Chapter 9: “Behold how He loved him!” John 11

“Behold how He loved him!” John 11.36

by Craig Munro, Scotland

LOVE IN THE MIDST OF SORROW – vv.1-6

LIGHT IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS – vv.7-10

LIFE IN THE MIDST OF DEATH – vv.11-19

LIGHT AND LIFE – vv.20-27

LOVE AND LIFE – vv.28-37

LIGHT, LIFE AND LOVE – vv.38-45

DARKNESS, DEATH AND HATRED – vv.46-57

INTRODUCTION

Over the centuries God’s people have turned to this chapter in times of sorrow, looking for comfort. The passage centres around the death and resurrection of Lazarus. All the Gospels record the Lord Jesus leaving the Temple in Jerusalem before He died, and in three of the Gospels we read that His recourse was to the home at Bethany. The last recorded time of the Lord Jesus leaving the Temple in John’s Gospel is found in chapter 10, some two months before Calvary, and the next two chapters, 11 and 12, bring before us the warmth of the fellowship that was found at Bethany, in a home that displayed such love to the Lord.

The chapter opens with the touching words of Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, to the Lord: “he whom Thou lovest is sick” v.3. The love that the Lord had for them all is beautifully encapsulated in v.5: “Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus”. These early verses also describe the love they had for one another and the love they had for the Lord, for example, mention is made in the second verse of Mary’s love for Christ and of the ointment that she poured on His feet (recorded in chapter 12). Therefore a major theme in this chapter is love amidst suffering.

This chapter is also about life, death and resurrection. We follow the Lord in chapter 10 to Jerusalem, about four months before He died.

But chapters 11 and 12 move us forward in time and bring us closer to Calvary. The house at Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, on the side of the Mount of Olives. The Lord’s own suffering, death and resurrection are the backdrop and context of this chapter. The Lord’s resurrection of Lazarus, four days after his death, was a public declaration of the power of Christ and the undeniable evidence of His Deity. It is the seventh of the Lord’s significant sign miracles in the Gospel of John and in connection with it He declared the fifth of His great “I am” statements. In this case the “I am” is fittingly, “I am the resurrection and the life” v.25. Therefore life, which is a key theme of John’s Gospel, reaches a climax here in this chapter.

Chapter 11 is also about light and the illumination and progression of faith. The Lord uses the illustration of the sun, vv.7-10, and warns of someone stumbling because “there is no light in him” v.10. He desires the disciples to grow in their faith: “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe” v.15. John provides another conversation of Christ with an individual in this chapter. The conversation with Martha ends with “Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” v.27. The light of Christ as the great I AM has dawned upon her soul, and she gives evidence that she is a believer. The Lord prayed “that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me” v.42. Others believed after they witnessed the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection: “Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him” v.45. Thus, whilst believing is a key theme in John, this passage vividly illustrates how the light of Christ encourages faith to flourish. In this chapter His conversation is with a woman: Martha. John chooses significant ‘faith conversations’ and alternates consecutively between men and women, for example: Nathanael, chapter 1, and Mary His mother, chapter 2; Nicodemus, chapter 3, and a Samaritan woman, chapter 4; Peter, chapter 6, and an adulterous woman, chapter 8; a man born blind, chapter 9, and Martha, chapter 11. The order changes after the resurrection, and the personal discussions are first with a woman, Mary Magdalene, and then with Thomas, chapter 20. These conversations have been selected by John in his Gospel to demonstrate people’s faith in Christ and their acceptance of the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The chapter, therefore, intertwines around the themes of love, life and light, which are also the prevailing themes of John’s Gospel and his Epistles. The strands initially appear separately in the chapter and then begin to intertwine, reaching the beautiful climax at the open grave of Lazarus where all three virtues are on full display, like the blue, purple and scarlet of the heavenly veil in the Tabernacle. In the opening verses, vv.1-6, in which love is mentioned or inferred in three verses out of six, we will consider the true nature of love. Then we will reflect upon the true nature of light in the Lord’s parable on light and darkness, vv.7-10. Thirdly, we will consider the heart of the subject of the chapter: life and death, vv.11-19. The three strands begin to intertwine in the centre of the chapter as the Lord speaks to Martha and educates her on resurrection life; we see the combining of life and light in her amazing statement of faith, vv.20-27. As the Lord nears the grave of Lazarus and weeps, they exclaim, “Behold how He loved Him!” and we learn lessons of love and life as some question His ability to stop him from dying, vv.28-37. Finally, at the grave of Lazarus all three strands appear together as the Lord tells Martha if she believes she will see (light), then in mighty power he raises Lazarus to life; finally, in love He requests that people help him remove the grave clothes, vv.38-45. The chapter ends in the wilful darkness of unbelief manifested in the Sanhedrin’s decisions and actions, with the consequence of spiritual death and the hatred of the Lord Jesus, vv.46-57.

