Ep. 77: Raising of Lazarus

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JOHN 11:1-54

The raising of Lazarus marks the highest point in the ministry of our Lord; it is the climax of a history where all is miraculous; the Person, the Life, the Words, the Work. As regards Jesus, we have here the fullest evidence alike of his Divinity and Humanity; as regards those who witnessed it, the highest manifestation of faith and of unbelief. Here we have our first clear outlook on the death and resurrection of Christ, of which the raising of Lazarus was the prelude.

He had indeed raised the dead before, but it had been in far-off Galilee and in circumstances essentially different. But now it would be one so well known as Lazarus, at the very gates of Jerusalem, in the sight of all men. If this miracle is true, we instinctively feel all is true; and Spinoza was right in saying that, if he could believe the raising of Lazarus, he would tear to shreds his system, and humbly accept the creed of Christians. But is it true? We have reached a stage in this story when such a question might seem almost uncalled for.

Edersheim, though, is emphatic:

‘For we have learned to trust the Gospels and, as we have followed him, the conviction has deepened into joyous assurance, that he, who spoke and lived as none other, is in no doubt the Christ of God. And yet we ask ourselves here this question again, on account of its absolute and infinite importance; because this may be regarded as the highest and decisive moment in this story. Because, in truth, it is to the historical faith of the Church what the great Confession of Peter was to that of the disciples.’

The fact of miracles runs counter to our everyday experiences and expectations but draws us to the possibility of direct Divine interaction. The existence of a God implies at least the possibility of miracles. In terms of the raising of Lazarus, we may be rationally asked these three things; firstly, that no other explanation is rationally possible; secondly, that such a view of it is consistent with itself and with all the details of the narrative and thirdly, that it is harmonious with what precedes and what follows the narrative. This is a tall order, so how does it all pan out?

It was while in Perea that a message suddenly reached Jesus from the home at Bethany of Mary and her sister Martha, concerning their (younger) brother Lazarus. ‘Lord, behold he whom you love is sick!’ The messenger was apparently dismissed by Jesus with this reply, ‘his sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified thereby.’ The Apostles would naturally now assume that Lazarus would not die and that his restoration would glorify Jesus. Its true meaning was that the death of Lazarus was to be the starting point of our story.

Lazarus died and the message came back, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ Yet all this while Jesus knew that Lazarus had died and yet stayed where he was for another two days. He is never in haste because he is always sure. They eventually prepared for the journey. He next spoke of Lazarus, their ‘friend,’ as ‘fallen asleep’, in the frequent Jewish (as well as Christian) figurative sense of it and of his going there to wake him out of sleep.

Even his disciples had no clue what he was saying, so much did they need the lesson of faith about to be taught them by the raising of Lazarus! When they arrived, Lazarus had been four days in the grave. According to custom. He would be buried the same day that he had died. Lazarus would not have laid in a cemetery, but in his own private tomb in a cave, probably in a garden, the favourite place of interment.

Jesus arrived at Bethany. As Bethany was only about two miles from Jerusalem many from the city, who were on friendly terms with what was evidently a distinguished family, had come in obedience to one of the most binding Rabbinic directions, that of comforting the mourners. In the funeral procession, the sexes had been separated and the practice probably prevailed even at that time for the women to return alone from the grave. Then began the mourning in the house, which really lasted thirty days, of which the first three were most important. The others, during the seven days, or the special week of sorrow, of less intense mourning. But on the Sabbath, as God’s holy day, all mourning had ceased.

Martha hastened to meet the Master. Not a word of complaint, not a murmur, nor doubt, escaped her lips. Even now, when it all seemed too late, it must have been difficult for them. And still, there was the hope that even now God would give Jesus whatsoever he asked.

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and this, the new teaching about the resurrection, was the object and the meaning of the raising of Lazarus. And so this raising of Lazarus prefigures his own Resurrection, ‘the first-fruits from the dead.’

It seems that the Master called for Mary. She was probably sitting in the chamber of mourning, with its upset chairs and couches and other tokens of mourning, as was the custom, surrounded by many who had come to comfort them. As she heard of his coming and call, she rose quickly and the Jews followed her, under the impression that she was again going to visit and to weep at the tomb of her brother. For it was the practice to visit the grave, especially during the first three days.

When she came to Jesus, she forgot everything and could only fall at his feet. And the Jews who witnessed it were moved and wept with her. And now they were at the cave which was Lazarus’ tomb. He bade them roll aside the great stone which covered its entrance. Amidst the awful pause which preceded obedience, one voice only was raised. It was that of Martha. Jesus had not spoken of raising Lazarus. But what was about to be done? She could scarcely have thought that he merely wished to gaze once more upon the face of the dead. Something nameless had seized her. She dared not believe, she dared not disbelieve.

Did she, perhaps, not dread a failure? It was the common Jewish idea that corruption commenced on the fourth day, that the drop of gall, which had fallen from the sword of the Angel and caused death, was then working its effect and that, as the face changed, the soul took its final leave from the resting-place of the body.

Edersheim describes what then happened:

‘Only one sentence Jesus spoke, of gentle reproof. And now the stone was rolled away. One loud command spoken into that silence, one loud call to that sleeper, one flash of God’s Own Light into that darkness and the wheels of life again moved at the outgoing of The Life. And, still bound hand and foot with graveclothes and his face with the napkin, Lazarus stood forth, shuddering and silent, in the cold light of earth’s day.’

What happened next? Some of those who had seen it believed in him, others hurried back to Jerusalem to tell it to the Pharisees, who convened a meeting of the Sanhedrists, not to judge him, but to plan what to do next. Here there could be no question that he was really doing these miracles. But whether really of Satanic power or merely a Satanic delusion, one thing, at least, was evident; that if he were left alone, all men would believe in him!

And that was unthinkable because, if he then led the Messianic movement of the Jews as a nation, then the Jewish City and Temple and Israel as a nation would perish in the fight with Rome. But what was to be done? They had not the courage for judicial murder until Caiaphas, the High Priest, reminded them of the well-known Jewish adage, that it ‘is better one man should die than the community perish.’

This was the last prophecy in Israel. With the sentence of death on Israel’s true High Priest, prophecy and the High Priesthood died. It had condemned itself. They had reached the point of no return.

Someone, perhaps Nicodemus, sent word of the secret meeting and resolution of the Sanhedrists. That Friday and the next Sabbath Jesus rested in Bethany, then he withdrew and continued with his disciples, withdrawn from the Jews, until he would make his final entrance into Jerusalem.

This is an extract from the book, Jesus : Life and Times, available for £10 here (Finalist for Academic Book of the year at 2023 CRT awards)