I am the resurrection and the life

 

 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."   

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  

 

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But 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 at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

 

- John 11:1-27 

 

In the first few verses of yesterday's reading, Jesus was still in a dialogue with the religious leaders in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles.  These verses follow the sixth sign of seven given in John's Gospel, the gift of sight to a man who was blind from birth.   Yesterday we read that therefore there was a division again among the religious leaders because of Christ's sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"  Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."  Then the Jews 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 who 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.  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 comments that 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.  What this indicates is rather that Christ will be glorified as a result of his death (which occurred from a natural illness) and his being raised from the dead.  Bethany is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem.  My study Bible explains also that Lazarus is the same name as "Eleazar" which literally means "God helps."  Note also that there is a reference here to Mary that notes an event not recorded in the Gospel until the following chapter (John 12:3).  

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."   Christ delays in order for Lazarus to be dead long enough that the corruption of his body could set in.  In this way, no one could doubt the miracle, and the might of the Lord, my study Bible says, would be clearly seen by all.  The disciples reference an attempt to stone Jesus which occurred at the Feast of Dedication, reported in yesterday's reading (see above).  Jesus says, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps" -- compare to Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:6.

 

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."   My study Bible says that Thomas' statement here is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It is also an illustation of the path that all believers need to take -- that we die daily to the world for the sake of following Christ (Luke 9:23-24).  

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.   My study Bible indicates that mourning began on the day of a person's death.  Weeping and wailing lasted three days, it says; lamentation lasted one week; and general mourning lasted thirty days.  Here we see that, similar to the story recorded at Luke 10:38-42, these two sisters respond differently to Christ's arrival.  Martha is inclined to active service, and she rushes out to meet Jesus.  Mary, by contrast, remains in mourning until she is called by Jesus (John 11:28-29).  Sitting was the traditional posture when mourning and receiving other mourners (Job 2:8, 13; Ezekiel 8:14).  

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  While Martha possesses great faith, my study Bible comments, her statements indicate a lack of understanding about Jesus.  She says, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died," revealing that she doesn't fully understand that Christ is God, as she thinks He needed to be present to effect healings.  (Contrast this with John 4:46-54.)  When she says, "I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You" it shows that she lacks understanding that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as He wills.  

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."  Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life."  In order to correct Martha's misunderstanding, Christ declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  My study Bible notes that such is the power of these words that Martha is immediately led to her great confession of faith.  "Do you believe this?" is not a question directly only to Martha, it says, but to all of us.  

 

Christ has the power of life and death.  Even before Holy Week, which we will celebrate next week, before His Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection, here in what is about to happen with Jesus' friends Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary, we will witness this power of life and death.  He tells us (and Martha) plainly, "I am the resurrection and the life."  Note how already, prior to the events that are about to take place, Jesus' emphasis is on belief, on faith.  He says, "He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."  Faith, then, allows us to participate in His life.  That is, in His life, death, and Resurrection.  But this is His power to share, to convey, to bestow.  And this is what will be on display in the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus.  In this story, we will see several things on display about Jesus.  Of course, we hear this monumental, staggering news:  that the One who is the resurrection and the life is present to us as one of us in this world.  But at the same time, what is on display in this story is also fully human.  He is the special friend to this family, to Martha, Mary, and Lazarus -- and we will see that much further along in tomorrow's reading in Christ's fully compassionate response to their sorrow.  In a certain way, the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus, will give us the fullness of the Incarnate Christ.  He will manifest the profound sympathetic depths of His humanity and the transcendent ineffable power of His divinity.  The seventh and final sign in John's Gospel will also be the one that decides the religious leaders once and for all that they must rid themselves of Jesus, and it will lead to His death on the Cross.  The fullness of His life as Jesus the Incarnate Christ will lead to what He will call His hour of glory (John 12:23).  Let us, through our faith, abide in Him, and He in us, as the resurrection and the life. 

