October 29: John 11

October 29, John 11

John continued…

John 11 The death of Lazarus. This is not the same Lazarus that we read about a couple days ago in the gospel of Luke who died with the rich man and was at Abraham’s side, but the Lazarus that is the brother of Martha & Mary. Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, is sick and his sisters sent word to Jesus concerning this. When Jesus heard, he replied, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus was not referring to physical death but spiritual and this also shows us how God works everything out. We learn here that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, & Lazarus - and because He loved them Jesus decided to stay a couple days longer where He was and not rush to them. Side note… this sounds odd doesn't it? We would think that if He loved them He would drop everything He was doing and rush over there and see how He could help. Instead, he stays. What we learn here is that God is Sovereign over everything and has a plan for everything. Oh, and God doesn’t always answer our prayers in the ways that we expect. Jesus then decided to go back to Judea but His disciples didn't see the wisdom in that as the Jews there wanted to kill Him. Jesus used an analogy of walking during the daylight hours as to not stumble and He was referring to those who believe in Him and walk in Him do not stumble. Plus, He needed to head towards Judea as His death was coming (we will learn more about that soon!). Then Jesus told them plainly that Lazarus had died and “for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 

Jesus Christ is the Resurrection & the Life. “Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.” Let’s not miss that. Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them as their brother had just died. When Martha saw Jesus she went to Him and Mary stayed in the home. “Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Faith. Jesus assured her that Lazarus would rise again and Martha thought Jesus was referring to the resurrection on the last day. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Faith lived out. Her hope was in Jesus. Way to go Martha! So practical for us to hear as well. Notice also that Jesus is the I Am - just like Yahweh. 

Jesus Weeps. Martha went back to the house and got Mary to let her know that Jesus was asking after her. Mary went to Him and when the Jews who were with her saw that she was leaving they went too, thinking she was going to the grave to mourn. I think it providential that there were Jews with her and following her… they were about to witness one of the greatest miracles of Jesus’ time. “Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Almost verbatim what her sister said! When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews with her, He was moved. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” The greek here means that Jesus was deeply moved and indignant. Jesus’ sympathy was obvious as He seen them hurting. He was indignant because ‘sin as the root of all suffering and sorrow, but also taking to heart the sorrow of those about him, Jesus, thus deeply moved in the spirit and visibly agitated, said, “Where have you laid him?’ Bakers Commentary. Jesus wept again - again, He was human and God. He felt it and showed it. 

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead! This is amazing! “Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha objected as Lazarus had been dead for 4 days and would smell horrific by now. “Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” What an amazing sight this would have been to witness. At least we get to read about it. Jesus commanded that they remove the stone and prayed to God aloud for the benefit of all that were present and this was also capitalized as an opportunity to validate that Jesus was the Christ. “When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” Yup - Lazarus, who was dead, came out all bound up like a dead guy wrapped up. Jesus commanded that he be untied! You understand that this, like all the other miracles, really happened. Praise God.

The Plot to kill Jesus. A couple of the results were as follows: “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.” We got 2 teams in this life. Jesus’ team and the enemies (or those against Jesus). The Pharisees didn't know what to do with this Jesus. They feared that if they let him continue on, everyone would believe in Him and they would lose money and power in their position and nation. We are introduced to Caiaphas the High Priest (their leader). He was known as being rude and had very little concern for ethics. We learn more about his devious ways later… Side note, Pharisees were a part of a brotherhood and the Sadducees were rude and selfish. Caiaphas was a Sadducee and incredibly rude. He said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” Thus the beginnings of the plot to take out Jesus.. “He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.” Sounds so noble, doesn't it? Rather it is selfish and about his glory, not the nation that he is suggesting to be loyal to. Again, from Baker’s commentary and very well summed up: “The alternative which Caiaphas presented was false because it was based upon a presupposition which was the exact opposite of the truth. His reasoning was: Follow Jesus, and the nation perishes; put Jesus to death, and the nation is saved. Conclusion: Jesus must be put to death,—By the irony of history the exact opposite was to happen: when the Jews murdered Jesus, they sealed their own doom. The Romans came, indeed, and destroyed the city (with its temple) and the nation!” And yes, even rude people can prophecy and he was correct…

After this, Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews. He left to the wilderness with His disciples. Next was the Passover of the Jews and many Jews went and were looking for Jesus. There were orders given by the Chief Priests and the Pharisees that if anyone saw Jesus or knew where he was to tell them, so they could arrest Him…

To sum it all up: 

• God doesn’t always answer our prayers in the ways that we expect. Sometimes we must go through the valleys to appreciate the mountaintops and also people we love die and are not resurrected on earth. But we must trust that God is in control of all things. 
• Do you, like Martha, believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world and is coming back again?
• Some people don't know what to do when Jesus moves mightily. It is easier sometimes to explain it away instead of believing it. Let it not be so for yourself. 
• Also, when God moves, His enemies increase more.