouldn’t forget his courage either. He was a brave man—though his bravery was based on misunderstanding. But the important thing to note in this is that Jesus deliberately delayed—waiting until Lazarus died—so that He could do an even greater and more glorious work than that of healing the man. We should never fall on the wrong side of Thomas’ character; and be doubtful when the Lord seems to delay helping us. He may be waiting for the moment to help that will bring Him the greatest glory. His timing truly is perfect!

III. THE CONVERSATION WITH MARTHA (vv. 17-27).

A. The Lord—along with His disciples—made the journey from beyond the the Jordan River valley (John 10:40); that is from Aenon near Salim (3:23) to Bethany near Jerusalem. It must have been a heartbreaking time for His dear friends in Bethany. Lazarus had already died and the burial had already occurred. “So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother” (vv. 17-19).

B. As the Lord made His way to Bethany, someone must have ran ahead and brought word of His coming. John writes, “Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house” (v. 20). This is very much like Martha’s temperament, as we read about it elsewhere in Scripture. Hers was the type of personality that liked to have some measure of control over things. And so, in her grief—and perhaps with a hint of disappointment in her voice—we’re told, “Now Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died’” (v. 21). (Remember: Martha was the one in Luke 10 who was willing to tell Jesus that He ought to tell Mary to help her with dinner!) But true to her personality, Martha adds, “‘But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You’” (v. 22).

C. And then comes a very important exchange between them. Jesus affirms what she already knew and believed; “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again’” (v. 23). This was something that all pious Jews believed; and so—perhaps saddened to think that she would have to wait—”Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day’” (v. 24). But what Martha didn’t realize was that that “last day” was subject to the authority of the one who was standing before her. The resurrection didn’t depend on a particular day, but upon a divine Person. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” (vv. 25-26). This challenged her with regard to where it was that she had her faith; and Jesus called her to have her faith in Him. And, as it turned out, she did trust Him. “She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world’” (v. 26; see also Matthew 16:16).

D. One of the ways that trials challenge us is by making us ask where it is that we have our faith. Do we try to meet our needs through some impersonal spiritual “formula”? Or is our trust in the Lord Himself? Sometimes we have faith, not in the Lord Himself, but in ‘having faith’—which is a spiritual monstrosity. The Lord calls us to look to Him for our all; and to trust Him to act on our behalf, for our good, in His own perfect time, for the advancement of His own glory.

IV. THE VISIT TO THE TOMB WITH MARY (vv. 28-37).

A. Note again how Martha may be showing herself to be a bit of a controller. We’re told, “And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, ‘The Teacher has come and is calling for you’” (v. 28). Whether He actually was calling for her isn’t clear; but that was what was told to Mary—who, in keeping with her personality style, was reclusive and was mourning within the four walls of her home. But as John tells us, “As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him” (v. 29). Mary is someone that we often find at the feet of Jesus. And she could hardly stand for there to be any distance between her and Himself—particularly at such a time as this. John tells us, “Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, ‘She is going to the tomb to weep there’” (vv. 30-31). Perhaps they had not heard that the Lord was coming. But the result of them following Mary was that they became eyewitnesses to His power as He raised Lazarus from the dead.

B. It’s interesting that Mary spoke the very same words to Jesus that Martha did. But they evoked a different response from Him than Martha’s received. “Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (v. 32). In this case, Jesus didn’t teach her. Instead, He acted. But what a fascinating way for Him to have acted! “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see’” (vv. 33-34). And then comes the shortest verse in the Bible. Perhaps the editors of the Scriptures—who assigned verse divisions—felt moved to allow these words to stand alone in a single verse to highlight their remarkable profundity. “Jesus wept” (v. 35). Books could be written on just those two words alone! What comfort they have given to God’s suffering people throughout the ages! We have a Savior who truly is touched by the feelings we have. He knew fully what it felt to be human.