 

 

 

You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish

 

 Then many of Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

 

- John 11:45-54 

 

In yesterday's reading we read of the completion of Christ's seventh and final sign in the Gospel of John, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  At this point in the story, Jesus had not yet come into the town of Bethany where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

 Then many of Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.   Once again we note that the term the Jews in John's Gospel usually indicates the religious leadership.  In this case, it indicates those from families in Jerusalem, likely connected to the Jewish ruling classes (such as the Pharisees mentioned here), who come to mourn Lazarus' death with Martha and Mary (see yesterday's reading, above).  On today's entire reading, my study Bible has a single note.  It explains to us that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.  It notes that the failings or even wickedness of the officeholder do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Here, Caiaphas means only that the death of Jesus Christ will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  But God's meaning is something entirely different, that all people will be saved through the death of the Son. 

 

The "unwittingly prophetic" plays a significant role in the Gospels, in the story of Jesus Christ, particularly at these moments of high tension or crisis.  Here in today's reading is perhaps the most important example, when Caiaphas, acting as high priest, makes this statement in which he intends one meaning but God speaks through him with another.    In saying that "it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish," the Christian perspective recognizes the clear message of Jesus Christ as Savior.  He will die for all, as He has said.  In John's chapter 3, Jesus told Nicodemus, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:14-17).  This has been the clear message of Christ's teaching about Himself, and will become more explicit as the story of Christ's Passion, death, and Resurrection unfolds, and in the whole history of the Church.  There are other examples of what we can call unwitting prophecies, such as in our recent reading when Christ's disciple Thomas said of Jesus' going to Lazarus who was dying, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (see this reading).  Thomas meant this statement with one understanding which was his at the time, but it is a prophecy of the lives of martyrdom that the disciples would go on to lead.  There is yet another profound example to come in the events of Christ's Passion, found in Matthew's Gospel, and that is when the people shout at Christ's Crucifixion.  That happens as Pilate washes his hands before the crowd demanding Jesus' death and declares, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it."  We're told that all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Whatever way this can be read or intended (or twisted to justify the sinful persecution of Jewish people), it is seen in the eyes of the Church as not a curse but an unwitting blessing, for it is the blood of Christ that is our means of salvation, as shown when so many in Jerusalem would come to repentance and faith as on the day of Pentecost when thousands were baptized (Acts 2:41).  The story of Jesus is filled with paradox; perhaps the greatest paradox of all is the one we continue to ponder:  why does the means of our salvation happen through the events of Christ's Passion and Holy Week?  But through these events, which are effectively begun through the raising of Lazarus and the meeting of the Sanhedrin in today's reading, God will work to bring salvation to the world and the power of redemption to humanity -- and this is indeed a great paradox.  At such a point of crisis we find God intervenes in the most extraordinary ways, and this is what we should take with us from today's reading.  For even in the midst of this darkest of plotting against Christ the Savior, prophesy is at work, and grace is at work, and we must say that God is in this sense present.  Let us accept this profound paradox as we move ahead into the story to come through John's Gospel.  

 

 

 

 

 

See how He loved him!

 

 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

- John 11:30-44 

 

In yesterday's reading, we read that when Jesus came to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus in Bethany, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But 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 at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."  And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

 

  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."   My study Bible points out that Mary approaches Christ with the identical words Martha used (see yesterday's reading, above).  It notes that while Jesus engaged Martha with words, here He engages Mary with deeds -- the raising of her brother from the dead which is to come. 

 

 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"   My study Bible comments that John emphasizes that Jesus wept and groaned in spirit, in order to show He had fully taken on human nature, and He was subject to grief as any human being would be.  It says that weeping is the natural response to the tragedy of death.  At Compline of Lazarus Saturday, the Orthodox Church sings a hymn that declares, "Shedding tears by Your own choice, You have given us proof of Your heartfelt love."  Once again, we reiterate that the term the Jews is most often used in John's Gospel to indicate the religious leaders.  In this case, these are people who have come from Jerusalem, likely among prominent families, to mourn with Martha and Mary. 

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Although Martha's faith has increased, my study Bible says (compare to yesterday's reading, above), she still understood neither Christ's will nor His power.  It notes that the spices and oils used to anoint a dead body would only hold the stench of decomposition at bay for a short time.  In many icons of the raising of Lazarus, we see bystanders covering their noses, which illustrates both the reality of his corrupted flesh and the fact that many did not believe Christ could raise the dead.

  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  In order to show Christ's divine will was one with the Fathers, and that His human will was freely subject in all ways to the Father's, my study Bible says that Jesus prays aloud for the sake of the people. 