LOVE IN THE MIDST OF SORROW – vv.1-6

There are three things we learn about love from vv.1-6:

Our love for others and how we can bring their needs to Christ, vv.1,3;
Our love for Christ and how it is expressed and educated, v.2;
Christ’s love for us in its individuality and equity, vv.4-6.

Our Love for Others

Love’s Empathy – v.3

In v.1 we learn that Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus was sick. Mary and Martha loved their brother, and this is why they sent messengers to the Lord and referred to Lazarus as “he whom Thou lovest” v.3. One of the ways we can express our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is to bring their pain and difficulties to the Lord in prayer and we know that we have a sympathetic High Priest Who cares and shares our pain, Heb.4.14-16. This takes time and effort, but it is the best thing we can do for those we love. It is interesting that they brought the sickness of Lazarus to the Lord, but not the solution. They might have thought they knew the solution as they clearly discussed these matters later, vv.21,32, but they did not tell the Lord what to do. This is true prayer, like that of Mary the mother of the Lord at the wedding in Cana when she said, “They have no wine” 2.3: she just brought the problem to the Lord and left it there. She told the servants, “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it” 2.5. Often, we are tempted to tell the Lord the solution as well as the problem. But the major points here are the importance of prayer and the expression of our love for one another in bringing the pain and problems of our brothers and sisters to the Lord.

Our Love for Christ

Love’s Expression – v.2

The highest form of our love is our love for Christ. The narrative immediately reminds us of the devotion and love that Mary showed the Lord Jesus, 11.2, which is recorded in full in the next chapter, 12.1-8. This involved Mary stooping down at the feet of Christ, pouring on His feet extremely expensive ointment and wiping His feet with her hair; a matter that was never to be forgotten and involved the commendation of the Lord Jesus. This event took place after the resurrection of Lazarus and yet it appears first here to remind us that Mary’s devotion to the Lord was valued by heaven. Carnal men like Judas may ‘evaluate it’ and try to call this worship a ‘waste’ but all who truly love the Lord know that this is our most worthy occupation and the deepest expression of our love. We are reminded that true worship involves sacrifice.

Love’s Education – v.2

Perhaps there is another reason that this story is touched on here. We know from 12.7 that Mary was keeping the ointment for the day of the Lord’s burial. Thus, the ointment was there when Lazarus died and yet she never used it even on her brother’s body; rather she kept it solely for the Lord. It appears that Lazarus’ body was not anointed with embalming ointments or, at least, not much was used, as Martha said to the Lord, “By this time he stinketh” 11.39, indicating that his body was deteriorating rapidly. After Lazarus was raised perhaps Mary recognised that the Lord was the resurrection and the life and that His body would not remain in death, and so, bursting in full adoration of His Person, she poured it out upon Him at the supper table as He sat by her brother Lazarus. Our worship can be educated by Christ and our love for Him can deepen. This is well described in Lord Tennyson’s poem:

Her eyes are homes of silent prayer,

Nor other thought her mind admits

But, he was dead, and there he sits,

And He that brought him back is there.

Then one deep love doth supersede

All other, when her ardent gaze

Roves from the living brother’s face,

And rests upon the Life indeed.

All subtle thought, all curious fears,

Borne down by gladness so complete,

She bows, she bathes the Saviour’s feet

With costly spikenard and with tears.

Thrice blest whose lives are faithful prayers,

Whose loves in higher love endure;

What souls possess themselves so pure,

Or is there blessedness like theirs?

Christ’s Love for Us

Love’s Exclusivity – v.3

However, the narrative in vv.3-6 is not so much our love for Christ but His love for us. Who cannot be affected by the statement of v.3: “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick”? John regarded himself to be the “disciple whom Jesus loved”, not that John thought the Lord did not love all the disciples, but this truth was particularly precious to him. John really believed that He loved him personally and uniquely. Is there any deeper theology than that contained in the Sunday School chorus?

