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Jesus continued on from Jericho to Bethany a distance of about 12 miles. This event in the life of Jesus is recorded only by John. Clement of Alexandria said of John, "Last of all, John, perceiving that all of the bodily literal facts had been set down in the other Gospels, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, composed a Spiritual Gospel."
When Jesus stayed at Bethany, He always stayed at the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. It was Mary that had anointed the feet of Jesus with precious oil and wiped them with her hair. It was Martha who was the oldest and tended to the keeping of the house and the tending of the chores. They had a younger brother by the name of Lazarus. His Hebrew name was Eleazar which meant "God has helped". He is believed to have been sickly as the affairs of the home seemed to fall on the oldest sister. All three of these people dearly loved Jesus and Jesus loved them also. They provided the nearest thing to a family that Jesus knew in His later life.
Bethany was a small village about 3 miles from Jerusalem. It had become known as the home of Mary and Martha. Into this home came a crisis. Lazarus became sick and died. Notice the sisters knew where to go in time of trial. They also knew where to find him, so they dispatched a messenger to Him with word of Lazarus's sickness. Several things were evident on the message. One, the love and concern that they had for their brother, and two, the regard that they had for Jesus. Also it was short and to the point and did not presume to tell Jesus what to do. "Lord, he whom you love is ill." Notice, they do not say, "Lord, he who loves you is ill." For our love for Him is not worth speaking about but His love for us can never be spoken of enough.
We can learn at least three things from this:
Well, what did Jesus do when He heard the news?
What did Jesus mean when He said, the illness is not unto death? It certainly did not mean that Lazarus would not die physically, for by the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been dead four days. He could have meant one of two things, or perhaps both. Lazarus's soul would never die, this is true of every soul, also He already knew that when he did arrive, He would bring Lazarus back to life, or return his soul back into his body. How would this bring glory to God? We see in our study of the Book of Revelation that the afflictions of the Saints are for the glory of God. When Jesus was asked, concerning the blind man, "Who sinned, this man or his parents?", He answered, "Neither, it was for the glory of God." God was glorified in the healing of the blind man and God will be glorified when Lazarus is brought back to life.
Jesus also procrastinated. He stayed two days longer in the place where He was, somewhere west of Jericho. I'm sure that Mary and Martha thought that when He got the message that Lazarus was ill that He would come immediately. Why do you think He delayed? Two reasons:
Often the Lord delays His blessings as a test of faith. When there is a crisis in our life let us be reconciled. If God be glorified, we ought to be satisfied.
Notice when He does decide to go to Bethany, the Disciples were reluctant to go because of the dangers that they foresaw being that close to Jerusalem. Could it be that Jesus was also testing His Disciples? Notice how Jesus responds to their reluctance. "Are there not 12 hours in a day?" To the Jews, there was 12 hours in every day, 6AM to 6PM, and 12 hours in every night, 6PM to 6AM. But what did that have to do with the Disciples reluctance? A man's life is made up of opportunities. So much to do and so little time to do it (12 hours). We must work while it is still day, for the night comes when no man can work. So He was saying that while we live, we must be about the Lord's business regardless where it leads us, even in the "valley of the shadow of death", for life is short and the opportunities are many.
I guess Thomas summed up the feelings of the Disciples, "Let us go, that we might die with Him." Their enthusiasm wasn't anything to brag about. Their concern for Lazarus was overshadowed by the fear for their lives, but Jesus tells them that they must go, "Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep and I must go to awake him."
Why did Jesus say that Lazarus, who by now had died, had fallen to sleep? There a many beliefs concerning life after death.
Perhaps Jesus decided that "asleep" was a condition that the Disciples could relate to and rather than get into a long dissertation on death, He used those words . But as we see, it did not work. The Disciples, still concerned about the well being of themselves and Jesus replied, "If he is asleep, then he will recover."
Finally, Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and I am glad, for your sakes, that I was not there." What a strange thing to say. Why did Jesus say this? Verse 45 has the answer, "That many might be brought to believe on Him, that had not before." We will see that the raising up of Lazarus from the dead convinced many that Jesus was the Christ.
So the matter having been decided, they go with Jesus to Bethany. Bethany was but a few miles east of Jerusalem. Many of the family's friends lived in Jerusalem. Notice what Jesus found as He approached Bethany.
It is good to note at this time, that it had been about 5 months sense Jesus had seen His friends at Bethany. This time of absence had served to make the bond of friendship more dear for Jesus and this family. Martha, went out to meet Jesus while Mary sat in the house. Five months before, Martha busied herself in the kitchen while Mary chose to be at the feet of Jesus. Why now, was it Martha and not Mary that sough His presence. Perhaps both were dealing with grief the best way that they could, Mary, setting quietly, Martha, keeping busy, hastening to meet Jesus.
Lets look at the conversation between Jesus and Martha when they meet. Martha speaks first, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." What was Martha doing, complaining or showing some evidence of faith? She obviously believed that Jesus could have healed her brother and she also believed that if He had gotten there during those first three days, He could have restored him to life. But she continued and showed a great deal of faith in her next statement, "Yet even now, I know that what ever you ask for, God will grant."
Let us consider for a moment the question, why was Mary and Martha so hesitant about asking Jesus to intercede on behalf of their brother? You recall that when they sent the first message to Jesus telling Him that Lazarus was ill, they did not ask Him to heal him or even to come and see him. Even now, Martha does not ask what surly was in her heart, she only suggests that Jesus can bring Lazarus back if he wanted to ask this of the Father. Many believe that Martha did not want to presume on their friendship. Many believe that this was Martha's way of saying, what ever will be, will be. Others attempt to explain it on the basis that she was a woman and women had very few rights in those days. Regardless, she achieved what she wanted to do.