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  My study Bible cites the passage in John 5:25-29 for reference here.  It notes that Christ calls Lazarus forth, not in the name of the Father, but by His own authority.  This shows the people that while Christ came from the Father, He fully possesses divine authority in Himself.

And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."  That Lazarus came out bound in his graveclothes is frequently seen in patristic literature as an indication that he will need them again; in other words, Lazarus' resurrection continues an earthly life which will again end in death.  Christ's graveclothes, by contrast, will be left in the tomb (John 20:5-7).  Unlike that of Lazarus, my study Bible says, Christ's Resurrection transfigures human nature.  He will never die again.  My study Bible adds that this seventh and final sign of John's Gospel prepared the disciples to believe in Christ's Resurrection.  But in the words of the Orthodox hymn for the day, it also "confirmed the universal resurrection," proving Christ has the power to fulfill the promise given to Ezekiel that all the dead will one day rise (Ezekiel 37:1-13). 

Today's passage gives us a number of indications of Jesus' deep feelings of love for Martha and Mary and Lazarus.  We're told of Jesus' encounter with Mary, who fell down at His feet.  We're told that when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  The shortest verse in the Holy Bible is Jesus wept.  Those who have come from Jerusalem to mourn with the sisters say, "See how He loved him!"  As Jesus approaches the tomb of Lazarus He is groaning in Himself.  Each of these things are indications of love, and moreover they are indications of compassion and also empathy.  How do we discern if these are Christ's human emotions, or they also encompass His divine persona?   The Gospel doesn't seem to distinguish a difference.  At any rate, we know that our Lord has experienced all of what it is in our human context to feel anguish at another's pain, to experience mourning and sorrow and all the effects that death has on community and family.  We can see His response to the weeping of His friend Mary, and that He groaned in spirit and was troubled, and groaned as He went to the tomb.  These things indicate turmoil based on His friend's death and the mourning of the others.  But then He says, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  This seems to indicate that what transpires, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, is done at Jesus' request of the Father.  It indicates a deep love between Father and Son that goes both ways, and a deep gratitude on the part of the Son, Jesus Christ.  This final astounding, decisive sign in John's Gospel, which will more or less effectively complete Christ's earthly ministry is an act requested by Christ, and fulfilled by the Father who has put all authority and the power of life in Christ's hands.  We know once and for all who He is, and so do the religious leaders who will now plot to kill Him.  His is the power of life, as He has said to Martha, in yesterday's reading:  "I am the resurrection and the life."   In human terms and earthly life, it has been conventionally observed that "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely" (Lord Acton).  But in our Lord, we see something entirely different.  Christ has the power of life and death, and He has it absolutely, because it has been given by the Father.  But in Jesus, we see compassion and love, we see a man moved by grief because His friends whom He loves are suffering, because His friend Lazarus has died.  And in terms of the use of His power, it is used to express compassion and love, and to proclaim to the world the truth about who Jesus is, and that He is sent by the Father.  We faithful are left with an indelible understanding of Christ's power of life that reigns over all, of His love, and His deep and touching tenderness and compassion for human suffering -- and His capacity for the bonds of friendship.  In these we take heart and place our trust.

 

 

 

 

 

The Teacher has come and is calling for you

 

 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  

 

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But 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 at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."  And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

 

- John 11:17–29 

 

Yesterday we read that 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."

 

 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. We recall that in yesterday's reading, the Gospel told us that Jesus had delayed His coming to Bethany by two days; in this way Jesus did not arrive before Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.  My study Bible explains that there existed a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but after four days resuscitation would be impossible.  

And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.   In Jewish practice, mourning began on the day of a person's death.  My study Bible notes that weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation for one week; and general mourning lasted 30 days.  Here we see the prominence of this family, as John's Gospel most frequently uses the term the Jews to denote those among the Jewish ruling classes of the temple in Jerusalem.  Bethany, the town of Martha and Mary, was nearby, to the east of Jerusalem.  

