Miracles Of Jesus Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick. But when Jesus heard this, He said, This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, Let us go to Judea again. The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. This He said, and after that He said to them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep. The disciples then said to Him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. So Jesus then said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him. Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, so that we may die with Him. So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. Martha then said to Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to Him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? She said to Him, Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world. When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, The Teacher is here and is calling for you. And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, See how He loved him! But some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying? So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, Remove the stone. Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me. When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Unbind him, and let him go. John 11:1-44 A certain man was sick - The resurrection of Lazarus has been recorded only by John. Bethany - A village on the eastern declivity of the Mount of Olives. This sickness is not unto death - The word death here is equivalent to remaining under death. Jesus evidently did not intend to deny that he would die. The words which he immediately adds show that he would expire and that Jesus would raise him up to show forth the power and glory of God. For the glory of God - That God may be honored. See John 9:3. That the Son of God ... - The glory of God and of his Son is the same. That which promotes the one promotes also the other. Few things could do it more than the miracle which follows, clearly showing the loving and tender character of Jesus as a man and a friend as well as his power as the equal with God. He abode two days - Probably Lazarus died soon after the messengers left him. Jesus knew that (John 11:11) and did not hurry to Judea but remained two days longer where he was so that there might not be the possibility of doubt that he was dead. By the time Jesus came there he had been dead four days, John 11:39. This also shows that he intended to raise him up. If he had not, it could hardly be the friendly thing to do in remaining without any reason, away from an afflicted family. Where he was - At Bethabara (John 1:28; John 10:40), about 30 miles from Bethany. This was about a days journey, and so it is probable that Lazarus died soon after the message was sent. One day would be occupied before the message came to him; two days he remained; one day would be occupied by him in going to Bethany; so that Lazarus had been dead four days (John 11:39) when he arrived. The Jews of late sought to stone thee - John 10:31. if any man walk in the day: because he sees the light of this world; the sun in the horizon not being as yet set, by the light of which he sees what is before him and avoids it. But if a man walk in the night,... After the sun is set, he stumbles at everything that lies in the way. So our Lord makes it known that as yet it was day with him, his time of life was not expired; and so as yet, it was a time of walking and working; He also did not fear any danger he was exposed to or any snares that were laid for him, since he could not be hurt nor his life taken from him before his time. Lazarus sleepeth - It was very common among the Jews to express death as sleep. They also used the expressions: falling asleep, sleeping with their fathers, etc. The Hebrews probably used this form of speech to signify their belief in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there,... At Bethany, before he died, or when he died. because he would have been asked by Mary and Martha to prevent his death and restore him to health. Or he would have been asked to raise him immediately as soon as he was dead; and in either case the miracle would not have been so illustrious, nor have been such a means of confirming the faith of his disciples, as now it would be. Thomas, which is called Didymus - These names express the same thing. One is Hebrew and the other Greek. The name means a twin. let us also go, that we may die with him; either with Lazarus, as some think, or rather with Christ; for he and the rest of the disciples imagined that Christ, by returning to Judea, would be in great danger of losing his life. Fifteen furlongs - Nearly two miles. Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died: which expresses much faith but with a mixture of weakness, as if the presence of Christ was actually necessary. He could have restored her brother to health whether he was present or not had it been his will just as he did the centurions servant, and the noblemans son of Capernaum. I am the resurrection - I am the author or the cause of the resurrection. It so depends on my power and will, that it may be said that I am the resurrection itself. This is a most expressive way of saying that the whole doctrine of the resurrection came from him and the whole power to effect it was his. In a similar manner he is said to be made of God unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, 1 Corinthians 1:30. And the life - John 1:4. As the resurrection of all depends on him, he made it known that it was not essential that it should be deferred to the last day. He had power to do it now as well as then. Though he were dead - Faith does not save from temporal death but although the believer, as others, will die a temporal death, yet he will hereafter have life. Even if he dies, he shall hereafter live. Shall he live - Shall be restored to life in the resurrection. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me,... Who ever will be found alive at Christs second coming and is a believer in him shall never die, but shall be changed and shall be forever with Christ. Saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died; which were the same words Martha uttered upon her first meeting Jesus (John 11:21) and it is very likely that they had often said this to each other, if our Lord Jesus had been but here, our dear brother Lazarus would not have died. Jesus wept - It has been said that this is the shortest verse in the Bible; but it is exceedingly important as it shows the Lord Jesus as a friend and shows his character as a man. Could not this man, which opened the eyes, etc. - Through the maliciousness of their hearts, these Jews considered the tears of Jesus as a proof of his weakness. We may suppose them to have spoken: If he loved him so much, why did he not heal him? And if he could have healed him, why did he not do it, seeing how he shows so much sorrow at his death? Four days - This proves that there could be no deception. Said I not unto thee - This was implied in what he had said about the resurrection of her brother (John 11:23-25). There would be a manifestation of the glory of God in raising him up which she would be permitted, with all others, to behold. The glory of God - The power and goodness displayed in the resurrection. It is probable that Martha did not really expect that Jesus would raise him up, but supposed that he went there merely to see the corpse. Therefore, when he directed them to take away the stone, she suggested that by that time the body was offensive. Lifted up his eyes - In an attitude of prayer. See Luke 18:13; Matthew 14:19. And I knew that thou hearest me always,.... Which was not only a support to the faith of Christ, as man, but is also to his people, whose advocate, intercessor, and mediator he is. that they may believe that thou hast sent me: for if he had not sent him, he would never have heard him in anything much less in everything; wherefore this was a full proof, and clear evidence of his divine mission. He cried with a loud voice - In John 5:25 our Lord had said that the time was coming in which the dead would hear his voice and live. Similarly, here he cries aloud, that the people may take notice, and see that even death is subject to the sovereign command of Christ. He that was dead - The same man, body and soul. Brought to you by In The Word Daily
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:35:50 +0000
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