v.v. 17-29 Jesus with Martha
v.v. 30-37 Jesus with Mary
v.v. 38-44 Jesus with Lazarus
v.v. 45-46 Jesus with the 'many' and the 'some'
vv1-16
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. As we set up this event that is dear to
all those who follow Jesus, our gospel writer, John, brings us exclusively into the arena where the teaching of Jesus is applicable to all of life and death. According to John, which is not purely chronological, Jesus has been beyond the Jordan (east) after the Feast of Dedication. He is in trans Jordan region. Note the pre-event mention of Mary's act of service and worship. John does not tell us, 21st Century readers, about Mary's act until chapter 12, but for some reason, he desires for us to not be mistaken. This is the same girl and the same family. In the midst of complete turmoil with the sickness and death of a loved one, Jesus speaks and teaches His followers regarding the truths that will never be swayed by life's mourning events. Hence, news from Bethany provides an opportunity for the His disciples to learn a valuable lesson. The sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” Here is the dreaded news that a loved one is sick. The sisters, deep in their grief sent word to Jesus. In appealing to the deepest part of His being, they call upon His love for their brother. For there is no greater motivation than love. But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. There appears to be something greater than love. Jesus is, as we should be, longing for and loving the 'glory of God' more than anything else. 'Love' is not the issue questioned here. The foundational object of 'love' is raised. What motivates love or what initiates love? In this text and all of life, the 'glory of God' supersedes 'love'. But when 'love' is expressed simultaneously with the 'glory of God' then 'love' is truly divine. "Love' is selfish, self-serving and prideful if it is sought without prioritizing the Glory of God. Therein is love defined as an outworking of heart bent on glorifying God while caring for others. Do you love someone? Then, how is God being glorified in that 'love' relationship? Jesus is glorifying God by not rushing to Bethany to cure Lazarus. The disciples are in the midst of learning that 'death' is not meant to be triumphant. And death is defeated when God is glorified and when the Son of Man (Jesus) is glorified: valuable lesson. Then after this He
said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” Judea represented the southern part of Israel that included Jerusalem and Bethany. It was in that region that Jesus was intensely opposed by the religious hierarchy. This is the last time Jesus would venture there. The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” By asking this question, the disciples articulate that they have not yet learned the 'valuable lesson.' They were naively attempting to look out for His best interest. His best interest, however, is the glory of God and all else submits to that. 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 anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” "In one sense He was speaking of walking (living) in physical light or darkness. In the spiritual realm when one lives by the will of God he is safe. Living in the realm of evil is dangerous. As long as He followed God's plan, no harm would come till the appointed time. Applied to people then, they should have responded to Jesus while He was in the world as the Light (cf. 1:4-7; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5). Soon He would be gone and so would this unique opportunity (Blum, Edwin A., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, ed. Walvoord and Zuck, 1983, p. 313)." This He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.”For Jesus, death is just like sleep. The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”This is a classic case of a failure to communicate. Jesus was saying one thing and the disciples were thinking another. Communication, knowing what someone is saying, is paramount in relationships. There lack of understanding accentuates their need to learn this 'valuable lesson.' Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” Jesus clears the air. He speaks plainly so as to leave no doubt by saying, "Lazarus is dead." Lazarus' death is 'so that you may believe.' Believe what? This is a valuable lesson for His disciples! Jesus has much purposeful joy (χαίρω δι’ ὑμᾶς ἵνα πιστεύσητε) in knowing that they will learn this lesson which will culminate in them believing. Believe what? This is the only time in the gospels where Jesus is quoted saying, "I am glad" (χαίρω). Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” Oh Thomas, what misplaced and misdirected zeal. He is not the only one of the disciples with such simplistic devotion. vv17-29
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. A dead body in the tomb for four days in the hot Palestinian area. It was common in Jewish custom for professional mourners to show up at funerals. The amount of tears, whether sincere or not, was thought to represent the deceased social value. Bethany, being about 2 miles from Jerusalem was able to draw professional mourners from the epic center of Judaism. Their house was soon full of guests when Martha receives some news that penetrates all the crowd chatter. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Martha's action and statement here should set everything that the Martha's of this world are know for. She heard and went to Jesus. Mary, on the other hand, heard and stayed at the house. Martha was aggressive and immediately responsive. Mary was somewhat passive and delayed in her response to greet Jesus. Some commentators say that Mary was concerned with being polite to the guest in her house where Martha was looking for any opportunity to bolt from the crowd and Jesus, precious Jesus, was more than legitimate reason to leave. Take note of her comment. It will be repeated by Mary later. Martha, however, articulate her belief in Jesus connection with God. Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Was this the answer to the question she did NOT ask when she made the connection with Jesus and God? Or, was it just a common reassurance of comfort and hope? Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Lazarus is dead and has been dead for four days. Surely Jesus is referring to the post death resurrection to judgment on the last day when all deeds will be made bare. Martha's statement reflected a common acceptance in a Pharisaical teaching that there will be a general resurrection of the just (cf Acts 23:6-7). Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus responds to Martha and her Pharisaical resuscitation with a profound personal revelation. This is one of His uses of the ἐγὼ εἰμι which identified Him with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: ἐγὼ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή. Do you believe this? This is the question of the age. This is John 3:16 is resurrection terms. HE IS ...... She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” Great job! She knew Him. She believed this. When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” Aw, and like so many others who have a personal encounter with the I AM they can't wait to tell someone and this case Martha goes and gets her sister Mary. She went herself and told her sister herself secretly (λάθρᾳ meaning 'secretly or privately." Used in the New Testament 4 times: Matthew 1:19; 2:7; John 11:28 and Acts 16:37). And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. Now it is time for Mary to go to Jesus. She heard and she went. And she responds quickly.