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  My study Bible asks us to compare this description of the two sisters and their different reactions to Christ arrival, with the passage in Luke 10:38-42.  They respond consistent with their characters as described in the incident recorded by Luke.  Martha is inclined to active service, and she rushes out to meet Jesus.  Mary remains in mourning until she is called by Christ.  Sitting, my study Bible says, was the traditional posture when mourning and receiving other mourners (Job 2:8, 13; Ezekiel 8:14).  

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."   Even though Martha possesses great faith, nevertheless her statements indicate a lack of understanding about Christ.  My study Bible notes that in saying, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha reveals she does not fully see that Christ is God, believing that He needs to be present to heal (compare this with the healing of the nobleman's son, at John 4:46-54).  When she says, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You," she shows her lack of understanding that Jesus as Son possesses full divine authority to act as He wills. 

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."   Jesus teaches, "I am the resurrection and the life."  My study Bible comments that in order to correct Martha's misunderstanding, Christ declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  It notes that such is the power of Christ's words that Martha is immediately led to her great confession of faith.  My study Bible adds that Jesus' question, "Do you believe this?" is a question not only directed to Martha but to all of us. 

And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  Once again, we are led to observe the consistent difference of character between these two sisters, beloved and dear friends of Christ. 

The contrast between Martha and Mary is important, if only so that we understand how God calls us to live our faith.  As these two sisters are both loved by Christ, along with their brother Lazarus (see yesterday's reading, above), we must come to understand how He calls and relates and loves each one.  Each sister expresses herself in a different way.  Martha is consistently portrayed in this story, and also in the passage in Luke (Luke 10:38-42) as one devoted to hospitality, and outward expression of service.  In going out to meet Jesus, she expresses the deep hospitality practices of the region, receiving an honored and beloved guest.  But Mary is the more reserved, and perhaps we may call her studious, in some sense.  She remains in the house, also following tradition, but in the position of mourning due to her brother's passing.  Note that she has also remained with the guests and friends who have come to join and comfort the sisters in their mourning.  Each one in her own way expresses her character, and each is serving in roles fitting to their religious tradition.  Each is beloved of Christ.  While Jesus takes the time to explicitly teach Martha something about Himself and the reality of His divinity (just as He taught her something important about the faith He preaches in the Luke passage), Mary has awaited Christ's call to her.  But as soon as Martha secretly tells her, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you," she arose quickly and came to Him, just as she devotedly sat at His feet and heard His teaching in the passage in Luke, in which Jesus taught Martha that Mary had chosen "that good part."  So each one has her part to play.  It seems to me important that we observe that Christ never teaches these sisters that one has to play the same role as the other.  He never says to them that one has to be more like the other.  He doesn't teach Mary that she should be more hospitable, but He also defends Mary when her sister Martha demands that He tell her to help serve the guests in the passage from Luke.  Neither does He, in that passage, demand that Martha also sit and listen to Him.  But this teaches us how Christ loves and guides each of us.  We will each be called with a particular role to play that suits the uniqueness of our creation by the Lord Himself, for He calls us as we know Him and are known by Him ("My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" - John 10:27).  While most certainly we follow traditions and practices in the Church, sharing the things given to all of us as Christians in community, honoring the saints in the great communion of saints, and knowing the teachings of Christ about Himself, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, there is also a sense in which God's great creativity extends to each one working within this great collective harmony of service in salvation.   The Church in its broadest sense is made up of people from all backgrounds.  St. Paul writes, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him" (Romans 10:12).  This doesn't mean that people cease being Jewish or Greek, but faith in Christ makes of us a new entity in which everything works in synergy for renewal; grace is always at work but expressed both within us and among us (Luke 17:20-21).  If we look at the dynamism of the Church in her myriad saints, we see that there is no cookie-cutter pattern that each fits in terms of expression and persona.  What saints share in common is a deep devotion to faith and love of God, and God's grace working through them.  Each one, no matter how unique their life circumstance, no matter from which time period, teaches us something about our faith.  And this is what we must take from these stories of Martha and Mary, both of whom Jesus loved and they loved Him.  For the Gospels tell us how different and unique each were, yet each was devoted and a friend to Christ, and each grew in faith.  Let us pay close attention to how we are called by the Teacher.

