Day 2154 – The Gospel of John – 22 – Back From Beyond – Daily Wisdom

Welcome to Day 2154 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The Gospel of John – 22 – Back From Beyond – Daily Wisdom
The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication of the Word – Back from Beyond
Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus as the good shepherd and the living door.

Today, our scripture is John 11:1-46. As with our last reading, since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message, so follow along.

We will see in today’s passage that Jesus performs the greatest and most spectacular miracle of his ministry. He raised his friend Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days. This miracle is undoubtedly the final catalyst that leads to His crucifixion.

Death is an inescapable fact of life.

Death is ruthless; it frequently comes without warning and strikes without mercy. Death is unrelenting; it cannot be cheated, bribed, outwitted, overcome, or eluded. Death is indiscriminate; it takes young and old, poor and rich, sick and healthy, wicked and benevolent. Death is universal; all must ultimately succumb to its darkness.

Death is a harsh reality of life…but it was not always so, and it need not be the end.

11:1–2

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 

After His last encounter with the religious elite in Jerusalem, Jesus took refuge in the same wilderness that had protected John the Baptizer from their murderous intent. The Lord ministered to John’s disciples there for an unknown length of time (though not more than three months) before traveling to Perea or perhaps Galilee (11:7). We know that Jesus was more than a day’s walk from Bethany, the home of His friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, which as just two miles east of Jerusalem.

John’s editorial note about Mary’s anointing of Jesus demonstrates that he assumed his audience was familiar with the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). John doesn’t tell this story until 12:1–8.

11:3–6

So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Lazarus was not among the twelve disciples, but the Lord loved him. The man’s sisters sent a messenger to inform Jesus that His friend was near death with a serious illness. However, Jesus purposely delayed His departure, confidently declaring, “This sickness will not end in death.” Depending on how far away Jesus was from Bethany, it is very likely He knew what the disciples did not realize at the time: Lazarus was already dead when he received word. Consider a possible order of events:

The first day: The messenger arrived with the news that Lazarus was ill. Jesus decided to remain where He was for two more days. (11:1–5)

On the second day: Jesus deliberately remained where He was. (11:6)

On the...

Welcome to Day 2154 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The Gospel of John – 22 – Back From Beyond – Daily Wisdom
The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication of the Word – Back from Beyond
Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus as the good shepherd and the living door.

Today, our scripture is John 11:1-46. As with our last reading, since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message, so follow along.

We will see in today’s passage that Jesus performs the greatest and most spectacular miracle of his ministry. He raised his friend Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days. This miracle is undoubtedly the final catalyst that leads to His crucifixion.

Death is an inescapable fact of life.

Death is ruthless; it frequently comes without warning and strikes without mercy. Death is unrelenting; it cannot be cheated, bribed, outwitted, overcome, or eluded. Death is indiscriminate; it takes young and old, poor and rich, sick and healthy, wicked and benevolent. Death is universal; all must ultimately succumb to its darkness.

Death is a harsh reality of life…but it was not always so, and it need not be the end.

11:1–2

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 

After His last encounter with the religious elite in Jerusalem, Jesus took refuge in the same wilderness that had protected John the Baptizer from their murderous intent. The Lord ministered to John’s disciples there for an unknown length of time (though not more than three months) before traveling to Perea or perhaps Galilee (11:7). We know that Jesus was more than a day’s walk from Bethany, the home of His friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, which as just two miles east of Jerusalem.

John’s editorial note about Mary’s anointing of Jesus demonstrates that he assumed his audience was familiar with the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). John doesn’t tell this story until 12:1–8.

11:3–6

So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Lazarus was not among the twelve disciples, but the Lord loved him. The man’s sisters sent a messenger to inform Jesus that His friend was near death with a serious illness. However, Jesus purposely delayed His departure, confidently declaring, “This sickness will not end in death.” Depending on how far away Jesus was from Bethany, it is very likely He knew what the disciples did not realize at the time: Lazarus was already dead when he received word. Consider a possible order of events:

The first day: The messenger arrived with the news that Lazarus was ill. Jesus decided to remain where He was for two more days. (11:1–5)

On the second day: Jesus deliberately remained where He was. (11:6)

On the third day: Jesus departed for Judea. (Eastern cultures include the present day when counting elapsed days, whereas Western cultures don’t begin counting until the dawn of the following day. 11:7–16)

On the fourth day: Jesus continued His journey, taking His customary direct route through Samaria, and arrived in Bethany late in the day. He was told that Lazarus had been dead for four days. (11:17)

If my hypothetical timetable is close to accurate, Lazarus died when the messenger reached Jesus. Regardless, Jesus did not need to rush to Bethany; the extent of His power wasn’t cut short by death. Furthermore, John’s remark,  “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,” assures us the Lord did not callously allow Martha and Mary to grieve the loss of their brother merely to prove a point. His love always undergirds his righteousness and sovereignty.

