TEXT: John 11:-46

SUBJECT: Exposition of John #26: Lazarus

Today brings us back to our study of John's Gospel and to one of its most striking proofs of our Lord's Divine glory. John wrote it for that reason, of course: to make us believe "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God". If you go away better informed, John will be disappointed. If you go away inspired, the Holy Spirit will be displeased. For the former wrote this Gospel--and the latter inspired it--to bring its every reader to faith in Jesus Christ. Or to a deeper faith in Him. God grant us this faith; "Lord, increase our faith", for Christ's sake. Amen.

John begins by introducing the main characters of this story. The first is "Lazarus", one of our Lord's best friends. The next is "Mary". Which Mary? "The one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair". The comment is worth thinking about; it identifies her, of course, as "Mary" was a common name of the time. But more than this, it fulfills a prophecy. Back in Mark 14:9, our Lord made a promise to Mary: "Wherever this Gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what this woman did will also be spoken of as a memorial to her". And here it is! Our good deeds are not overlooked or forgotten.

"Every work for Jesus will be blessed".

The third character is "Martha", the sister of Mary and Lazarus. The three, it seems, live together in Bethany, a town, "about two miles" outside of Jerusalem.

Mary and Martha send our Lord a disturbing letter: "Lord, the one You love is sick". The implication is: He's very sick, and may be near death. Our Lord reads the letter to His friends and promptly...does nothing about it. He sits by for two full days while His dear friend lies in agony.

Why would He do such a thing? Has He become calloused to human suffering? Is He afraid to go back into Judea where the leading men are plotting to kill Him? No to both. Then why doesn't He do something about it?

He is doing something about it! He's allowing Lazarus to die "For the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it". This sounds heartless...till you read the rest of the story.

"God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform".

At last He says to the disciples: "Let us go to Judea again" They are flabbergasted! "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are you going there again?" The leaders of Israel are intractable hostile to Christ; recently they tried to kill Him on the spot; but now they've had time to plan His murder. Has He lost His mind? Why would anyone stick his head into the Lion's Mouth?

Our Lord explains. First, like this: "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of the world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him".

What does this mean? If you understand it as a proverb or a saying, the meaning becomes plain: If a man has somewhere to go, he'd better go before sundown. So? If the Lord Jesus has something to do--something great to do--He has to do it now, because His death is at hand.

And He has something great to do. He's going to Bethany to "Wake up" His friend Lazarus. The disciples are stumped again! Everyone knows sleep is good for a sick man; why would the Lord risk life and limb to disrupt a sick man's nap?

Here's why: "Lazarus is dead".

This is terrible, isn't it? No it's not. For his death will do the disciples a great favor. It will cause them (and others) to "believe" in Christ as they never had before.

Thomas takes up the challenge: "Let us also go, that we may die with Him". The disciples are often described as a cowardly lot; they weren't. It took guts to walk into Judea alongside its "Public Enemy Number One".

The trip to Bethany is a safe one; it seems He isn't recognized by anyone at the moment. But when He arrives, He runs into a lot of people who know Him.

The first person is His dear friend, Martha. "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!" Hers is the voice of anguish mixed with faith.

Our Lord feels her pain and encourages her belief. "Your brother will rise again".

She knows that! The Bible teaches a resurrection from the dead--Daniel 12, Job 19, Psalm 16, for example. But alas! The Great Day is far off! "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day".

Martha's faith is fully orthodox; but not fully informed. What she doesn't realize (and what we're apt to forget) is this: The Last Day or the end times are ushered in at Christ's coming--His first coming! B.B. Warfield observes:

The Lord Jesus puts it thusly: "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..."

To say it bluntly: The believer in Christ never dies! Through faith in the Redeemer, he enters into life--eternal in both its quality and its duration. II Timothy 1:10: Christ "has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel..."

In his little book, "Your God is too Small", J.B. Phillips writes:

This is hard to believe, isn't it? Our Lord wonders if Martha believes: "Do you believe this?"

The poor lady doesn't know what to say! Never in her life had she heard such words! Her brother--though entombed for four days is no less alive than she! No more dead than Christ! "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God who is to come into the world" [Good recovery].

Mary next arrives and has very much the same conversation. But now they've reached the cemetery. Family and friends have gathered to mourn the loss. Our Lord joins them--"troubled, groaning in spirit, weeping". They observe His sympathy and grumble about His delay in coming.

"Take away the stone!" Martha is horrified at the indecency. By now he stinks to the high heavens! But the Lord reminds her that--if she would but believe--she would see "the glory of God". The stone is rolled away, exposing the tomb and its decaying resident.

The Lord prays aloud. He wants the people to hear what He has to say: "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me". In other words, Jesus had been praying for His sick friend all along. And the Father was about to answer His prayers in a spectacular fashion.

"Lazarus come forth!" The dead man springs to life and hops out the tomb wrapped up like a mummy. "Loose him and let him go". Everyone must see this is no imposter. God has just given life to the dead. And He's done it in Jesus Christ.

The people are amazed. "Many" are moved to faith in Christ; "some" are further hardened, taking the events of that day to the Pharisees who've had enough of these shenanigans: "It is expedient that one should die for the nation".

The raising of Lazarus provides a powerful witness to Jesus as "The Christ and Son of God". How? I needn't the point. All creatures--from angels and men to frogs and flowers--are subject to death. But God is not a creature--and therefore, not liable to death. He "alone has immortality" Paul says. What did our Lord just do? He showed His sovereignty over death. Therefore, He is Divine. Or, as John has it: "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God". Hence, by believing in Him--the very definition and source of all life--"You may have life through His name".

The unbeliever's spiritual condition is bad--much worse than he thinks it is. But he is not hopeless. For the One whose Word raised a dead man in Bethany can speak the same Word to your soul, and bring it to life eternal. Believe in Christ and you'll have life.

The life given when you believe in Christ is never lost. We who have it should enjoy it to the full! And share it with others. But never think of this life as your own; it is yours only in Jesus Christ. Therefore, stay in fellowship with Christ. If unconfessed sins have disrupted that fellowship, confess them at once. If doubts have clouded your mind, dispel them with the bright light of the Gospel. And remember: whatever your problems, you have life. Because you have Christ.