 

 

 

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus

 

 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 

 

Our recent readings have focused on Jesus' attendance at two festivals in Jerusalem; one was the fall Feast of Tabernacles, and the other in winter, the Feast of Dedication (or Hanukkah).  He has been disputing with the religious leaders, and performed the sixth of seven signs in John's Gospel, the healing of a man blind from birth.  He has evaded arrest and stoning, and has been accused of blasphemy, for making Himself equal with God.  Yesterday we read that the religious leaders 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 our 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.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  In this chapter, we will read of the seventh and final "sign" given in John's Gospel, the resurrection of Lazarus.  We have been reading of Christ's disputing in the temple with the religious authorities, but this seventh and final sign will seal their 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 literally means "God helps."  

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 comments that this message is sent back to Mary and Martha in order to strengthen them so that when Lazarus dies, they may take confidence in the words of Christ.  The Son of God being glorified, it says, mustn't be understood to be the cause of Lazarus dying.  This indicates rather that Christ will be glorified as a result of Lazarus' death (which occurred from a natural illness), and 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.  Christ delays His departure for Bethany so that Lazarus will be dead long enough that the corruption of his body sets in.  In this way, my study Bible explains, no one could doubt the miracle, and the might of the Lord would be clearly seen by all.  

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."   The disciples, warning Jesus, are referring to the events in Jerusalem covered in John 10:29-39.   During the Feast of Tabernacles, against the backdrop of celebrations of light (such as the giant lamps which illumined the whole city of Jerusalem on the last night of the festival) Jesus repeatedly spoke of Himself as the light of the world (see John 8:12; 9:5).  

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."  Regarding Christ's comment that Lazarus sleeps, my study Bible asks us to compare it with Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:6.  It adds that Thomas's statement in the final verse here is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  Moreover, 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). 

Jesus begins the journey to the accomplishing of the final "sign" of His ministry, the raising of Lazarus.  We can take into consideration the powerful courage and character it shows about Christ at this time.  First of all, it's interesting that John more or less opens this chapter by introducing Mary as the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair.  This is an event which will be described in the chapter that follows this one, and so what we understand of this verse is that it makes clear that Mary was an important figure in the early Church, and known enough regarding this event of anointing Christ that the Gospel's first hearers would already be able to identify her (see John 12:1-8).  Then John identifies Lazarus as her brother, and emphasizes the closeness of this family to Christ by making explicit the message of the sisters to Jesus:  "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  There is a great bond of love between these sisters and brother and Jesus, and this chapter's events will make that very clear.  So while John goes out of his way to establish the love of Christ for this family, we can take a deeper understanding of Christ's boldness and courage in delaying His trip to Bethany, so that Lazarus will be dead for long enough that his body is corrupted when Jesus arrives.  We only have to consider what confidence in the word of God the Father Jesus has in order to do so, since He clearly knows what He is going to do, affirmed by His words telling the disciples that "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  All of this is deliberate, and yet done, at the same time, with those whom He deeply loves.  This shows a type of detachment and strength of character most thoroughly perfected in Christ, but also belonging to the saints and the faithful throughout the history of the Church.  There is an interesting understanding of the words "meek" or "gentle" as used by Jesus.  For example, when He says, "Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5), or "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).  If we wish to understand meek or gentle as Christ uses these concepts, we're to perceive that it means strength under control.  This is a deep facet of strength, a strength perfected in its necessary dispassion for difficult times or actions.  In this case, the final sign of the Gospel, which will be so stupendous it will decisively lead the religious leaders to plot to kill Jesus.  Jesus shows that great strength of character that allows Him to fully feel His love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and yet remain dispassionate enough to delay His journey, and confident enough to follow the Father to this greatest and most unexpected of miraculous works.  At the same time, He knows it will be the thing that convinces the religious leaders that they must kill Jesus, so that they plot for His crucifixion.  All of these attributes of Jesus, taken together -- love, courage, dispassion, strength, absolute confidence and faith in God the Father -- combine to teach us something about the fullest acquisition of character we might aspire to.  That is, we seek to be "like Christ," and here He exemplifies all the ideals we might aspire to for ourselves, and might acquire through faith and grace working in us to fulfill this image and potential.  There is a deeper echo of the courage involved here in the unwitting prophecy spoken by Thomas, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."  For this also portends not only for Christ but for His followers, for the nascent Church that will be left in the world after Christ's Ascension.  So let us consider these aspects of what today's passage reveals to us, because they all tell us poignant things about faith:  about where it leads, the choices one may have to make, the strength of character that goes into the image of Christ to which we not simply aspire, but which faith and grace will hopefully make in us.  Let us not forget that these are forged in relationships of love.