Jesus loves me, this I know

For the Bible tells me so …

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

Certainly, Paul thought this was rich theology when in worship he exclaimed, “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” Gal.2.20.

Love’s Equity – v.5

John seems to emphasise the individuality of His love for us when he says, “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus” v.5. It has often been pointed out that he does not say, ‘Jesus loved Martha, her sister and Lazarus’. If he had, Mary might have wondered if she was loved as much as Martha. But by adding in the word “and” he shows us that they were all loved individually and equally. All were special to the Lord. And so, we revel in the fact that the Lord does not love some people more than others. Our enjoyment of His love may differ but His love for us is individual and equally the same.

Love’s Explanation – v.6

The Lord does not immediately resolve the problem and answer their prayer. We do not always understand why the Lord delays to help those He loves, but He often does. Perhaps, however, in this chapter we do get five explanations for the delays of love’s response to our requests:

What we want the Lord to do will not change anything.

Firstly, in v.6 we understand that Jesus receives word of Lazarus’ illness and then stays in the same place for two days. It would appear that by the time the messengers came to Him to say that Lazarus was sick, in actual fact he was dead. The journey was a day’s walk from Bethany near Jerusalem, where Lazarus lived, to Bethabara (‘house of the ford’, also called ‘Bethany in Perea’ or ‘Bethany across Jordan’), about twenty kilometres east of Jerusalem above the Dead Sea, where John had been baptising, 10.40; 1.28. The Lord waits two days and then when He reaches Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days, 11.17. This means that Lazarus must have died as soon as the messengers left Bethany: one day for the messengers to reach the Lord Jesus, two days of waiting, v.6, and one day for the Lord Jesus to reach Bethany, giving a total of four days. Therefore, if the Lord had left immediately on receiving the message from Martha and Mary, it would not have altered the situation, for by that time Lazarus was not sick, but had already died. So, sometimes what we want the Lord to do will not change the matter we are seeking to address.

Our prayers and requests can be factually wrong.

Secondly, Lazarus was already dead, and their request was on the basis of him being sick. Sometimes we do not understand that our requests in prayer are far more complicated than we realise. We quite simply do not have all the facts when we pray, and we might even be praying for the wrong thing. This might explain some of the delays in prayer. Certainly, when Job prayed, he did not know all the facts of Job chapter 1: the challenge of Satan to God. This might help us understand one of the reasons why the Holy Spirit jointly intercedes with us “with groanings which cannot be uttered” Rom.8.26,27: we do not know what to pray for and we require a Divine Person to help us.

God desires that we trust His promises even in difficult circumstances.

Thirdly, the Lord is going to demonstrate that even although Lazarus is dead, He can raise the dead. He gives His explanation for the delay in v.4: “this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” This is a verse we will return to, but we can see that the Lord is explaining from the outset why the delay will not change the outcome. This sickness will not ultimately result in the permanent state of death for Lazarus: he is going to live. The Lord is giving a promise which He is asking them to accept by faith. This ‘feedback’ to the sisters must have seemed strange to them when the messengers arrived back a day later, as their brother had died. But love trusts, even when we do not understand.

God has an important doctrinal lesson to teach us.

Fourthly, the Lord is using the delay to teach a vital lesson. “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God’ v.4. He is debunking the idea that sickness is because of sin in Lazarus’ life and showing that sometimes sickness is to demonstrate the power and glory of God. This point would not have been possible to make if He had been there, as no one ever died in the presence of Christ.

The doctrine of God is at stake: the coessential unity of the Father and the Son.

Fifthly, the Lord is teaching a lesson on the coessential unity of the Father and the Son. “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” v.4. When we trust His Son and see His glory and power in resurrection we glorify God, but in glorifying God there is a corresponding glory being given to the Son. To glorify God is to glorify the Son. We cannot differentiate the glory of the Father from the glory of the Son. This really was the explanation to all of Job’s problems, although, at the time he could not see it: the very doctrine of God was at stake when the devil claimed that no one could love God unless he had a reason to, due to physical, material or moral blessings. Job was a man who loved God, whose possessions, family and health had all been removed from him. Therefore, in His love, God allows us to experience delays, which are for His greater glory, and sometimes for reasons which are hidden from our view at that point in time.