vv30-37
Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Jesus rendezvouses with Martha and Mary outside the town for they came to Him while He was coming to them. The crowd, the professional mourners and friends mistake where Mary is going. They followed without knowing where they were going. They assumed the logical and the rational. Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Mary, as soon as she sees Him, does not say a word before she does what she well known for. She fell at His feet. Then she says what Martha said: "Lord, if You......" When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” Jesus is emotionally engaged in their affairs. He is 'deeply moves in spirit' and 'troubled.' HE IS ...... They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” What a delightful plea. The girls invite Jesus to visit the grave of there brother. 'Come and see' what? The flowers? The inscription on the tombstone? The memorial in the paper? The .........? They had simply devotion and belief. There wasn't much to see, but they wanted Jesus to see it. Jesus wept. Here we have one of the shortest verses in the Bible. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”
vv38-44
So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.”John describes for us the continuation of the emotional depth of Jesus regarding the death of a friend and the anguish the sisters. 'Remove the stone' was a very unorthodox instruction. "He desired to convince all those who were at the place, and especially those who took away the stone, that Lazarus was not only dead, but that putrescency had already taken place, that it might not be afterwards said that Lazarus had only fallen into a lethargy; but that the greatness of the miracle might be fully evinced. - Clarke's Bible Commentary, http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/john/11.htm." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” She states the facts. Lazarus is thoroughly dead. Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Nice. Jesus reminds her of their conversation moments ago. Evidence and articulation of seeming contrary facts offer ripe opportunities for issues such as 'the glory of God' (ὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ). So they removed the stone. They obeyed Jesus' unorthodox directive. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”John's purpose up to this point in the story is to reveal how Jesus revealed Himself to those close to Him: His disciples, Mary, and Martha. He was emotionally engaged in the physical aspect of death and He used that circumstance to communicate His Deity. From that situation John draws our focus to a short conversation Jesus has with His Father. What stands out here is that Jesus, before anything else, gives thanks to His Father. Then He continues with the purpose of the prayer. All prayer should contain, if not begin, with an
expression of gratitude. When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” I like the way some preachers articulate the personalization Jesus applies. For, if He had simply said, 'Come forth,' every dead person would have risen. This personalization is contrasted with the generalized resurrection commonly promoted by the Pharisees which Martha grappled with. The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Lazarus was not only dead. He was buried. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”Lazarus was alive from the dead, resurrected by Jesus, but yet he was still bound. Jesus told others to loose him. We don't know if the 'them' was Martha and Mary or the crowd of Jews that followed Mary from the house. Nevertheless, Jesus did not loose Lazarus from his grave clothes.
Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. Some believed. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. And some believed NOT.
SUMMARY
While being emotionally engaged with the sickness and death of His friend Lazarus, Jesus maintains His focus on revealing His identity while leading His followers to respond with belief. To the disciples He said, "...so that you may believe..." To Martha He said, "Do you believe this?" To Martha again, "Did I not say to you, if you believe....?" To His Father so that all would hear, "... that they may believe ..." Then among the crowd, some 'believed in Him."
APPLICATION
1. Have you seen the glory of God? Would you know what it was if you saw it?
2. Do you believe this?
3. In times of grief and mourning, we must prioritize worship! Then we can articulate our requests and mourning expressions. Give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God concerning you.
4. Are you walking around in your grave clothes? You may be born again, but you are entrapped by the ways of your former life.
5. Are you assisting others by removing their grave clothes? The world is full of Christians 'walking around in their grave clothes.' LOOSE THEM!
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