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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conflict - The Clash of Belief and Unbelief, The Raising of Lazarus, Part XCVI, John 11:30-36 - Lesson 93
Read Verses John 11:25-29, for review: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
John 11:30, Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
While Martha had gone into Bethany to get Mary Jesus remained in the place outside of town where he had talked to Martha.
Note how calm and unhurried he is and how ready to meet the needs of those he loves.
Had he gone into Bethany he would not have ministered to Martha and Mary alone because of the crowds.
Jesus was not in hurry to awake Lazarus.
His continuing sleep had no bearing on the ability of Christ to raise him up.
He waited outside of Bethany in order to minister to the needs of Mary and Martha.
Everything God does is done decently and in order.
John 11:31, The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
Martha's secrecy comes to nothing.
God's purpose is not for this miracle to be done in secrecy or privately for Martha and Mary only.
This last great sign of Israel's Messiah is to be done before many eye witnesses.
The Jews had come from Jerusalem to comfort and when they supposed the Mary left to go to the grave they followed her to continue to give the comfort they could.
Why didn't they leave the house when Martha left it?
Martha was so sufficient.
Perhaps they sensed that she did not need comfort as much as Mary.
John 11:32, Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
John reports the attitude of Mary before her Lord, before her Master.
It was an attitude of humility and submission.
She fell down at his feet.
This was where she was found when Jesus was around.
This was her place with Jesus.
Each time the New Testament presents Mary to us she is seen at the feet of Jesus, a position of worship.
In Luke 10 she owns Christ as Prophet, hearing his word.
In John 11 she approaches Christ a Priest, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities.
In John 12:3 she acknowledges him as King
John 11:33,34, When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
Mary's weeping causes a reaction in Jesus.
John tells us that he groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
The Greek word translated 'groan' means to be deeply agitated.
It literally means to snort as a horse does from fear or anger.
It is used here to indicate indignation on the part of the Lord.
By groaning Jesus Christ was expressing indignation and outrage at what death had done to those he loves.
He was troubled. He literally shook with emotion.
His body trembled with indignation and grief.
Jesus hates death and he is filled with sorrow that death has its way.
He is moved to a holy indignation of the fruit of sin so he groans and he weeps.
He truly wept with those who were weeping.
Jesus wept.
He deigns to join those that he loves in weeping.
He was touched with the feeling of their infirmities.
He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He knew their grief.
He wept because his heart was broken at the sadness of death and by the sorrows it brought.
He came from a place where there were no sorrows to a place filled with sorrows.
Even though he knew that he was to raise their brother from the dead he knew that they grieved.
And he shared that grief with those whom he loved.
His heart knew the sorrow that they were expressing.
He knew it was real sorrow and he shared that sorrow by weeping with them.
And look at the testimony that he was to the Jews who witnessed his compassion.
John 11:36, Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
His weeping testified of his love for Lazarus.
You see how weeping with those that weep can be a testimony of love.
You see how his tears demonstrated his love of Lazarus to the Jews. |