Lazarus
The “disciple whom Jesus loved,” known as John, either John the brother of Zebedee (the Apostle), or John the Elder, was writing his recollections of his experiences with Jesus so that those who hear or read would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and would find eternal life in His name (cf. John 20:31). He began by speaking of the Word of God, the Creator, the life and light of men, who took on flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1-18). He then described the calling of the first disciples, Jesus’ first sign at the wedding in Cana, the events which took place while Jesus was present at the Passover in Jerusalem, and Jesus’ return to Galilee via Samaria (John 1:19-4:54). John the Evangelist then set forth Jesus’ healing of a lame man at Bethesda and the storm of controversy it engendered, Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand, and His challenging description of Himself as the Bread of Life (John 5:1-6:71). John the Evangelist then described a long series of engagements and instructions of Jesus around Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, featuring the healing of the blind man and Jesus’ teachings as the Light of the world and the Good Shepherd (John 7:1-10:21). Jesus would echo similar teachings and again identify Himself with God while teaching during the Feast of the Dedication, or Hanukkah (John 10:22-42).
According to John 10:40, Jesus had retreated to the Decapolis region across the Jordan River from Judea; we imagine He was still within this region when the events of John 11 began to unfold. John the Evangelist introduced his audience to Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, and did so with a bit of forecasting: they lived in Bethany, and Mary would be the same Mary who would anoint Jesus in John 12:1-8. We have confidence these are the same Mary and Martha spoken of in Luke 10:38-42. Lazarus had become very sick, and Mary and Martha had sent word to Jesus regarding this fact (John 12:1-3). John the Evangelist informed his audience how Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary, and Martha (John 12:5); certainly Jesus loved His disciples and the world and everything, but John was attempting to convey significant intimacy in the relationship between Jesus, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha: they were very close friends, and such will go a long way to explain the ways in which Mary and Martha speak with Jesus throughout these events.
Despite hearing the news of Lazarus’ illness, Jesus did not immediately return to Judea. He waited for a couple of days, and then informed His disciples they would be returning to Judea (John 12:4-7). The disciples did not understand: Judea had become dangerous territory (John 12:8). Jesus taught them about working while it was light and suggested Lazarus had gone to sleep and He needed to go wake him up (John 12:9-11). Jesus was speaking of the sleep of death and awaking in resuscitation, but the disciples thought He meant actual sleep, and suggested Lazarus would wake up on his own (John 12:12-13). Jesus clarified the situation: Lazarus was dead, and Jesus was glad to have not been there, so they might believe (John 12:14-15). Thomas, perhaps sarcastically or sardonically, encouraged his fellow disciples to go with Jesus to Judea and die with Him (John 12:16): a bit of a premonition, for life would never be the same for any of those involved on account of what they would go on to experience in Judea and Jerusalem.
By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany of Judea, Lazarus had not only died but also had been buried for four days (John 11:17). John the Evangelist provided additional context: Bethany was not far from Jerusalem, so there had been many Jewish people who came out to grieve with and console Martha and Mary (John 11:18-19). Martha went out to meet Jesus when He arrived with an accusation and some hope: if He had come earlier, Lazarus would not have died; nevertheless, God would grant whatever Jesus would ask of Him (John 11:20-22). Jesus assured Martha her brother would live again; Martha expressed her confidence of Lazarus obtaining the resurrection of life on the final day (John 11:23-24).
Martha’s confession in John 11:24 is notable as an affirmation of the understanding of resurrection common in Second Temple Judaism. We do well to remember how there was nothing written in the Hebrew Bible which would automatically and obviously expect the Messiah to die and be raised from the dead as the firstfruits of the resurrection long before the final day; this would become evident through what God accomplished in Jesus and then in what He made known through the Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-58). Daniel 12:2 provided the most explicit confidence in the resurrection, and as Martha confessed, it spoke of the raising of everyone on the final day. Thus we must never interpret Luke 10:38-42 in any way which would disparage Martha’s understanding of religious matters; she has a good handle on the Hebrew Bible as well understood at the time. Furthermore, John the Evangelist worked diligently to present both Martha and Mary as friends of Jesus who had great hope and confidence in Him yet were not automatically expecting Jesus to immediately resuscitate Lazarus from death.
Jesus then affirmed for Martha how He was the resurrection and the life, and how those who believe in Him will live even if they die, and those who live and believe in Him will never die; Martha affirmed she believed as much, and also how Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who came into the world (John 11:25-27). Thus Martha well believed in Jesus, but even then did not have a full understanding of all such implies.
Martha then called for Mary, telling her privately how Jesus was asking for her (John 11:28). Mary went out to Jesus; the crowds followed her, imagining she was going to mourn at Lazarus’ tomb (John 11:29-31). Mary repeated the same accusation as had her sister Martha, and continued weeping (John 11:32). Jesus began to be significantly emotionally affected by the outpouring of grief He perceived from Martha, Mary, and the crowds. He asked to see the tomb, and He wept (John 11:33-35). The people understood His grief as a testimony of His love for Lazarus, yet they wondered if He could have done something about it since He gave sight to the blind man (John 11:36-37).
