Day 63, John 11
Yesterday we read the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus means “God help!”
Today we turn to the real Lazarus (brother of Mary and Martha), and the event which finalizes the determination of the Sanhedrin to see Jesus killed.
The call to come to Lazarus’ aid is a powerful one: this is a family with a special place in Jesus’ heart. Yet it is also a dangerous call. Bethany is in Judea, less than 2 miles from Jerusalem, and is well known as Jesus’ preferred home in that region. To travel there would place Him within easy reach of the authorities who want to kill Him.
Jesus is not afraid (but his disciples are), yet He stays where He is for two more days. Then they travel to Bethany (and John records Thomas’s pessimistic comment that “we’re all going to die”).
There are many tender moments in this account: first Martha, ever dutiful, goes to welcome Jesus and has her own conversation confirming His divinity. Then Mary, who has always prioritized showing her love for Jesus, goes to meet Him too. Her grief moves Jesus even more deeply, and she takes Him to the tomb.
Everything about how Jesus raises Lazarus is a lesson to us. He always follows His Father’s instructions faultlessly (John 5:19 and 5:30). Jesus gives thanks to God, He prays a prayer that specifies this is for the sake of those watching, He commands that the grave be opened, then He calls out Lazarus by name. This is a great demonstration of the power of God, but it is also a careful limitation of the power of God. The grave was a cave with a rock over it, and likely it was used for many burials. If Jesus had simply cried “Come Out!” then likely Lazarus would have had company as he came back out into the light!
This resurrection miracle is the final straw for the Jewish High Council (Sanhedrin) and they move to protect their position, their Temple, and the nation by having Jesus killed. But the time is not yet right, and Jesus takes His disciples with Him to a village called Ephraim in the wilderness, where they are relatively safe until the Passover feast begins.
There is great expectancy, although we shall see in the coming days that much of it is misguided and based on faulty understanding of scripture. God’s purpose often confounds us on the way to saving us! God’s victory looks very different from our ideas of triumph. This is necessary to complete the victory over the powers that oppose God’s kingdom, but their defeat is assured.
Have a great day!
Mark.