Magnify Jesus: August 23 = Life of Christ #167 (John 11:38-44) Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead

Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
John 11:38-44

³⁸Then Jesus, angry in Himself again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ^39a“Remove the stone,” Jesus said.

^39bMartha, the dead man’s sister, told Him, “Lord, he already stinks. It’s been four days.”

⁴⁰Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

⁴¹So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You heard Me. ⁴²I know that You always hear Me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so they may believe You sent Me.” ⁴³After He said this, He shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him and let him go.”^{^[1]}

^{^[1]} Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp. 167–168). Holman Bible Publishers.

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God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

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The Raising of Lazarus and the Resurrection of Jesus

It is natural to seek some link between the raising of Lazarus and the resurrection of Jesus. But it is important to recognize the distinct differences between the two. Lazarus was resuscitated, or restored to life, only to experience death a second time as human frailty returned him to the grave. Jesus was resurrected, brought back from the dead to die no more, thus becoming “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). Lazarus was only a sign of the resurrection, but Jesus was the reality itself. Lazarus was released from the tomb with the help of others. Jesus needed no such human help (John 20:1). Lazarus appeared bound in graveclothes, but Jesus left these behind (John 20:6–7). Lazarus was restored to his family, while Jesus ascended to His Father (John 20:17).

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The details surrounding death may vary, but the reality is universal. Scenes like Lazarus’s funeral in Bethany are repeated many times around the world each day. A grieving family gathers at a graveside. Friends agonize over what to say. Their helpless silence, downcast eyes, and shuffling feet provide more distraction than comfort. When death is unexpected, the whys hang in the air like choking smog.

Drawn by grief and duty, people came from Jerusalem and the surrounding area to pay their last respects to a citizen of Bethany. Jesus’ friend Lazarus was dead. His brief sickness proved stronger than any available medicine. Jesus had been sent for, but had failed to arrive in time. Death didn’t wait. Following the wisdom of hot countries, the body was soon wrapped and buried. Four days later, Jesus arrived.

Lazarus’s sisters Mary and Martha reacted in shock. Grief-stricken, they struggled to understand why Jesus had delayed in coming. We have no idea how Lazarus reacted to his own death. In fact, we don’t have a record of a single word he said. We do know that he listened to Jesus. Even when the curtain of death was between them, Lazarus responded to Jesus’ voice. He came hobbling out of his cave-tomb, still wrapped in the grave clothes. Jesus raised him from the dead!

When all is said and done, only what God accomplished through us will really matter. We will take little credit. Jesus worked in and around Lazarus just as he does with us. We have Christ’s invitation to participate in his work, but we must not forget that he will do much more than we will know. Meanwhile, we delight in what Christ does with the little we have to offer him.

Lazarus’s resurrection poses an important question: When you die, do you fully expect that your next conscious experience will be hearing the voice of Jesus call you by name?

Strengths and accomplishments

• Regularly hosted Jesus in his home

• Raised from the dead by Jesus after four days in the grave

Lessons from his life

• Once we have given God ownership of our lives, we can’t predict what he will do with them

• Jesus’ circle of relationships went beyond the 12 disciples

• Jesus declared that the events surrounding Lazarus’s sickness and death would glorify God

Vital statistics

• Where: Bethany

• Relatives: Sisters: Mary and Martha

Key verse

“But when Jesus heard about it he said, ‘Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this’ ” (John 11:4).

Lazarus’s role as an “active spectator” is recorded in John 11:1–12:11.

https://youtu.be/MZLfvSv9KJM

https://youtu.be/Oa4SMKvO5o4?list=PLFcO2Quu62KLWLVlxkB0OuOWSLiTAxz4n

https://youtu.be/G64jA7Jnmzo

Jesus Comforts Mary and Martha
John 11:17-37

Intro Questions

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God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.