 

 

 

Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?

 

 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

 

Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  

 

Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  

 

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

- John 11:28–44 

 

Yesterday we read that 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."  So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But 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 at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

 

  And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  We recall from yesterday's reading (see above) that Martha had come out to meet Jesus as He approached their home.  Martha is the sister who is more focused on acts of service, while Mary is the more contemplative sister.  Mary has been sitting in the home, in observance of mourning and receiving other mourners, according to the traditional religious practice (Job 2:8, 13; Ezekiel 8:14.)  As was observed yesterday, in chapter 11 of John's Gospel these two sisters remain true to character evidenced in Luke's Gospel, at Luke 10:38-42.  Let us note Mary's obedience to the word of Christ, the Teacher, as she arose quickly and came to Him.

Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."   "The Jews" are the people who have come from Jerusalem to mourn with Martha and Mary, an indication that these people are likely from among prominent families of the leadership of the religious establishment at the temple.  All of the people in this story are Jews, including Martha and Mary, and the disciples of Christ. 

Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."   Mary approaches Jesus with the same words used by Martha (in yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible comments that while Jesus engaged Martha with words, here He engages Mary with deeds -- the raising of her brother Lazarus from the dead, which follows.  

 

 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"   In yesterday's reading, we were told that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus (see above).  Here, Christ's weeping clearly emphasizes His love for this family, and the compassion experienced at watching Mary and the other mourners weeping for Lazarus.  My study Bible remarks that John emphasizes that Jesus wept and groaned in spirit (verses 33, 38) to show that He had fully taken on human nature, and was therefore subject to grief as any man would be.  It says that weeping is the natural response to the tragedy of death.  An Orthodox hymn for the day of Lazarus Saturday (the day before Palm Sunday on the Orthodox calendar) declares, "Shedding tears by Your own choice, You have given us proof of Your heartfelt love."  Once again, we note that the term "the Jews" is used similarly to a political label in John's Gospel, most frequently indicating the leaders of the religious establishment.  Here, we presume it is used to indicate mourners from among those important families who have come from Jerusalem to mourn with Martha and Mary.  Therefore they are witnesses to the event that will presently take place.  

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  My study Bible comments that although Martha's faith had increased (verses 23-27), she still understood neither Christ's will nor His power.  The spices and oils used to anoint a dead body would only hold the stench of decomposition at bay for a short time, it notes.  In many icons of the raising of Lazarus, bystanders are shown covering their noses with their sleeves, which illustrates both the reality of Lazarus' corrupted flesh, and also the fact that many did not believe Christ could raise the dead.

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  My study Bible comments that to show His divine will was one with the Father's, and that His human will was freely subject in every way to the Father's, Christ prays aloud for the sake of the people. 

 

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  Jesus calls Lazarus forth.  But He does so, not in the name of the Father, but by His own authority.  My study Bible notes that this shows the people that while Christ came from the Father, He fully possesses divine authority in Himself.  See also John 5:28-29. 

 

 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."  My study Bible notes that in patristic commentary, that Lazarus came out bound in his graveclothes is seen by many as an indication that he will need them again -- Lazarus' resurrection continues an earthly life which will again end in death.  Christ's graveclothes, by contrast, will be left in the tomb (John 20:5-7).  Unlike that of Lazarus, Christ's Resurrection transfigures human nature; He will never die again.  This resurrection of Lazarus is the seventh of seven signs which are given in John's Gospel.  My study Bible tells us that not only did it prepare the disciples to believe in Christ's Resurrection, but in the words of the hymn for the day, it also "confirmed the universal resurrection," proving Christ has the power to fulfill the promise given to Ezekiel that all the dead will one day rise (Ezekiel 37:1-13).  