LIGHT IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS – vv.7-10

We now turn to the second attribute: light. The Lord indicates to His disciples that He is going to leave Perea and go to Judaea, v.7. This causes alarm among the disciples, who know that the Jews tried to stone Him when He was there last, 10.31,39, and they question the wisdom of Him going into Judaea again, 11.8. The Lord answers and, intriguingly, begins to speak about the sun, which he calls “the light of this world”, and asks, “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” v.9. He is referring to physical daylight hours that were the usual working day for a man. He points out that a person does not stumble when he has sunlight to see, but in the nighttime, when there is no sunlight, he stumbles, then adds, interestingly, “because there is no light in him” v.10. In other words, human beings do not have an internal light to guide them in the dark but need external guidance. Now why did the Lord Jesus start to talk in parables at this point? The Lord had something to say to His disciples about, firstly, light and darkness; secondly, daylight hours; and thirdly, those with no light in them.

Light and Darkness – the Source of Their Strength

Why did the Lord start to talk about light? The disciples had raised the issue of moral darkness and spiritual wickedness, and the clear implication of the Lord’s teaching was that due to the spiritual darkness around them (seen in people threatening to stone Christ) they needed another light – not the light of this world but “the Light of the World” that He had been speaking about in the previous chapters, 8.12; 9.5. The Lord Jesus would guide them and this light could be inside them. He was both a spiritual and an internal light and He would illuminate their faith. They must be guided by Him and later He would teach them that when He left them He would send the Holy Spirit, Who would come into them and guide them in all their movements, chapters 14 and 16.

Twelve Daylight Hours – the Service in Which They Must Engage

The Lord reminded them that the daylight hours of the sun were only twelve hours. It would not be long before He, the Son, would leave this world and the darkness would get worse. They had to take the opportunities of service with Him while He was here (this point of taking the opportunity while He was here is emphasised to unbelievers in 12.35,36). Later, in the Upper Room, He makes the point that after He has gone to heaven, He will come again for them, Jn.14.1-3, and so they would deduce that their opportunity for service was limited and needed to be grasped. And so, the Lord uses their consternation to teach them lessons about faith and the illuminating light of Christ to guide them in all their movements. He is seeking to develop their faith, 11.15, and encourage them to take opportunities for service.

No Light in Them – the Seriousness of the Sin of Rejecting Light

The Lord is explicitly saying that those who walk in the night of their own superstitions have no light in them. This warning is dramatically developed at the end of the chapter, where the Sanhedrin accept and confess that the Lord Jesus did miracles, including raising Lazarus to life. They could not explain this miracle but instead of worshipping they plotted to kill the Lord Jesus as they were more concerned about their position with the Romans, vv.47-53. There is nothing darker than rejected light. As the Lord says, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matt.6.23.

LIFE IN THE MIDST OF DEATH – vv.11-19

The third strand is about life. The Lord will teach three principles about life in this section:

He will state what death for the believer really is: sleep.
He will substantiate His sovereignty over death as the author of life.
He will show something of the relationship between the personality and the body.

Sleep and the Saints – God is the God of the Living

The Lord had indicated mysteriously that this sickness was not unto death, v.3, and then He stated that “our friend Lazarus sleepeth” v.11. The disciples thought He meant physical sleep only but then they were told “plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead’” vv.12-14. And so, we learn that death for the Christian is likened to sleep, v.13. This is not sleep of the soul, but the body is seen to be sleeping, awaiting the day it is woken in resurrection. Paul says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed” 1Cor.15.51: he was speaking of the fact that when the Lord comes again, the bodies of believers who are alive at that point will never enter this process of “sleep” but their bodies will be changed into a body like Christ’s own body of glory, Phil.3.21. When a believer dies, the soul and the spirit leave the body at death, Gen.35.18; Acts 7.59, and the soul and spirit can interact in heaven with the Lord, for example, Rev.6.9-11. However, this ‘intermediate state’ is called “rest[ing] … for a little season” Rev.6.11, until the body is raised again from the dead. We are seen as incomplete

until the soul and the spirit are joined to our resurrection bodies. The believers in Thessalonica who had died are described as those who “sleep in Jesus” 1Thess.4.14. When the Lord quoted God’s words from Exodus chapter 3: “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” Matt.22.31-33, He used the present tense as a proof of the truth of resurrection. He was indicating that in God’s mind Abraham was not dead. God was still the God of Abraham even although Abraham’s body had been buried for centuries. Therefore, this intermediate state is not final, and it is not death in its eternal sense. Paul describes this intermediate state beautifully as “absent from the body, and … present with the Lord” 2Cor.5.6-9. There is a sense in which saints never die!

