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Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days 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, lately the Jews sought 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 one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go , that we may die with Him."
- John 11:1-16
In yesterday's reading, after Jesus said, "I and My Father are one," the leadership took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a Man, make Yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand. And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true." And many believed in Him there.
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Thus begins the story of the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus. This will be the sign that "seals the deal" on the Jewish authorities' decision to put Jesus to death. Bethany is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem. My study bible tells us that Lazarus is the same name as "Eleazar" which means "God helps." This is a family very beloved to Jesus. So well-known to his readers is the story of Mary and the fragrant oil that John refers to it here, although it appears later in his Gospel.
Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." My study bible says, "This message is sent back to Mary and Martha to strengthen them so that when Lazarus dies, they may take confidence in Christ's words. The Son of God being glorified must not be understood to be the cause of Lazarus dying; instead, this indicates Christ will be glorified as a result of his death (which occurred from a natural illness) and his being raised from the dead."
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. My study bible notes that Jesus waits two more days in order for Lazarus to be dead long enough so that corruption of his body could set in; in this way, no one could doubt the miracle. The might of the Lord would clearly be seen by all. It's important to note that Jesus is motivated here by His great love of this family of sisters and brother.
Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" The disciples refer to the authorities' behavior at the beginning of yesterday's reading, in which they attempted to stone Him for declaring, "I and My Father are one."
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 one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." Again, Jesus seems to be referring back to another statement He has made about Himself, just before healing the man who was blind since birth: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Compare His words here about walking in the day, to His teaching that He must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day in that earlier reading.
These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. My study bible references the use of the word "sleep" for those who have passed in Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30 and 15:6.
Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." A note in my study bible tells us, "Thomas's statement is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom. It also illustrates the path that all believers must take -- that we die daily to the world for the sake of following Christ (Luke 9:23-24)." See also St. Paul, 1 Cor. 15:31: "I die daily."
The subject of death itself becomes an issue with today's reading: an issue that Jesus confronts for us head-on. He speaks of walking in the light while it is day; He has already told us that "as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Darkness and death go together, along with all the human fears of death itself, death as an entity, as a representation of what evil does and is in all its forms. But here, Christ, who already knows that He is headed for crucifixion and death on the Cross, addresses death itself, for all of us. Before His own Resurrection, His friend Lazarus faces death, and enters into that place of death and corruption. Jesus, as the light of day, will shed light that will change forever our understanding of what death is, and isn't. It is not "the end." Not with His light and His help. Our first hint about the ways in which we are to think of death, as His followers, comes here with the word sleep. Sleep is not a final rest, it is something from which we are to awaken. It is sometimes a sign that we aren't paying attention, that we need the light, and that we need to look around and be attentive to the reality that is truly present to us. But death is forever changed by Christ, and we get a great and powerful preview of what this means in His love for this family, His delay so that there is no doubt of Lazarus' death, and in the seventh and final sign that is to come. Let us remember His light that is our day, that keeps us from walking in the darkness of ignorance and fear.