 

Take note of an important detail. Jesus didn’t promise that Lazarus wouldn’t die; He promised that his sickness would not end in death. His point? Death might claim the life of Lazarus, but death would not have the final say in the matter.

11:7–16

…and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.  It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

By now, Jerusalem had become a dangerous place for Jesus; the unvarnished truth He proclaimed/ made Him a lightning rod. However, Jesus didn’t leave the region to avoid danger; He retreated because the time for His atoning death had not come. When the disciples reminded Jesus of the danger, /He reminded them of His mission and the need for urgency (9:4). Naturally, they fretted over His safety because they didn’t want to see their messianic hope assassinated before He had the opportunity to claim His throne and inaugurate the new kingdom. But, of course, the disciples’ perspective was limited. Death might claim the life of Jesus, but death would not have the final say in the matter. Instead, Jesus would use this opportunity to expand their vision.

Some have been unfairly critical of Thomas’s gloomy outlook. He merely acknowledged the truth of Jesus’ circumstances. The religious leaders wanted little more than to see Jesus dead and were willing to do almost anything to kill Him. Even so, Thomas grimly stood beside his Master in the face of what appeared to be certain death.

11:17–19

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.

As John demonstrates the Lord’s power over death in this narrative portion, he reminds his readers of the danger looming just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) across the Kidron Valley. The reader’s tension depends entirely upon their trust in Jesus’ power. The disciples undoubtedly saw murder in the eyes of every Pharisee they encountered and wondered how or when the plot would unfold.

Meanwhile, mourners had been gathering near the home of Lazarus. In keeping with ancient Near Eastern custom, the dead man had been wrapped in spice-soaked linens and placed inside a burial cave the day he died. The climate did not tolerate any delay. Jesus arrived on the fourth day, which may have been significant given rabbinic teaching. Jewish literature from the third century AD teaches that the soul of a dead individual remains near the body for three days, hoping to reenter; then, upon seeing decay set in, it gives up hope and departs. If this literature reflects established teaching, resurrection after the third day was unthinkable. Apparently, death plus decay was more hopeless than death alone.

11:20–27

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Bulletin Verse)

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Mary and Martha responded to the death of their brother with the same kind of disillusionment and anger any one of us would. Yet Jesus dealt tenderly with them, offering no rebuke and expressing no disappointment. He listened. He empathized. He gave them calm reassurance. His care for them is an excellent pattern for caring for those who must grieve a loss.

I don’t see any rebuke in Martha’s remarks. I see regret, a sorrowful acceptance of events she hoped would be different. I also see a fledgling faith submerged in grief. In that moment, she failed to comprehend the full extent of the Lord’s power. Jesus does not have to be present to heal someone (4:46–54). Her statement, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” cannot mean that she expected Jesus to bring her brother back to life (11:24, 39). Instead, this is a confession of her faith in Christ despite her disappointment. His delay and apparent decision not to act didn’t diminish her confidence in Him.

Jesus reassured Martha with a statement having a double meaning: “Your brother will rise again.” Martha had accepted Jesus’ teaching that He would raise those who believed in Him on the last day (6:39–40, 44, 54). This is the abundant life Jesus had promised His followers, (NLT that rich and satisfying life (10:10); it is eternal and incorruptible. However, we do not have to wait until the “last day” to receive this abundant life. Instead, we can receive it and enjoy it now. That’s because the “abundant life”—eternal, incorruptible, transforming life—is not a special kind of energy or a commodity that is somehow transferred from God to an individual. Instead, this resurrection-life is a person: Jesus.

Martha continued to express her faith in Jesus, declaring Him to be the Christ and the Son of God. She demonstrated remarkably mature theological understanding, even more than the Twelve! Yet she still did not understand the Lord’s whole meaning, but she would before sunset.

