The Gospel According to John

Biblical Research Monthly
March, 1957
Dr. David L. Cooper
(Installment Twenty-six)

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD

This month we are to study the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. In the last study we examined what occurred at the Feast of Dedication, about three months before the Passover, when Christ was crucified. This Feast came about the time of our Christmas. After the Feast of Dedication Jesus repaired to a place east of the Jordan where he engaged in a teaching ministry (John 10:40-42).

Just before the Passover, Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, who lived at Bethany on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, took sick and died. John tells us about the two sisters of Lazarus, mentioning, however, the fact that Mary is the one who anointed Jesus with precious ointment and wiped His feet with her hair. The account of this incident is found in John 12:1-8. Jesus was a frequent visitor to the home of these friends, who appeared to be in very good financial shape, and who entertained Him on various occasions. For the full text of our study today read John, chapter 11.

The Preparation

In John 11:3-16 we have the information constituting the background of this miracle which is the subject of our investigation this month.

The sisters evidently saw that their brother was critically ill. Seeing the seriousness of Lazarus' condition, they sent word to Jesus, informing Him concerning the unusual sickness. Their message was in the following words: "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." The sisters realized that Jesus was Lord—that is, that He was God in human form. Hence they addressed Him as such. They spoke of their brother as "he whom thou lovest." When this message reached Jesus He made a startling statement: "This sickness in not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby." In verse 4 Jesus said that the sickness which Lazarus had was not unto death. But in verse 14 He spoke plainly, saying: "Lazarus is dead." Some skeptics say that Jesus contradicted Himself, for at first He said that the sickness was not unto death and then He made the statement that Lazarus had died. There is no contradiction at all between the two statements. What the first one means is that it was not going to result in permanent death. The facts in the case prove that this interpretation is correct. Lazarus died, as we see in the account, but was raised and restored to life after four days of being in the tomb. Thus that sickness was not unto death in the sense that Jesus meant it.

Why was it that God allowed Lazarus to have the experience of dying and being raised from the dead? Jesus stated the reason: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God..." His dying and being in the tomb for four days and being raised by the mighty power of God in the way in which Jesus raised him, reflected the glory of God and of the Lord Jesus. All unprejudiced people who want the truth can see the facts in the case and glorify God who gave such power to the Redeemer as to raise Lazarus from the dead. It was a demonstration of the possibility of the resurrection of the believer at the return of our Lord (I Thess. 4:13-5:11).

We are told that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. The word which occurs in the original is one which is dignified—rather than the one of intimate association or feeling.

We are told that, when Jesus heard of Lazarus' sickness, He did not go immediately, but stayed for two days in the place where He was. Why did He delay His going to the relief of the situation? Someone has suggested—the thought is undoubtedly true—that Jesus always waited upon God the Father to lead Hm in everything that He did and said. According to Isaiah, chapter 50:4-9, the Lord enjoyed communion and fellowship with God in prayer early every morning. God revealed to Him what was necessary for Him to know during the coming day. Thus we see that Jesus waited for His orders from His Father in heaven to go for the raising of Lazarus and for the comfort and consolation of his sisters.

At the conclusion of those two days Jesus said to His disciples that they should go into Judaea. The latter were surprised and wondered why He would attempt to go back into Judaea since the Jews had only recently—at the Feast of Dedication—picked up stones to kill him. In reply to them, Jesus said that there were twelve hours in the day. If a man walk in the light, he does not stumble, because he has the light of the world. But if he walk in the night he stumbles because he lacks the light. In these statements Jesus was thinking of the period of His earthly ministry as a literal day when the light is shining and one can see what to do and where to go. He used the same figures when He said that we must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day for the night is coming in which no man can work. Our lifetime is the period of labor and toil. When this life is over, the night comes, as far as we are concerned. We must therefore work while it is day, because the night might come to us suddenly—and possibly sooner than we expect.

Finally, Jesus spoke plainly to the disciples and said, "Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." To this statement the disciples said that, if Lazarus had fallen asleep, he would recover or would awake, regardless of the cause of the sleep. Then Jesus told them that he had died and that He was glad for their sakes that He had not been present. Then He urged the disciples to go with Him to Judaea. Thomas, who was also called Didymus, urged the other apostles to go with Jesus, and, if need be, die with Him there.

The Miracle—the Raising of Lazarus

In verses 17-27 we have an account of Martha's leaving the house and going out to meet the Lord. When Jesus arrived in the community, He learned that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Can we account for the four days? Yes. From Bethany, which is on the Mount of Olives, to Peraea, where Jesus was, it was about a day's journey. Thus the first of the four days was consumed by the messenger in going, who was sent by the sisters to Jesus. After receiving the message concerning Lazarus, Jesus remained in the place where He was two days. Then it took at least a day for Jesus to make the trip from Peraea to Bethany. Thus the four days are accounted for. But we learn that he had been already in the tomb four days. When we take these facts into consideration we see that the crisis had come and that Lazarus had died the very day that the messenger started out to inform Jesus regarding Lazarus's condition.

Since Bethany was only about a mile and seven-eighths distance from Jerusalem, many of the Jews had gone out to comfort Martha and Mary over their brother's death. The two sisters were overwhelmed by this sudden, unexpected loss that had come into their lives. When, however, the report came that Jesus had arrived, Martha left the house and went to meet Him. The first thing recorded which she said to Him was, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee" (John 11:21,22). Martha's clear perception of spiritual matters, of the power of God, and of the relationship existing between God the Father and God the Son is obvious. The Lord Jesus lived in utter dependence upon God daily. She knew that Christ constantly prayed and that God heard and answered every petition of His. His love for Lazarus caused her to believe that, had Jesus been present when the crisis came, He would have prevented the death of Lazarus.