They arrived at the tomb (John 11:38). John the Evangelist informed his audience the tomb was a cave with a stone in front of it in order to explain why Jesus asked for the stone to be taken away (John 11:38-39). The land of Judea is not large and there has never been a lot of room for tombs and whatnot; in the days of Second Temple Judaism, the Jewish people would often carve out a tomb in the rock faces around towns and villages. They would lay a recently dead relative upon the main bier within the tomb, and would return after a year or so in order to retrieve the bones. They would then place those bones in a box we call an ossuary, and would often keep the ossuaries of many family members on the ground or in caches within the tomb. It is quite likely that we have discovered the ossuary of Joseph Caiaphas who will be spoken of in John 11:49.
After Jesus told them to take away the stone, Martha warned Jesus how the body had been buried for four days, and the stench of decomposition would be present (John 11:39). Jesus intimated to her how she would see the glory of God if she believed (John 11:40). Jesus then uttered a performative prayer to His Father for the benefit of the crowd (John 11:41-42). Jesus cried out for Lazarus to come out, and behold: Lazarus came out, his hands and feet tied in cloth along with a cloth around his face, and Jesus commanded for some to remove those bindings (John 11:43-44).
While we could speak of Jesus having raised Lazarus from the dead, we generally speak of it as a resuscitation to make a distinction between Lazarus’ “resurrection,” in which he was brought back to life but would die again, and the resurrection Jesus would experience, in which He was brought back to life to never die again (cf. Romans 6:1-11). Nevertheless, it was the most significant miracle and sign which Jesus would accomplish in His ministry in the Gospel of John, and many who were there to experience it believed in Jesus (John 11:45).
Others, however, brought word to the Pharisees about what Jesus had done, and they summoned the Sanhedrin (John 11:46-47). The chief priests and Pharisees addressed the Sanhedrin: Jesus was performing many signs. If they allowed Jesus to keep doing these kinds of things, everyone would believe in Him (John 11:47-48). At perhaps no other place in his Gospel did John the Evangelist prove more ironic than in this circumstance, for indeed; the point was for people to believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, because of these signs which He was accomplishing! But for the chief priests and Pharisees it represented a danger: they were convinced the Romans would come and take away their place and their nation (John 11:48). “Their place” is generally and best understood as the Temple, but it would also not be wrong to perceive how the chief priests and Pharisees understood Jesus and His work to be a threat to their position and standing among the people. We can understand their logic: if word gets out to the Romans that the King of the Jews has come, and the people all believe Jesus is the King of the Jews, He might well give an order, and war against the Romans would ensue, and might lead to their ultimate disadvantage. The ultimate irony, however, is that forty years later, the Romans would come and take away their place and their nation, and the judgment was secured precisely because they had rejected Jesus as their Messiah, and the people would choose Barabbas and the way of insurrection against Rome instead.
At this point Caiaphas, High Priest in the year 30, stood up and spoke: they knew nothing, for it was more expedient for one person to die on behalf of the people than for the whole nation to perish (John 11:49-50). John the Evangelist reported how Caiaphas “prophesied” this statement of Jesus dying for the Jewish nation and in fact for all people, thus strongly suggesting the Holy Spirit inspired him to do so (John 11:51-52). We are left to conclude the Spirit would remain present with the person serving as High Priest no matter how odious said person would otherwise be.
The ultimate point, however, is that Caiaphas gave the Sanhedrin the justification and reason for wanting to put Jesus to death: as a scapegoat to allay Roman apprehensions and fears, and so that the position and standing of the Temple and thus the chief priests and Sadducees would not be challenged, as well as the standing of the Pharisees as religious authorities among the people (John 11:53). On account of this Jesus did not walk in Judea publicly but withdrew to an area called Ephraim (John 11:54).
The Passover was again drawing near, and Jewish people from around the region and the known world were going up to Jerusalem (John 11:55). The people were looking for Jesus while standing in the Temple courts, and the chief priests and Pharisees had made it known anyone who knew where Jesus was should report as much to them (John 11:56-57). Thus John the Evangelist concluded by setting the scene for the rest of his Gospel, foreshadowing the final days of Jesus and His ultimate betrayal by Judas Iscariot.
The resuscitation of Lazarus remains a potent sign of Jesus’ authority and power, and the response to this miracle said much about the condition and quality of the hearts of the various types of Jewish people of the day. Jesus indeed is the resurrection and the life, and all who believe and live in Him live and are sustained by this hope. May we trust in the Lord Jesus and obtain the resurrection of life in Him!
Ethan R. Longhenry
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