C. But why was He weeping? Was it over sorrow because of the death of His friend? That’s what the observers thought. John writes, “Then the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!’” (v. 36). But even then, they didn’t completely understand. “And some of them said, ‘Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?’” (v. 37). Indeed He could! And greater—He could raise the man from the dead! Does it make sense to think that Jesus—who knew that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead—would be mourning over the man’s death? It doesn’t really seem likely. The most common suggestion is that He wept because of the suffering that death has brought upon this world. And surely it has—and surely it remains a cause for sorrow even today. But our Lord was about to display His victory over death. He even affirmed that what had happened was not for sorrow but so that the Son of God may be glorified. That doesn’t seem like a reason for Him to weep. In the end, the reason for Jesus’ weeping has to remain a matter of speculation. But could it be that Jesus was weeping because something that is far above the realm of earthly human experience? After all, Jesus was about to raise His dear friend from only physical death. Lazarus’ spirit was not dead at all. And in the consciousness of his spirit, he had been basking for four earthly days in the glories of “Abraham’s Bosom” (Luke 16:22)—a place that Jesus Himself referred to as Paradise when He spoke to the repentant criminal on the cross. No one would have known better than our Redeemer what it would have been like to behold heavenly glory—and then to have to leave that glory and return to this sad and fallen earth. Jesus Himself, in obedience to the Father’s will, willingly left the glories of heaven to be born into this dark world for us. Perhaps Jesus wept because it grieved Him that His dear friend would have to leave those unspeakably blissful sights for a time and come back to this fallen world of sorrows. Personally, I find it hard to explain our Lord’s tears in any other way. And if I’m right, then what joys must await us in heaven!

V. THE RAISING OF THE DEAD (vv. 38-44).

A. Could it be that that was why our Lord was groaning in His spirit? In the end, we have to leave that to speculation as well. But as John goes on to tell us, “Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone’” (vv. 38-39a). Remember how I have suggested that Martha was a bit of a controller? She was always on the look-out for what might be improper to do. And so John tells us, “Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days’” (v. 39b). There would, of course, be no stench; but she didn’t understand that. Her misunderstanding came from unbelief. After all, the Lord had already told her that He was the resurrection and the life. When He calls for a tomb to be opened, it wouldn’t be to display death’s victory over Him, but rather His victory over it! And what Jesus said to her is very instructive to us. “Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’” (v. 40). How often might it be that the Lord would say the same thing to us in our trials? How often might it be that we rob ourselves of a view of the glory of God on display in our own difficulties of life if we would believe what He said?

B. We can imagine that there was a measure of authority in our Lord’s voice. They labored to move the heavy stone from the tomb—even though it was a most irregular and ceremonially ‘unclean’ thing to do; and even though, as Martha pointed out, the aftermath would ordinarily be profoundly unpleasing. Tombs, ordinarily, are best left shut and sealed tightly. As John tells us, “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me” (vv. 41-42). Jesus prayed that prayer out loud—not only for the benefit of those who were there, but also for our benefit today. It is so that we would believe that God the Father had sent Him.

C. And then came the proof that God the Father did—indeed—send Jesus the Son. “Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’” (v. 43). It may be that He shouted loudly so that not only Lazarus would hear, but—once again—that all around would hear as well. And as some have suggested, His specifying the name of Lazarus was essential. If He hadn’t called for only Lazarus by name, then it may well be that all the tombs would have been emptied! We’re told, “And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth” (v. 44a). It may be that Lazarus struggled to feel his way out of the tomb entryway—and that the people stood in stunned amazement as they watched—because, as John tells us, “Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go’” (v. 44b). All who had done so would have been able to testify—by hands-on experience—that this was no ghost. This was the man Lazarus—physically raised from the dead.

* * * * * * * * * *

Recall Jesus’ words to Martha. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” He proved those words by the story we have just read. But also recall the question He then asked her. “Do you believe this?” She didn’t have the advantage that we now have—that is, the advantage of knowing the full story as we do. We are far more accountable to believe than she was.

May God help us to live in complete faith in our Lord and Savior who truly is “the resurrection and the life”.