11:28–34

After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.  Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Mary was not able to meet with the Lord privately. Sometimes the grief-stricken/ need solitude/ but fail to find it because well-meaning loved ones fear leaving them alone. So, Mary met Jesus with an entourage in tow. Her remarks reflected Martha’s, perhaps because they shared some disillusionment.

Jesus witnessed their sorrow when the group arrived and was “deeply moved in spirit” and “troubled.” The key Greek terms are embrimaomai, which describes sternness or anger (Matt. 9:30; Mark 1:43; 14:5), and tarassō, which literally means “to stir up, to agitate” (John 5:7). Some have suggested the general state of unbelief among the people angered Jesus, but this seems out of place given His compassionate care for Martha. Her struggle was not so much with incomplete faith as with incomplete knowledge. Unlike the selfish gods of mythology, the triune God of the Bible empathizes with His creation. Furthermore, He is justifiably angry with the cruelty of evil, which oppresses His beloved creation. Death is the ultimate insult to His creative act; it tries to destroy what He intended to last forever.

11:35–37

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Upon arriving at the burial cave of Lazarus, Jesus wept (literally, “shed tears, sobbing”). And the observation of the people was spot-on. Jesus did indeed love Lazarus. While the Son of God is fully divine, He is entirely human. Moreover, He is the perfect representation of the Father, who is Spirit, yet nonetheless emotionally connected to the creatures bearing His likeness. When we weep, our Creator weeps with us, not with the kind of hopelessness we endure through our ignorance, but with compassion. No one hates the devastating consequences of sin more than He.

However, some people reflected the same limited thinking that plagued Martha and Mary—the same ignorance we display when we underestimate the power of God.

11:38–42

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

As Jesus approached the cave, He was again moved to anger (embrimaomai). He commanded the men in the crowd to remove the stone from the grave entrance, an act forbidden by rabbinic tradition. The men who obeyed the Lord’s command risked ritual defilement; nevertheless, they obeyed.

When Martha protested that the smell of her brother’s decomposing body had overpowered the burial spices, Jesus reminded her of their earlier conversation and promised that her belief would allow her to see “the glory of God” (11:4). Once the stone was removed, Jesus prayed aloud so that witnesses to the miracle would understand that He and the Father were united in the miracle. Death is not the will of the Father; He hates death. Therefore, Jesus was not overriding His Father’s decision to “take” Lazarus; He was reclaiming Lazarus from the enemy of life.

11:43–44

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”(Bull horn) The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

In fulfilling His earlier prediction (5:28), the dead man responded to Jesus’ voice. I once heard a country preacher say that if Jesus hadn’t called Lazarus by name, every grave within earshot would have rumbled open, and their long-dead inhabitants would have answered His call. One day, “all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,” but on this day, only Lazarus had been summoned.

He emerged from the tomb, still wrapped in the spice-soaked linen strips of cloth, perhaps even struggling to move. Corpses were typically encased in 75 to 100 pounds of aromatic resins (19:39–40). The witnesses to the miracle had to help Lazarus out of the burial wrappings. John includes these details to clarify a crucial difference between Lazarus’s experience and Jesus’s (20:5–7). Rather than being resurrected, Lazarus was resuscitated. His old body had been reanimated, but the same body had fallen ill and stopped working. Sometime later, after Lazarus was summoned from beyond, he went there again. He fell ill, suffered a fatal injury, or grew feeble with age and died. Finally, he was buried, and his body decayed. It awaits its resurrection (1 Thes. 4:13–17). First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.

Let’s think about this from Lazarus’ perspective. He was taken to paradise, enjoying visiting with those before him. Free from the agony of his life on earth with his frail body. Maybe he was relaxing in the apartment prepared for him in paradise, when suddenly there was a knock on his door. It was the archangel who had to deliver the news, um… Lazarus, this hasn’t happened before, but I am afraid you need to head back to the tomb. Your friend Jesus has more work for you to accomplish…what a bummer for Lazarus!

One day in yet future, Lazarus, along with everyone who has died “in Christ,” will be summoned from beyond, (again) not to resume life in bodies that will again die, but to enjoy eternal life in bodies that cannot suffer, cannot fall ill, cannot die, and cannot decay. This will not be mere resuscitation. This will be the glorious day of resurrection!

11:45–46

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Many religious leaders who visited Martha and Mary during their bereavement witnessed