Saviour and Sovereignty over Death – the Lord is the Author of Life

The Lord further explained that He was glad that He was not there when Lazarus died, v.15. This is because death could never be found in the presence of Christ. He is the Author of life. But the Lord was glad that He had an opportunity to raise Lazarus from the dead, so that they might believe, v.15. The disciples already believed He was the Messiah, but He wanted them to believe that He was the resurrection and the life, Who had power over death. This is the light of Christ illuminating faith and seeing their faith progress. The Lord is Life: “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men” 1.4. He had already taught this: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” 5.25. He had the power presently (“now”) as well as in the future (“coming”). There was nothing more to see: to see Him was to see the glory of God.

It is deeply concerning how the sacred building blocks of life are dangerously tampered with in many parts of the world, but this Scripture makes clear that, no matter how people interfere with life, God will only allow them to go so far. Remember when the evil magicians tried to mimic the plagues of Egypt, but they could not turn the dust into lice. They had to admit, “This is the finger of God” Ex.8.19.

Specific Identity and Nature of a Dead Person – the Body Matters

The Lord says, “Let us go unto him” v.15, not ‘Let us go unto Lazarus’ body or his grave’. Although Lazarus was dead, he was still a person, whose body remained his. We are reminded that it says, “devout men carried Stephen to his burial” Acts 8.2, and not ‘devout men carried his corpse to burial’. We should therefore revere the body and remind ourselves that the body, in dying and being buried, is like a seed being sown and waiting till the harvest day, 1Cor.15.42-44. Similarly, when a Christian dies he or she is simply sleeping, awaiting the moment of being awoken in resurrection, v.11. This is one of the reasons why Christians desire to bury their loved ones and treat the body with dignity, even although the body that is buried will be changed, for “thou sowest not that body that shall be” 1Cor.15.37. In the agricultural world what goes down (for example, a potato seed) is not what comes up (potatoes) and yet there is a connection. Potato seeds do not produce turnips! Therefore, our resurrection bodies are not identical to our natural bodies that corrupt in the grave but there is a direct connection between them. God “giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body” 1Cor.15.38. We will have glorified bodies like the Lord’s own glorious body, Phil.3.21, and yet we will retain our own identity and God will be seen to have raised “it” (that is, the body in which we have lived and died) from the dead, 1Cor.15.42. The special relationship between the body and the personality is, therefore, important.

They arrived to find that Lazarus had been buried for four days (in that part of the world people are buried the same day that they die) and, Bethany being relatively close to Jerusalem (under two miles), many of the Jews had come to comfort the family in their grief and so as they arrived there were many mourners in Bethany, vv.17-19. Mourning is a natural expression of loss, and it is right that we support people who have been bereaved but we must always remember that as God’s people, whilst we sorrow, we “sorrow not … as others which have no hope” 1Thess.4.13. The body is sown in sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead.

LIGHT AND LIFE – vv.20-27

The three strands of love, light and life have all been described in vv.1-19. The strands of light and life now begin to intertwine as it is here that Martha will be educated by the Lord as the light of truth is brought to her simple faith in resurrection. It is here that Martha will learn that the Lord Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Martha is the first to go looking for the Lord Jesus. We have been introduced to Mary’s praise in v.2 and we are now seeing the prayer of Martha, who is stirred to go to Christ with petitions as soon as she hears of His coming, v.20. Mary stays where she is. Is she unsure what she is going to say? Or is she so traumatised with grief that she cannot move? Or is she simply the more passive sister and Martha the more active one? Martha’s petition and communion with the Lord reveal important lessons about prayer. There are five principles we would like to consider:

Reverence

She calls Him “Lord” v.21. He had often stayed in her house, and He was a real friend of those in the home and yet there was a respect and a reverence. It is an amazing fact that His disciples never once addressed Him directly as “Jesus”. Neither should we.

Reality

She speaks with authenticity to the Lord: “Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died’ v.21. It is good when we can be honest with the Lord in prayer and not feel we must put on a ‘front’. He knows us. He knows our “downsitting and [our] uprising” Ps.139.2. There is nothing hidden from Him. God wants us to have openness in prayer and to tell Him how we feel.

