John 11:35-45
The town of Bethany was on the side of a mountain ridge, and Lazarus was buried in a cave, a common place of burial in that land.
Martha and Mary and their friends led Jesus to the place, all were weeping, mourning for Lazarus.
A stone was over the opening of the cave and the Lord said for them to take it away. Martha thought that should not be done, because the body would already be decaying. But Jesus reminded her that He had said she should see the glory of God, and He had told the disciples that this sorrow was that the Son of God should have glory, which soon was shown them.
The stone was taken away and Jesus prayed and gave thanks to God that His prayer was heard; then He called with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
“And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes; and his face bound about with a nain.” It was their custom to wrap cloth closely about the face and limbs of a dead person. But those tight bindings around Lazarus did not hinder his obeying the voice of the Lord Jesus, neither was the power of the Lord prevented because his body was decaying.
Lazarus stood before Jesus, and the sisters and all the people saw him alive again. Jesus told them to loose him of the bindings so he could be free to walk among them. All of them could have called ever so loudly, and Lazarus could not have heard; how wonderful the power of the Lord!
The joy of Martha and Mary is not told, but it must have been a time of wonder and awe for all, and of praise to God and to His Son, then by that cave, for such a change from death to life. Many of the friends who had either not known Jesus before had not fully believed in His power from God, believed Him then. We would suppose every person who stood by that cave and saw Lazarus come before them alive, would have believed in Jesus, as One from God, but it seemed they did not.
Jesus had before raised two persons who had died, a young girl and a young man, but they had not been dead long and not buried, so the power of the Lord was more felt in the raising Lazarus (Mark 5:35-43; Luke 7:11-16).
The Lord Jesus’ words and care of Martha and Mary seems written that all since who believe in Him may be comforted in sorrow, which even many boys and girls know.
His promise was very sure, “The brother shall rise again.” But he knew there was a time of sorrow and He wept with them. Perhaps the most comfort is in the words that the sorrow would be for the glory of God and for the Son of God. So we may believe there is glory to God in some way now also, and to bear sorrow patiently with His comforts, honors Him.
ML 11/10/1946