Notice Jesus' answer. "Your brother will rise again." Martha believed this, she believed in the resurrection of the dead on the Day of Judgment, but this was not much consolation to her. This was not the comfort that Martha sought and Jesus sensed this so he said further to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, shall never die." "Do you believe this, Martha?" To which Martha replied, "Yes Lord, I believe you are the Christ." Now this statement of belief on the part of Martha indicates that she had an understanding of the nature of her friend, if not His mission. However, it must have been enough, for she went and called her sister, Mary.
We see here perhaps an answer to an earlier question about Mary remaining at the house while Martha went to meet Jesus, it would seem that Mary did not know that Jesus had arrived until Martha told her. Why did Martha quietly tell Mary about Jesus' presence? The place was full of people. They had all come to comfort the family. Martha did not wish to have the whole group to be aware of His presence at this time. She quietly tells Mary that the "Teacher" of "Master" was there and He was calling for her. Blessed are they for whom the Master calls. Mary quickly rose and went to Jesus.
Notice where she found Him. Somewhere near Bethany where Martha had left Him. Notice there is no evidence that Mary was concerned that Jesus had not come sooner. Only love was expressed for a dear friend and teacher. No questions concerning his reason for His delay. Back at the house, those who had seen her get up and leave so quickly, assumed that she had gone to the tomb to weep. It would appear that Martha was the strong one and Mary, a woman of tender spirit, was greatly grieved at the loss of her brother.
Notice what Mary did when she met up with Jesus, she fell at His feet. We know from past studies that this was an honored place. Few had the privilege to be at the feet of Jesus. Notice that Mary said almost the same thing to Jesus that Martha said, "Lord, if you had been here, my Brother would not have died." It would seem that what Mary did was more important that what she said for many of her Jewish friends had followed her and she witnessed to them of her faith in Jesus and her love for Him as she knelt at His feet. These Jews were friends of Mary and Martha but many were enemies of Jesus but the tears that Mary shed and the devout devotion that she showed for Jesus broke down the barriers of animosity. She wept, they wept and Jesus wept. All differences were lost in the vail of compassion and love for a friend who was grieving. Matthew Henry says, "For what is friendship but a communication of affections."
Jesus showed His love for this family by His tears and then by His inquiry. "Where have you laid him?" By asking, He allowed them to do what they so much wanted to do, take Him to the place where he lay. Jesus was a man of compassion. We never read where He laughed but many times he cried. His tears witnessed to the Jews of His love for Lazarus.
Notice how others responded to the presence of Jesus there. Some seeing Him weep said, "Behold how He loved him", referring to Lazarus and others who were knowledgeable of His miracles asked the logical question, "This man opens the eyes of the blind, could He not have keep Lazarus from dieing?" We see sarcasm and doubt being sown by these Jews.
Then Jesus went to where Lazarus had been laid. It was obvious that He was deeply moved. The King James version says He was "groaning in Himself". These are two separate conditions being described here and each was caused by conditions that He found at the home of Mary and Martha. First, He was displeased with the unbelief that He had seen there in word and deed. All through the ministry of Jesus, He "moaned" not so much for His own sufferings but for the disbelief and sins of men. Secondly, His love for Lazarus and the grief demonstrated by his sisters, filled Him with compassion as they approached the tomb.
Notice the tomb that Lazarus was buried in. It was a cave with a stone rolled in front of it much like the tomb of Jesus. Jesus told them to take away the stone. Why? He certainly could have removed it Himself by the power of His word or, He could have raised Lazarus without rolling away the stone. But He had the stone rolled away for a purpose. He wanted those who were standing by to see the body lying dead in the tomb. Thus no one could say that Lazarus had never really died or that there never was a body in there anyway.
Notice Martha seems to object. By this time the body would have started to decompose and there would be an odor. It had been four days. Christ rose on the third day because He was not to see corruption. Some Think that she said this out of concern for Jesus. Matthew Henry says, "Jesus was not one of those tender and delicate individuals, if He had been, He would not have visited the world of mankind where sin has made a perfect dunghill."
Note the gentle reprimand that Jesus gave Martha. "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" Had Martha only hoped and believed in the healing of her brother? Was the raising up of Lazarus beyond her belief? Was her Jesus to small? Faith will accomplish wonders.
Notice the joint effort. "They took away the stone and Jesus gave life to Lazarus." If we can only get ourselves to roll away the stone, Jesus will do wonders in our lives. Think of the many stones that we roll in the way of Jesus in our lives. Then Jesus prayed. Why?
And when He had prayed, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." Why a "loud voice"? Allow me to speculate. The soul of Lazarus had to be called back from a distant place. It was not "hovering" over the body, as the Jews believed, because it had been longer than 3 days. Lazarus was asleep, as Jesus said and those who are asleep in Christ must be awakened by the sound of His voice. We are told in the Book of Revelation that at the sound of the Archangels trumpet, at the last day, when all who are asleep shall be awaken, "Christ will descend with a shout." Thus physical and spiritual awakening seem to respond to a loud voice. "And Lazarus came forth out of the tomb." He came out immediately, in perfect condition. His body showed no signs of decay, his illness was gone and his strength returned. What was the reaction of Lazarus? We are left to our imagination but surly he was suppressed, perhaps even a little embarrassed and we are not told if he was glad to be back or not. And what about the others there at the tomb? They certainly was surprised and frightened and not knowing what to say or do. So Jesus puts them to work. "Unbind him or loosen him and let him go home." This accomplished two things:
As it always is with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it affected people differently. Some believed. These were some of the 120 souls in the church at the time of His crucifixion, Jews who had, by their compassion for Mary and Martha, placed themselves in a favorable position with God. Some were irritated and became informers.
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