Request

She beautifully adds a request in faith. “But I know, that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee” v.22. She really believes that all is not lost and that the Lord can do anything. She knows He moves in harmony with the Father. The Lord said, “When ye pray, believe” Mk.11.24. Martha is doing this. Paul teaches that in the prayer meetings of the assembly the men should pray publicly “without … doubting” 1Tim.2.8. May we make our petitions in faith!

The Lord’s response is masterful: “Thy brother shall rise again” v.23. The clear response to the request of faith is the promise of resurrection life.

Rehearsing

Martha tells the Lord what she knows from Scripture. She indicates that she already knows that Lazarus will rise in the last day in the resurrection, v.24, as, for example, Daniel had prophesied, Dan.12.2,3, and Isaiah, Isa.26.19, and Job, Job 19.25-27, had believed. It is good when our reading of Scripture is reflected in our communion and times of prayer with the Lord. None of the three recorded resurrections in the Old Testament, 1Kgs.17.23; 2Kgs.4.32-37; 13.21, involved removal from the grave, but perhaps Martha was particularly affected by the teaching of Job due to the fact that Lazarus’ body had decayed in death. Job believes he will be personally raised again irrespective of the state of his body: “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” Job 19.26. He also says when this will happen, namely, when his Redeemer walks upon this earth, v.25. David, too, was sure that he would be raised again and that he would see his Saviour face to face: “As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness” Ps.17.15. If Job’s expectation is of a physical resurrection, David goes further, saying he will awake with the likeness of God. Daniel teaches that there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust, Dan.12.2,3. These are the Scriptures that Martha would be referring to and the Lord is ready to illuminate her faith even further.

The Lord responds with a most astounding statement: “I am the resurrection, and the life” Jn.11.25a. This remarkable statement is pregnant with meaning, not only speaking of God’s future intention in resurrection, but bringing it into a present reality (He says “am”, not ‘will be’) and enshrining it all in His own glorious Person: “I AM”. That life was always and ever only to be found in Him. It now becomes a present reality to those who believe in Him. This was His big reason for returning to Bethany: that they might believe, v.15.

The Lord then adds, “he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” v.25b. This can be taken in two ways. It could mean that those who believe and who die physically will be raised again physically. It could also mean that those who were dead spiritually, Eph.2.1, but now believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall live in Him and know the real meaning of eternal life: which is why John’s Gospel was written, Jn.20.31. Both are blessedly true, and frequently in this Gospel the Lord speaks of both truths in the same breath. This is seen in 5.25: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God”. This is true at both a spiritual and a physical level, and refers both to the time when He was speaking and to the future.

The Lord concludes these remarks by saying, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die” 11.26. The same dual level of meaning, physically and spiritually, can also be seen in this statement. It might mean that those who are alive spiritually, that is, believers in the Lord Jesus, with eternal life, will never ever really know true death, that is, spiritual death (see the earlier discussion on vv.11-14). It might also be giving us an insight into the return of Christ for His people, meaning those who are believers in the Lord Jesus and alive physically when He returns to the air, will never ever die physically, as they will be given transformed bodies. This is certainly the teaching of 1Cor.15.51: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed”. Others who had been resurrected would die again (like Lazarus) but He had the power to change bodies without dying and those He did raise from the dead would never ever know what it is to die again. What a Saviour!

The Lord asks Martha if she believes this. Of course, He knows she does, but He wants her to confess her faith and so Martha responds.

Revelation of Faith

This “I believe” moment is very special, v.27, and Martha speaks so highly to Christ of His Person and work:

“She saith unto Him, ‘Yea, Lord’” – Sovereignty
“I believe that Thou art the Christ” – Sanctified, Separated One, Anointed
“The Son of God” – Son of God
“Which should come into the world” – Sent One/Saviour

This confession of salvation is in a long line of testimonies in John’s Gospel: John the Baptist, 1.34; Nathanael, 1.49; Peter, 6.69; blind man, 9.35-38; Thomas, 20.28; John, 20.31.

The testimony given here by Martha shows that she comprehends and appreciates the revelation of light that the Lord has given her concerning the resurrection life that He has promised to those who believe in Him. The theme of faith and believing is a recurring one in chapter 11.

