John 11:1-44
Todays' Passage: John 11:1-44
This miracle of Jesus is only found in the Gospel of John, and is the final “sign” before Jesus’ own resurrection and defeat of death! The purpose of John’s Gospel was to prove Christ’s deity, so it makes sense that the apostle would include this story.
This is a really familiar passage for most of us, so I primarily want to focus on the conversation Jesus had with Martha.
When Jesus arrives in Bethany, they inform Him that Lazarus has already been dead for four days. This is really significant! In Jewish mysticism it was taught that the spirit of a deceased person would hang around the body for three days before going to Sheol or Hades. Also, by the fourth day in Israel's climate, the body would have decomposed quite a bit before Jesus arrived, as Martha says in John 11:39.
He says to Martha in verses 25-26, “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?”
This claim from Jesus is startling, because He is clearly aligning Himself with God the Father, as only God could make this claim. Jesus pushes Martha from a somewhat intellectual or abstract knowledge in a resurrection that would happen “on the last day”. He has now moved her to true belief and trust in Him, who alone can raise the dead. With this fifth of seven “I am” statements, Jesus is saying no resurrection or eternal life can exist outside of Christ Himself. Jesus is the champion over death.
Martha immediately responds, saying, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” This is exactly why John wrote this Gospel in the first place! Again, this is the reason John included this sign.
He tells them to remove the stone from the tomb, and that’s when Martha protests because of the decomposition of the body. Jesus insists by reminding Martha of the conversation they just had, and then prays to the Father. This prayer does not really sound like a petition, but more like a prayer of thanksgiving. He clearly states that the purpose of this miracle (connecting to the purpose of the Gospel of John as a whole) is for people to believe He is truly the Messiah and the Son of God.
Jesus yells for Lazarus to come out, and the man who was previously a decomposed corpse comes out alive and well. Jesus didn’t need to yell for the miracle to be performed; He most likely did this so that the crowd would hear. Jesus has power over life, not because He has resurrection and life, or understands resurrection and life, but because He is the resurrection and the life.
This is everything for the followers of Jesus. Without Jesus being the resurrection and the life, He would not have defeated sin and death at the cross. Without Jesus and His resurrection, then we don’t have eternal life through a relationship with God through Jesus. When Jesus tells Martha that He is the resurrection and the life, He is clear that this message isn’t just for Lazarus (“though he die, yet shall he live”), it is also for her (“and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die”).
We as believers can look confidently ahead regardless of our circumstances because God is all powerful, even powerful over death itself!
Written By: Kaitlin White
This miracle of Jesus is only found in the Gospel of John, and is the final “sign” before Jesus’ own resurrection and defeat of death! The purpose of John’s Gospel was to prove Christ’s deity, so it makes sense that the apostle would include this story.
This is a really familiar passage for most of us, so I primarily want to focus on the conversation Jesus had with Martha.
When Jesus arrives in Bethany, they inform Him that Lazarus has already been dead for four days. This is really significant! In Jewish mysticism it was taught that the spirit of a deceased person would hang around the body for three days before going to Sheol or Hades. Also, by the fourth day in Israel's climate, the body would have decomposed quite a bit before Jesus arrived, as Martha says in John 11:39.
He says to Martha in verses 25-26, “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?”
This claim from Jesus is startling, because He is clearly aligning Himself with God the Father, as only God could make this claim. Jesus pushes Martha from a somewhat intellectual or abstract knowledge in a resurrection that would happen “on the last day”. He has now moved her to true belief and trust in Him, who alone can raise the dead. With this fifth of seven “I am” statements, Jesus is saying no resurrection or eternal life can exist outside of Christ Himself. Jesus is the champion over death.
Martha immediately responds, saying, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” This is exactly why John wrote this Gospel in the first place! Again, this is the reason John included this sign.
He tells them to remove the stone from the tomb, and that’s when Martha protests because of the decomposition of the body. Jesus insists by reminding Martha of the conversation they just had, and then prays to the Father. This prayer does not really sound like a petition, but more like a prayer of thanksgiving. He clearly states that the purpose of this miracle (connecting to the purpose of the Gospel of John as a whole) is for people to believe He is truly the Messiah and the Son of God.
Jesus yells for Lazarus to come out, and the man who was previously a decomposed corpse comes out alive and well. Jesus didn’t need to yell for the miracle to be performed; He most likely did this so that the crowd would hear. Jesus has power over life, not because He has resurrection and life, or understands resurrection and life, but because He is the resurrection and the life.
This is everything for the followers of Jesus. Without Jesus being the resurrection and the life, He would not have defeated sin and death at the cross. Without Jesus and His resurrection, then we don’t have eternal life through a relationship with God through Jesus. When Jesus tells Martha that He is the resurrection and the life, He is clear that this message isn’t just for Lazarus (“though he die, yet shall he live”), it is also for her (“and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die”).
We as believers can look confidently ahead regardless of our circumstances because God is all powerful, even powerful over death itself!
Written By: Kaitlin White
3 Comments
Thanks Kaitlin!
This story always reminds me that there is intentional purpose behind (what we perceive as) God's delays. Mary & Martha had prayed for their brother's healing. But God delayed in answering them.
Had God healed Lazarus immediately, they would have seen Jesus do something they already knew he could do: heal the sick. But by delaying, they got to experience Jesus do something new: raise the dead. Through their waiting, God's power was magnified and their faith strengthened.
Praying that we too, CPC, would find comfort and confidence, resting in the fact that God's timing is the best timing.
An excellent commentary Kaitlin, not only on the miracle of raising the dead but as always when Jesus performed each miracle there is always a deeper meaning of why He is the Way, the Truth and the "Life"! For every miracle performed there is always a deeper portrait of Who Christ Jesus was, is and will always be.
I am sorry I am just getting to read this, but this is a great commentary. Thank you, Kaitlin!