Here the Lord is seen marked out as Son of God in power, according to the resurrection of the dead (Rom. 1:4). He is the Resurrection and the Life, proved in the raising of Lazarus, and here perfectly are seen the human and the divine commingled—love, sympathy, power, and the perfect knowledge of the Father’s will all blended together.
The chapter opens with the sickness of Lazarus of Bethany. Mary and Martha, his sisters, count on the Lord’s interest in them, as His loved ones, to stay the disease. They send the message, “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick.” And this would be enough for true human affection, and none so true as His, but He has something deeper, and this He states, though not yet understood by any about Him, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
Verse 5. There was no doubt of His love to Martha, Mary and Lazarus, but death must come in: for man (or Israel) is seen here as dead to God, and Lazarus’ death is to illustrate their case—the full ruin of man, the consequence of sin, is seen in death. His power and goodness had been witnessed already to heal the sick, and to deliver man from the enemy; but in death, the full consequences of sin are seen, except in the judgment that will follow those that are lost. No doctors can do a dead man any good. It must be the power of God to bestow life on the dead.
Verse 6. When He heard, therefore, that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was. He would not be guided by His affection for those loved and troubled ones, but by His knowledge of the Father’s will and devotedness to His glory, and this He waited on the Father for every morning. (Isa. 50:4).
Verses 7-10. After that He saith to His disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” This, to the disciples, meant danger or even death, and they say, “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone Thee; and goest Thou thither again?” But to avoid danger is not His guide, any more than love. His Father’s will is His motive. There are twelve hours in the day, and it is daylight that He is walking in—walking with the Father, and no danger can hinder Him. No death can touch the One who is the resurrection and the life, till it is the Father’s time; then, He in the same power gives Himself up to death, and for us.
Verses 11-14. “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” This He must explain to them, “Lazarus is dead.”
Verse 15. “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”
Verse 16. Thomas said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” How great the contrast of what was in His mind to what was in theirs. He is the life giver going to give the dead life. They see nothing before Him and them but danger and death. They cannot enter into His thoughts, while, doubtless, it was genuine human affection that prompted Thomas to say it. The Lord could appreciate that also.
Verses 17-19. On arriving near the place the Lord found that Lazarus had been in the grave four days already. To man it is an utterly hopeless case. Many of the Jews were there to comfort Martha and Mary concerning their brother. Theirs is helpless, hopeless, human sympathy. How different is His. The news goes before to the bereaved house that Jesus was coming.
Verse 20. Martha, as soon as she heard it, went and met Him: but Mary sat still in the house. At our first glance one might think Mary was behind in love to the Lord, but we soon notice, that she is more like the Lord than Martha, who goes on the first suggestion of her mind, while Mary waits for the Master’s guidance. And this is in keeping with her habitual attitude (Luke 10:39). She sat at His feet and heard His word.
Verses 21-43. Martha said unto Jesus, “Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee.” This does not include the thought of resurrection, only she has confidence in Him as the true Messiah, the Son of God, and she seems to feel that had He been present, death had not come in. When He answers, “Thy brother shall rise again,” it has no present meaning to her. Nor does she understand anything beyond a general resurrection at the last day. Not even when He says, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he have died, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die. Believest thou this?” She can only answer: “Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
It is all above her, and her inward thoughts tell her Mary could understand Him better, so she went her way, and called Mary secretly, saying, “The Master is come and calleth for thee.” Mary was waiting for the word, and arose quickly, and came unto Him. Her sympathizers followed her, thinking she was going to the grave to weep there. When Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, “Lord, if Thou hadst been here my brother had not died.” It was the same words as Martha said, but evidently it is the deep sorrow of a soul that had its all in Him, and it drew out of the blessed Lord His deep feeling as to what sin had wrought and His sympathy with the bereaved in their sorrow—sorrow that was necessary and in the end would bring new comfort to their hearts. He said, “Where have ye laid Him?” They answered, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. All can see His love to Lazarus, but none yet can understand why death was allowed to do its work. Some of them said, “Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?” None there understood Him. It was a scene of death, but He was the life giver. They came to the grave hopeless. He came feeling the ruin sin had brought in, but He was the One who had power to undo the works of the devil, and death could not remain in His presence.”
His next word is, “Take ye away the stone.” Martha does not want corruption uncovered, and says so, “He hath been dead four days.” In her mind it is now worse than useless. Jesus saith unto her, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid, and 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.” And when He had thus spoken, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” Now their tears are wiped away, and joy springs up in their hearts, glad wonder to see Lazarus come forth. Was it not worth while to have tears and sorrow that were necessary, if they were to know Him as the resurrection and the life, and to have those tears wiped away, and those sorrows all removed by His power; and to see the glory of God, and the Son of God glorified thereby? It is so now as we see souls brought into life, eternal life and liberty, and it will be so at the day of Israel’s restoration. (Isa. 12 and 65:17-19; 66:8-13).
Verse 44. He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Life is there, he is risen from the dead by the power of the Lord of life. What a triumph over the full power of the enemy. The corruption has vanished, but full deliverance is yet to be given him, and they have to do with this, for he is bound about with graveclothes. Jesus saith unto them, “Loose him and let him go,” and the next place we see him he is seated at the table with the Lord. (Chapter 12:2).
When Israel is restored, the Lord will direct their blessing and make His everlasting covenant with them. (Isa. 35:10; Heb. 8:10-12).
And now He directs His servants into the Word that sets the soul free and happy in His presence to serve Him in the liberty of grace. (Rom. 3:24; 4:16; 5:1, 2, 17, 21; 8:1, 2, 38, 39; 12:1, 2).
Verse 45. No wonder that many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him.
Verse 46. What a proof of the enmity of the heart of man to God, that with such a witness to His person as the resurrection and the life before it, yet can go away to join His enemies in their efforts to get rid of Him!
Verses 47-50. The Pharisees and chief priests hold a council, and while they own “this man doeth many miracles,” they conspire to destroy Him, and speak of the Roman, coming to take away both our place and out nation. God and Jehovah’s nation are displaced by our own cause, and no crime is too bad to gain their object. The high priest, with his satanic invention of a prophecy to put the Lord to death to save the nation from being carried away, puts before them that for which the Lord actually scattered them for doing (Mic. 5:1, 3). “They shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek... therefore will He give them up” (Zech. 13:6, 7; Rom. 11:7; Matt. 27:25).
Verses 51, 52. But God overruled their machinations to carry out His great work of atonement; that should result in blessing to that nation, and not only to that nation, “but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” And again it is fulfilled, “Surely, the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain” (Psa. 76:10).
Verse 53. From that day their one thought was to murder Him. Joseph’s brethren sought Joseph’s destruction. God in marvelous wisdom was working out His purpose through Joseph to save their lives by a great deliverance (Gen. 45:7; 50:20).
Verses 54-57. The Lord quietly goes on with His service in a more secluded place, till it is time again to present Himself. Men cannot lay hands upon Him till it is the Father’s will, and He is content to serve with His disciples in the city Ephraim near the wilderness.
The Jews’ Passover was nigh at hand. Many go up to get ready for it, and they wonder if He will come up to the feast. The chief priests and Pharisees have given commandment to any who knew where the Lord was, to let it be known, that they might take Him.