LOVE AND LIFE – vv.28-37

Love’s Discernment

This section deals with the sorrow of Mary and the friends and family who were there, but it also teaches us about the sorrow of Christ. It starts by telling us that Martha manages to get a message to her sister in secret (possibly by a note) saying the Master has come and is calling for her, v.28. Mary immediately leaves to go to the Lord, Who is currently outside Bethany, vv.29,30. Although the Lord was not with her physically, He still felt for her and wanted her to come to Him. We must not think that, because the Lord is in heaven, He does not care for us in our situation. He wants us to come to Him in prayer and sometimes He calls us into a place of solitude to show us how much He cares.

The mourners who are in the home at Bethany think that Mary has gone to the grave, and they follow her, v.31. But her steps take her not to the grave but to the Lord. In our grief we can choose to either visit our ‘graves’ and be occupied with our losses or else we can go to the Lord and cast all our cares upon Him, 1Pet.5.7. She reiterates the same words as Martha, v.32, without adding Martha’s wonderful request. The similarity of the words indicates that they must have discussed this together as they considered the Lord’s words: “this sickness is not unto death” v.4. The Lord, however, deals with Mary in a different way to Martha. With Martha, explanation was required, but it was not for Mary to receive a lesson of the great theology and doctrine of resurrection; instead, the Lord notices that Mary is weeping. It is works, not words, she needs; affection is required, not answers. When people are emotionally traumatised, sometimes sympathy and love are needed more than teaching. In fact, what she needed to know was that the Lord cared, and He did.

Love’s Depths

Their sorrow affected Him: “Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping” v.33. It resulted in the Lord groaning deeply: “He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled” v.33. A paraphrase of 1Pet.5.7 says, ‘It matters to Him about you’. He cares. His sorrow was “in the spirit”; it went deeper in Him than in anybody else. He asked, “Where have ye laid him?” v.34. He knew, of course, but He wanted them to lead Him to Lazarus so that they could see a demonstration of Divine power, and believe. They said, “Come and see” v.34. “Jesus wept” v.35. Oh what depths are in these two words! Real, salty tears coursed down the cheeks of the Lord. This was not meant to be. Sin had cursed this beautiful earth. Death and disease were foreign to His Person and yet His sorrow was deep, so deep. However, His tears were not tears of frustration: He was about to raise Lazarus. Nor were they tears of repentance (often our tears are laced with regret for our own actions). Nor were they tears of pretence; here were tears of genuine sorrow for Mary and Martha and the family and the community so affected by the loss. His tears were a demonstration of His love for them all, including the sorrow of the temporary loss of Lazarus, which is why they exclaimed, “Behold how He loved him!” v.36. They only partially understood His sorrow and love, but they knew He cared. Mary’s sister Martha had once said to Him, “Dost thou not care …?” Lk.10.40. But surely both are very clear now of the care of Christ. And yet, in the very climax of this sorrow, there were people who thought He could have done more, v.37. Such is the way of the carnal mindset. The miracle of the blind man, John chapter 9, was still being spoken about and some felt He could have made more of an effort to save Lazarus from dying. If they had just waited a few more minutes, they would have seen what He would do as the Lord of life, but such is the hard heart of men that they will not believe, despite the evidence.

LIGHT, LIFE AND LOVE – vv.38-45

Light

Lazarus’ body is in a tomb with a large stone over the entrance, v.38. The Lord instructs them to remove the stone and Martha states that Lazarus’ body is decomposing and smelling, as he has been dead four days, v.39. He responds to her that believing is seeing (and not seeing is believing), which is a theme in the Gospel of John, Jn.1.48-50. He implicitly reminds her of her confession of faith earlier, v.27, and that she would see the glory of God, v.40. Therefore, they remove the stone, and the Lord lifts up His eyes and begins to speak to His Father in prayer. What a change in vista: from the darkness of the tomb to the light of heaven; from the corruption of sin to the incorruptible righteousness of His Father! He thanks the Father that He has heard Him and adds that He knows that He hears Him always, vv.41,42. Only One Who is God could say that. He was in constant communion with His Father, but His petition is for the people who stand by: “that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me” v.42. He could bring Lazarus to life, but He could not make them believe. This was something each must do for himself or herself. He or she must receive the light of His Word. He demonstrates why they should believe on Him: that there is complete harmony and equality between Him and His Father.

