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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conflict - The Clash of Belief and Unbelief, The Raising of Lazarus, Part XCVIII, John 11:41-44 - Lesson 95
Read Verses John 11:39,40 for review: Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
John 11:41,42, Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
The Lord's command was finally obeyed and Martha's concern was overruled.
Mary was silent.
Did Mary understand what Jesus Christ was about to do or was she speechless at the thought of the exhuming of a corpse?
This was unheard of.
Her brother had been dead four days and now it appeared that Jesus Christ was going into the tomb.
But Mary and the many who were gathered there witnessed a prayer.
Jesus Christ prays publicly to his father.
He connects with his father in public prayer so that the many witnesses gathered know that he is not there doing his own will.
He wants them to know that he has been sent by the father and what he will be doing there is in accord with the father's will.
Jesus Christ at all times declared that he was one with the father and that all things that he did was in obedience to the father.
He made sure that he at all times honored the father.
He was meek and lowly and in all things he pointed to the father as the one to honor and glorify.
And now on the occasion of his mightiest miracle, one designed for public view, he declares in voice loud enough for all to hear, that he does nothing separate from his Father in heaven.
Remember John 8:29, And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
He here prays that his mission to Bethany, to the house of Mary and Martha and Lazarus would be authenticated by the Father.
What follows his prayer in the raising of Lazarus is the same authentication of his ministry that followed Elijah's prayer on Mt. Carmel with the 450 prophets of Baal.
1 Kings 18:36 ......LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
John 11:43, And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
The moment has arrived.
God's timing is perfect.
All the witnesses are in place.
Lazarus has been in the grave four days.
The stone has been removed.
The mourners have come from round about Bethany and Jesus Christ has thanked the Father for hearing him.
The Lord shouts with a loud voice, not so that Lazarus will hear him but so the witnesses to this great miracle will hear him.
He wants it clearly known that he is the resurrection.
He addresses Lazarus by name lest all of Hades is emptied.
Marvel not at this, (we are told in the Word) for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice.
All that are in the graves have ears to hear his voice.
He simply says, Lazarus, come forth. The power of his word.
What causes the dead to come forth? The word of God.
Jesus Christ is the Word of God and therefore he is the resurrection.
All things that are done by God are done by his word and that includes resurrection.
Men are raised spiritually, pass from death to life, by means of the word.
And so shall our bodies come forth from the grave to life eternal by the Word of God.
Jesus says in a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth!
John 11:44, And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
At the command of Jesus Christ, Lazarus comes forth from the grave still bound in grave clothes.
Jesus Christ demonstrates his power over the material world and over the spiritual world.
A soul is called back to dwell once more in his body.
This event shows us how Jesus Christ has power over death.
Note that Lazarus is still bound hand and foot.
There is no indication that he has a new body like believers will receive at the rapture or the first resurrection.
After this resurrection Lazarus lived for a period and now he awaits the first resurrection along with all believers who have gone before.
This event therefore is symbolic of the regeneration of believers.
It is symbolic of people being saved by Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is demonstrating the saving of a person, the regeneration of a person.
This is a demonstration of a person passing from death unto life eternal in this body.
This is a new creation in Christ Jesus.
We have talked about the stone that was required to be removed to reveal the awful sin that dwells in the tomb of the heart.
Jesus Christ regenerates the sinner from death unto life but notice the grave clothes clinging to Lazarus.
The sinner is born again but the work of grace is just starting.
There are grave clothes enclosing the sinner that need to be removed.
The old nature remains and the marks of sin remain.
These grave clothes keep the new man from freedom to serve God completely and freely and will be removed by the grace of God .
Salvation, passing from death unto life does not remove the grave clothes.
The new creation in Christ Jesus needs to be loosed from the bindings of the old nature.
This is a wonderful picture of Eph 4:22, That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
The Lord commands those witnesses of his glory to loose Lazarus from the grave clothes, (the former conversation the old man) a picture of God and man as co-laborers in God's work.
He links his work together with man in the sanctification of those who he saves.
He alone speaks the word to sinners dead in trespasses and sins but we are privileged to carry that word to them.
We are allowed to roll away the gravestone and to loose the bindings that keep the redeemed from serving God. |