Daily Bible Reading: John 11:32-57 Jesus Raises Lazarus and the Response of the Priests

In my last two posts from the gospel of John chapter 11, the first was concerning the death of Lazarus, the second was concerning Jesus teaching Martha about the resurrection, specifically that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  In this post, Mary comes to Jesus, and with power, Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave in the witness of many people.

As the section starts, Martha has gone home and told secretly told Mary that Jesus "calleth for thee" (V28)

V32-36 When Mary came to Jesus and saw him, she fell down at his feet saying "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died"  Mary had faith the Jesus could have healed her brother.  She did not know the wonder and mercy she was about to witness. When Jesus saw her weeping, and that those who came with her were also weeping, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled.   Jesus asked "where have ye laid him?" and they said to Jesus "Lord, come and see."  Then we have the shortest verse in the bible, powerful in its meaning, "Jesus wept"  These two words show the compassionate heart of Jesus.  Some of the people said "behold how he loved him" but others said "could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind have caused that even this man should not have died?" Referring to Jesus as "this man" reveals that they did not believe on Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.



V38-44 Jesus, groaning in himself, came to the grave.  It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.    Jesus said "take ye away the stone."  He could have moved the stone with his power, but he let men have a part in what he was about to do.  Martha objected, "Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."  Martha was thinking on an earthly level even though Jesus had told her that her brother would rise again.  Jesus then said to her "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.  Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said "Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me.  And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent  me."  Jesus had before said that God was his Father and the people did not believe him.  With this miracle which Jesus was about to perform he addressed his heavenly Father publicly for the sake of the people because he knew that the Father always heard his prayers.  In praying to his Father in this manner, he was showing that indeed Jesus was sent by God.

And then Jesus cried with a loud voice "Lazarus, come forth."  And this is how the dead in Christ will be raised on the future resurrection day, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God.  As someone has said, if Jesus had not called Lazarus by name, but said only "come forth" then all dead would have come forth from their graves.   But Jesus was specifically calling Lazarus.   Then Lazarus who was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound with a napkin.  Jesus saith unto them, "Loose him, and let him go."  Just as the people had taken the stone away from the cave, they were asked to loosen the clothes on Lazarus and let him go.   Lazarus was not raised in a glorified body, but in the earthly body.  We know this because later on the chief priests consulted "that they might put Lazarus to death" (12:11)

V45-57 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen these things which Jesus had done, believed on him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

The chief priests gathered and said "What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.  If we let him alone all men will believe on him."  They were only concerned about their ways and the law.  Even though the fact that Messiah would come was foretold in their scriptures, they did not want to receive Jesus as that Messiah.  The chief priest without realizing it prophesied that Jesus would die that that nation, and not that nation only but that he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. The children of God includes all that would be saved, Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female, all are one in Christ Jesus.  The chief priest's words were "it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, that the whole nation perish not."

From that day forth they took counsel to put Jesus to death.  Therefore Jesus no more walked openly among the Jews, but went to a country in the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim and continued there with his disciples.

But the chief priests and the Pharisees wondered if Jesus would come to the feast called Passover and gave a commandment that if any man knew where he was, he should tell the Pharisees so that they might take Jesus.
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