Life

The evidence that should cause them to have faith in Him was not only by His prayer but in His loud and powerful words: “Lazarus, come forth” v.43: He is sovereign over death. The result was that Lazarus emerged from the cave bound with his grave clothes upon him, including a napkin about his face, v.44. This tremendous chapter also seems to illustrate how people who are “dead in trespasses and sins” Eph.2.1, can hear the voice of the Son of God. First there is the call that goes out: “the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God”, then there is conversion as they respond, and they are given eternal life: “and they that hear shall live” Jn.5.25. The Lord is the author of all life, both spiritual and physical, Jn.5.28.

Love

But then come the added words: “Loose him, and let him go” Jn.11.44, which metaphorically speak of our need, after salvation, to ‘take the old grave clothes off’ and change our lifestyle to ‘walk worthily’ of our new life with Christ. Salvation changes the life, and people need instructed that certain practices must change. New converts often require support: “Loose him” means they helped Lazarus get the clothes off. We are not always so good at helping new believers ‘get the old clothes off’! We often leave it to them to do it themselves or else we treat them harshly if they do not conform. Helping new believers is an important expression of love for our brothers and sisters, and it takes time and patience.

DARKNESS, DEATH AND HATRED – vv.46-57

Not all believed on the Lord Jesus. We cannot compel people to believe. The power of God can be forcibly demonstrated but the Lord Jesus must still be willingly received. Some of those who witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection were simply spies asked to report back to the Jewish leaders, v.46. The shocking end to this story is found in a meeting of the Sanhedrin. Instead of falling on their faces in amazement at the power of Christ, they are conferring how they can kill the Lord Jesus. They cannot doubt that He has done a miracle; actually, they testify to the fact that He has done many miracles, v.47. However, their concern is not about the truth of His Person but their privileges within Roman society, v.48, the lifestyle they currently enjoy and their power over the people. The popularity of Christ might result in Rome taking away their privileges. This collusion with the Romans also happened when our Lord was crucified. Although the Jews hated the Romans, they conferred with them against a ‘common enemy’: the Christ. Caiaphas believes that it is critical that “one man should die for the people” v.50, as a ‘scapegoat’ to restore order. In their perverted minds that Person is Christ, Whom they plot to kill, vv.49-52. Amazingly God allows Caiaphas to say something which became blessedly true, and which he did not fully understand: it was indeed through the death of Christ He would gather the children of God together. Caiaphas would ultimately send Christ to Pilate to be crucified. Yet here, he is prophesying that the Lord Jesus would bring Israelites and Gentiles together as one flock, Jn.10.16. God can use the most evil of men to say the most astonishing and truthful things even when they cannot comprehend what they are saying. We will, solemnly, be judged by our own words.

The effect of all of this is that the Lord is unable to walk and teach openly amongst the Jews and so He returns to the Perean wilderness, to a place called Ephraim, some fifteen miles north of Jerusalem, teaching His disciples, v.54. His journey back to Jerusalem was imminent, as He would die at Passover. Many were going up to Jerusalem for the Passover and the Jewish leaders openly sought information regarding the whereabouts of the Lord Jesus. The word ‘purify’ used of the Passover, v.55, is a real paradox. They are seeking religious purity whilst plotting murder, v.53. Religion does not save; it blinds. This is the true spirit of the reprobates, who, knowing the truth, take pleasure in them that do evil, Rom.1.32. The Lord was on His way, at the appointed time and the appointed place, to die for the whole world, but they would not benefit from His sacrifice as they had refused the light, the love and living power of His resurrection.

CONCLUSION

In one marvellous scene at the grave of Lazarus, John has described the love of Christ, the life of Christ and the light of Christ. We have witnessed the power of Christ in raising Lazarus and have been given instruction on the true nature of death and resurrection. We have also observed something of true love and of the Lord’s sympathy and care for us as we see Him weeping, whilst we are also being educated on love’s delays and why the Lord does not always immediately answer our prayers. We have watched Martha’s faith develop through the counsel of the Saviour and marvelled at His touching care for Mary. Observing these three very different individuals, Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and their love for the Lord and for one another, and His love to them, should inspire us to love Him more and express our love to one another sensitively and more fully until He comes again. May all our homes and each assembly be a ‘Bethany’. Finally, we have been challenged as to how we help new converts as we hear the Lord’s instruction to help Lazarus take his old clothes off. May we take the life-giving message of Christ to a world around us and when people are saved, show the love of Christ to them practically, by supporting them and enlightening them to the truth of God’s Word.