In today's reading we are given the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  The seven signs are (1) changing water into wine (John 2:1-11); (2) curing the nobleman's son (John 4:46-54); (3) healing the paralytic (John 5:1-15); (4) feeding the five thousand (John 6:1-14); (5) walking on water (John 6:15-21); (6) opening the eyes of a blind man (John 9:1-41); and (7), the sign given in today's reading, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  My study Bible explains that John uses the term "signs" in order to show that these miraculous actions point beyond themselves to the truth that the Kingdom of God has come among us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  It is this final sign that will seal the religious authorities' decision to put Jesus to death (John 11:47-50).  Today's event takes place at Bethany, which is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem.  Lazarus,  my study Bible says, is the same name as Eleazar, which literally means "God helps."  As indicated by the notes in my study Bible, this sign is a manifestation of Christ's words in John's fifth chapter, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself" (John 5:25-26).  In John's Prologue, we read, "In Him was life, and His life was the light of men" (John 1:4).  So Christ's ability to have life in Himself -- which He is able to confer to others -- is also connected to Him as the light He brings, and His words (in the next chapter) that one must walk while we have the light, for in the darkness one does not know where one is going (John 12:35).  Therefore according to the Gospel, we both see by that light and live by that light.  But let us consider what this means spiritually for us.  In the raising of Lazarus, we see a literal example of Christ giving life to someone.  If we are to think in the "iconic" sense that the Scriptures give us, we might make of this seventh sign a visible manifestation of Christ's power and how it might work in our own lives.  While we may not experience anything as spectacular as this particular sign in the Gospel, there are countless believers who testify to the experience of being made "alive again" through the power of faith in Christ.  This takes myriad forms, whether it is help in recovery from a devastating loss, or possibly through an addiction crisis with the use of the Twelve Steps, or simply through the uplifting power of the experience of the love we find in Christ and the great cloud of saints we find in communion during prayer.  This revival of Lazarus, which foreshadows Christ's own Resurrection to come (and which we will celebrate on Easter/Pascha), tells us a story of what Christ does and who Christ is, and we cannot limit the things for which that serves as icon which may echo throughout our own lives.  Are you disappointed in a project or plan that seems to have failed?  Is a chapter closed in your life?  Is something broken, like a relationship, or a long-cherished dream?  It is Christ's life and light to which one must turn in such a time; and indeed, in all times.  For this is the light by which we see the way forward, the life that is the light of all people.  This is the truth in this sign, given us in the Gospel, and through the "spirit and life" in the words of Jesus.  It's no accident that in telling the story of the life and light of Christ, we are given today's powerful story in the context of Jesus' great love for Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus.  Moreover, we are given His great compassion, for as He sees the sisters weeping, together with their friends, Jesus groans in the spirit, and also weeps -- giving us this memorably short verse of the Bible, "Jesus wept."  For the life and light of Christ is couched in love, which is the essence of the Divine.  As John also tells us, "God is love" (1 John 4:8).  We need His light and life, and we need God's love.   These shape the qualities that make life even in this world precious to us, and good, and beautiful.  In them, we also may share in beholding the glory of God.  For they remain true even when the world offers us darkness and denial.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 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."  

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  

 

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But 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 at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

 

- John 11:1-27 

 

Yesterday we read that, at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a dispute among the religious leaders because of Jesus' sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of the one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"   Now it was the Feast of Dedication in the Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."  Then the Jews 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.  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."   In today's reading, we begin chapter 11, which reveals the seventh and final sign given in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus of Bethany.  Here, my study Bible comments that the message Christ sends back to the sisters Mary and Martha is meant to strengthen them, so that when Lazarus dies, they may take confidence in His words.  The Son of God being glorified must not be understood to be the cause of the death of Lazarus.  Rather, the teaching indicates that Jesus will be glorified as a result of his dying (which occurred from a natural illness) and of Lazarus 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.  Jesus delays going to Bethany (in Judea, near Jerusalem) in order for Lazarus to be dead long enough that the corruption of his body could set in.  In this way, my study Bible comments, no one could doubt the miracle, and the might of the Lord would be clearly seen by all. 

 

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?"  See the events of John 10:29-39.

 

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."  Jesus has repeatedly referred to Himself as the light of the world (see John 8:12; 9:5).  In the following chapter, Jesus will tell the disciples, "Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (see John 12:35).

 

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."   Regarding one who sleeps, compare to Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:6.