In response the Lord Jesus said to her, "Thy brother shall rise again." She declared her faith that he would rise in the resurrection at the last day. The resurrection of the righteous occurs before the Millennium begins, as we see in Revelation, chapter 20. There were those who were raised when Jesus was brought forth from the tomb. These constitute the first fruits of the resurrection (I Cor. 15:23). The second installment will be at the Rapture of the Church, which occurs before the Tribulation begins. The third and last group constituting the first resurrection occurs at the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of the Millennium. It was to the first resurrection (the total of the three installments) to which Martha referred in the quotation "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus replied to her, saying, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live; 26 and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?" Jesus affirmed that He was the resurrection in that He was the One who causes the resurrection of the believer to eternal life and association with God and Christ and the Holy Spirit throughout all eternity. This language is again a play on words. Martha and Jesus were talking about the resurrection. Hence Jesus said that He was the resurrection. Those who have believed on Jesus and have died will be raised in the first resurrection. Those who are living at the time of the Rapture will not die, but will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (Thess. 4:13; 5:11; I Cor. 15:50-58). To our Lord's question concerning whether or not Martha believed what He said concerning His being the resurrection, she replied: I have believed that thou art the Christ, the son of God, even he that cometh into the world." In this statement Martha declared her faith that Jesus was the Hebrew Messiah who was to redeem humanity and to establish a reign of righteousness over the whole earth; that He, being the Messiah, was the Son of God in a peculiar and special sense; and that He was the One who was promised to the world by the various prophets. To the Apostle Peter the Holy Spirit revealed that Jesus was the Messiah, was the Son of the Living God (Matt. 16:16). Caiaphas put Christ under oath by saying, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the son of God" (Matt. 26:63). To him Jesus replied, "Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven" (Matt. 26:64). Thus Jesus claimed to be the Messiah of Israel and the Son of the Living God in a peculiar and special sense.

In verses 28-37 we read of Jesus and Mary and the conversation that took place between them. Martha left Jesus where she met Him, returning to the house and speaking to Mary secretly, saying, "The Teacher is here, and calleth thee." When Mary heard these words, she quickly arose and went to meet Him. According to verse 30, Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met Him. When the Jews who were present saw Mary leave, they evidently thought that she overwhelmed with grief, wanted to go to the tomb, there to weep. They followed her. When she came to the place where Jesus was, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." When Jesus noted she was weeping and that the Jews who accompanied her were doing the same, He groaned in spirit, was troubled, and said, "Where have ye laid him?" They urged Him to come and see. Then Jesus burst into tears. The Jews were amazed that He had such strong attachment for Lazarus. There were some in the audience who said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die?" The blind man of whom they were speaking was the man of whom we have studied in the ninth chapter of John. These Jews reasoned that, if Christ had the power—and they did not question that proposition—to heal a man of his blindness who had been in that condition from birth, He also would have the power to prevent the death of Lazarus. They were correct in their reasoning.

At this point, Jesus, groaning in Himself, came to the tomb where Lazarus was buried. In verses 38-44 we have an account of the raising of Lazarus—the actual miracle. The tomb, as we learn in verse 38, was in a cave, and a stone lay against the mouth of this cave. Jesus instructed those present to take it away. Then Martha interrupted, saying, "Lord, by this time the body decayeth; for he hath been dead four days." At this point Jesus asked her, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Jesus had told the disciples that Lazarus was not dead but that the experience of death through which he had passed was for the glory of God. He reiterated the same thought to Martha just before He called Lazarus forth from the tomb.

The stone was removed. Jesus lifted His eyes heavenward and said, "Father I thank thee that thou heardest me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the multitude that standeth around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me." God had answered every petition that Jesus had made. Hence He said to the Father "thou hearest me always . . ." He was confident that God would hear Him when He called upon Him for power to bring Lazarus from the tomb. After this prayer He cried with a loud voice, saying, "Lazarus, come forth." Then Lazarus was made alive again and came forth, bound with the grave-clothes. Then Jesus commanded to loose him and let him go. It is needless to say that these instructions were carried out.

The Effects Produced by the Miracle

According to verses 45 and 46 many of the Jews who were present with Mary beheld that which Christ did in bringing Lazarus from the tomb, and believed on Him. Others, especially those of the Pharisees, not wanting the truth, went and reported to the Pharisees, telling them what Jesus had done. It is needless to say that they gave a perverted version of the facts.

When the raising of Lazarus was reported to the Pharisees, they called a council meeting to deliberate upon what they should do. They admitted that Christ was performing many signs. But they were determined to stop Him and His work for God. Then Caiaphas, the high priest that year, told the conference, saying, "Ye know nothing at all, 50 nor do ye take account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 Now this he said not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation; 52 and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad."

Originally the high priest had the ephod, a device which he, when acting officially, wore on his breast. It was by means of this arrangement that God often revealed His will through the high priest. But it seems that this means of revealing the will of God to His people was not carried out all the time. God therefore raised up prophets who delivered various messages for His people. Since originally the high priest was the one to whom the revelation should be made, God spoke through the Holy Spirit by Caiaphas, unworthy as he was. God spoke through Balaam's ass prophecies regarding the Messiah. The Holy Spirit spoke through unworthy Caiaphas this marvelous prophecy concerning the redemption which Christ would accomplish by His death, burial, and resurrection. It was by His atoning blood upon the cross that God will gather together all the people of God scattered throughout the nations.

Notwithstanding the fact that the Holy Spirit spoke this marvelous prophecy through Caiaphas, the council adopted measures that they might kill Jesus.

When this plot was formed, Jesus left Jerusalem and went into the district near Ephraim, a small community northeast of Jerusalem, where He stayed until the time arrived for Him to attend the Passover at Jerusalem, at which He was crucified.