 

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."  My study Bible says that Thomas's statement is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It adds that this 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).  

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  My study Bible tells us that there existed a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but after four days resuscitation would be impossible.  

 

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Mourning began on the day of a person's death, my study Bible explains here.  Weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation lasted one week; and general mourning lasted 30 days.  Evidently Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were of a family significant enough that prominent people from Jerusalem and among the leadership there ("the Jews" is used to designate such positions in John's Gospel) come to mourn with them.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Similarly to the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42, these two sisters respond differently to the arrival of Jesus.  Martha is inclined to active service, such as the duties of hospitality, and rushes out to meet Jesus.  Mary remains in mourning until she is called by Christ (see verses 28-29).  Mary is sitting in the traditional posture when mourning and receiving other mourners (Job 2:8, 13; Ezekiel 8:14).

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  My study Bible comments that, while Martha possesses great faith, her statements here show a lack of understanding about Christ.  When she says, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha reveals that she doesn't fully see that Christ is God, as she believes He needed to be present to heal (contrast this with John 4:46-54).  When she tells Jesus, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You," she is showing her lack of comprehension that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as He wills. 

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."  Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life."  My study Bible says that in order to correct Martha's misunderstanding (see immediate prior verses, above), Christ declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  It says that such is the power of these words that Martha is immediately led to her great confession of faith, here in the final verse of today's reading. "Do you believe this?" is a question which my study Bible says is directed not only to Martha, but to all of us.   

Once again, we read about the great emphasis on faith in John's Gospel.  Martha, Christ's good friend (verse 5 tells us that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus), still does not completely understand His divine identity, and the extent of what that indicates.  But Jesus reveals Himself fully to her when He tells her, "I am the resurrection and the life."  And although these people are good friends and very close to one another, nonetheless it is His words of "spirit and life" we once again observe, and and their effect on Martha.  Jesus finally asks her, "Do you believe this?"   In the Greek text the word for "believe" indicates trust and confidence.  She is not just making an intellectual choice to believe some set of values or principles, but rather putting her trust in Christ, making a deep-seated choice to fully invest herself in His words.  So, we can observe that even between close friends, who have a loving and familial sort of friendship, faith takes us even further and deeper, as it takes Martha in her awareness of who Christ is.  And Jesus asks us to do the same, that our trust and confidence move more deeply within us, within heart and soul, as we grow in faith.  We have observed ostensibly those who were opposed to Christ respond this way to His words (the temple officers who were sent to arrest Him, in John 7:46); those among the leadership (in John 10:21); and even those who followed John when he was first baptizing (in John 10:41-42).  So this response to His words comes from all levels, from those with an intimate closeness and friendship to even those who were openly opposed to Him.  Let us also observe something else repeated in the Gospel, and made even more profound in the case of Lazarus.  In Christ's sixth sign, the healing of the blind man, the disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (see this reading).  In today's passage, Lazarus' sisters send to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  But Christ responds the following way, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  In each case, a tragedy and affliction becomes the opening for God's work to be revealed among the people; in the first place for a man blind from birth, and now even in response to the death of Lazarus.  Once again, it becomes important for us to observe that in John's Gospel, sad occasions of loss and affliction become openings for God's grace, for God to work among us in some way.  Most particularly, we must see the light of Christ as that which is somehow transformative, transfiguring.  In our own lives, we might not experience a complete reversal of a bad act, or a terrible misfortune, or loss.  But when we "walk in the day" with "the light of the world" we find ways in which our circumstances are illuminated for us, something transfiguring, an opening that enlightens and gives hidden meaning and depth.  Perhaps our faith is deepened, perhaps new truths are revealed and given, perhaps we find something crucial about ourselves, even a fortitude or courage we didn't know we had, revealed to us in the light of Christ.  The light of Christ also works to illumine new pathways for forward movement, that we had not seen nor known before.  I believe that there are times when God allows us losses and hardships which may also serve as opportunities for the light of our faith.  When we, too, go through difficulties, we must remember that we need to walk with the light of Christ.  For in our times of struggle or stress it is most easy to stumble in the darkness, and it is then that we really and truly need the light. What does His light show you today?  How do you walk in the spirit and truth of the day, and not in the night?