Objectives for Rotation Participants will be able to:
Find the story in the Gospel of John Retell the story in their own words Know that Jesus is human: he had friends, he felt sadness Know that Jesus is God. He performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, demonstrating his power over sin and death. Understand that we have a new way of living: Jesus sets us free, unbinding us from our sins.
BIBLE BACKGROUND
The story of the resurrection of Lazarus is one of the most dramatic stories in the New Testament. Recorded in John’s gospel only, and taking place about a month before his death, this extraordinary event plays a key role in the religious leaders’ intensifying plot to get rid of Jesus. It also foreshadows the coming death and resurrection of Jesus and the assertion that the power of death itself will be destroyed.
Lazarus, whose name means “helped by God,” was the brother of Mary and Martha and lived in Bethany, a small town about two miles from Jerusalem on the eastern edge of the Mount of Olives. Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ home was Jesus’ “home away from home,” and he stayed there often, especially when traveling to and from Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that these three were his friends and Lazarus was one “whom Jesus loved.”
At the time of this story, Jesus is with his disciples in Perea, at Bethany beyond Jordan. This is not the same as Bethany where Lazarus lived. Jesus had recently escaped Jerusalem where the Jews had tried to stone him for blasphemy. Here Jesus is informed that his dear friend Lazarus is ill. Jesus is twenty miles, or a day’s travel from Bethany. Our natural assumption, since these are such dear friends, is that Jesus will immediately rush off to be with them, and heal Lazarus. But, instead Jesus delays traveling for two days. Jesus always acts in accordance with God’s plan, not human plans. We are reminded that often God’s timing is not our timing. God delays for a reason. He delays so others will come to believe!
By the time Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days. In fact, Jesus knows that Lazarus is dead and he tells his disciples that Lazarus is “sleeping” a common metaphor for death. But the disciples misunderstand and reason that sleeping after an illness is a good sign and that Lazarus must be getting better. Jesus, then bluntly tells the disciples that Lazarus is dead, but that it is a good thing and will demonstrate for all the power and authority of God. It will increase their faith and bring glory to God, the Father, and to the Son.
The disciples worry about Jesus heading back to Judea, where he had just so recently escaped stoning. But steadfast, they determine to travel with him and die with him there if need be. A day’s journey later, they arrive on the outskirts of Bethany. Martha hears of Jesus’ arrival and runs to meet and greet him. Contrast this with Martha’s preoccupation during Jesus’ earlier visit to their home – Martha evidently took Jesus’ rebuke to heart! Her words express her pain and disappointment. If only Jesus had arrived earlier this would not have happened. Martha expresses her belief that her brother will rise again at the end times with the resurrection of all the dead. Jesus then reveals a profound truth to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life -- NOW.” Belief in him means life even though we are dead –in our sins now and the future promise of eternal life. Does Martha believe this? Amazingly, she declares that she does believe. “You are the Christ, the Son of God…the one who was supposed to come.” This confession of faith takes place before the miracle! What powerful belief and faith!
Mary then comes to meet Jesus and echoes her sister’s first words. The Jews who had come to comfort Mary and Martha in their grief had followed Mary. Mary and the comforters are weeping and grieving. Jesus is greatly moved by their pain. Here we read the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” We see Jesus’ compassion and his empathy. He shares their tears and their grief. The miracle-to-be will mean more because Jesus shares in the life of these people. He is truly with them. He is with us – it is the meaning of his name, Emmanuel, God with us! Jesus demonstrates to us a God who is touched by our pain and our suffering.
Death is a great mystery to us. Because we do not understand it, we fear it, dread it, fight against it, and attempt to overcome it. We see death as the ultimate enemy. By touching the dead, and raising the dead back to life, Jesus demonstrates that death is simply a part of this life, and a passage to the next. God is in control, NOT death. Death, when it comes is still within God’s love for us and his will. The fear is removed.
Jewish burials took place the day of death due to rapid decomposition of bodies in the heat. The bodies were washed and rubbed with spices and scented oils. Sticky, strong-smelling ointments were then layered between long thin linen strips and wrapped tightly around the body. The limbs were kept straight and the chin and cheeks were wrapped to keep the mouth closed. A napkin or white linen square, possibly a yard square, was placed over the head or wrapped around it. This process of caring for the dead bodies rendered a person ritually unclean and required an elaborate and time-consuming procedure to restore cleanliness. Jesus showed no reluctance toward touching the bodies of the dead, sick, or injured.
Once the bodies were prepared, they were taken in a funeral procession to the tomb, accompanied by family, friends, and even “professional mourners” hired to assist in the public grieving. Comforting and visiting the family of the deceased was considered an essential duty of piety for Jewish people. The first week of mourning or “shivah” (meaning seven days) is still practiced in Judaism today.
The dead bodies were then placed in a tomb, typically a hillside cave. A large stone was rolled in a groove along the entrance to close the opening and thus prevent animals or grave robbers from entering. The bodies were left in place for one year, after which the family returned to collect the bones and place them in a box in a niche in the cave wall. Tombs typically could hold the remains of up to thirteen bodies.
So, Mary and Jesus head to the tomb. The crowd of mourners follows. An old Jewish tradition held that the soul of the dead hovered near the body for three days. But after that, there truly was no hope. It had been four days since Lazarus had been placed in the tomb. Jesus orders the stone to be rolled away. Martha and the onlookers worry about the stench. Jesus reminds them that if they believe they will see God’s glory. Then he prays – not that God will grant his request, but thanking him for already doing it and for the opportunity to display God’s glory and power to the onlookers. He orders Lazarus to come out. And so he does, though how stiffly he must have moved with his bound hands, feet, legs, and face. Like all of humanity, Lazarus cannot free himself. Jesus orders him unbound and set free.
This dramatic event is full of meaning. Jesus has come to release us from our tombs of sin and death. Jesus sets us free and unbinds us. He frees our stony hearts from the grip of sin and releases us to new life in God just as Lazarus was set free from his grave clothes. All who believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, receive through him the gift of eternal life.
This dramatic event is the height of Jesus’ actions to this point. Jesus has raised at least two others from the dead before – Jairus’s daughter and the widow of Nain’s son, but none had been dead and in the grave for four days. The onlookers are amazed. But soon this gives way to praise and thanksgiving. They glorify God for this great miracle. This was the real purpose of the miracle. Fear is relinquished to the greater power of confidence, trust, and faith. Jesus reveals a deeper insight of God’s great love for us. We see that God’s love knows no bounds.
Many of the onlookers at Lazarus’ resurrection believe because of this great miracle. But others leave and head straight to the Pharisees to report Jesus’ actions. The religious authorities had been worried about Jesus for a considerable time. They constantly struggle to keep the tenuous peace with Rome. If peace is disrupted, Rome will react and the leaders will lose their positions of authority and limited autonomy. They call a meeting to discuss this latest situation. Caiaphas, who has maintained his office as high priest for longer than any other, speaks these prophetic words, “It is better if one man dies for the people than if the whole nation is destroyed.” Once again, God confounds the evil actions and plans of men to bring about his own plan of salvation. Jesus will indeed die. And his death will reconcile all humanity to God. Jesus' earthly fate is sealed. The leaders are agreed. They will find a way to kill Jesus. Jesus leaves Bethany and heads to a place near the wilderness, to commune with God and to prepare himself to fulfill his destiny.
MIRACLES
A miracle can be defined as an extraordinary or supernatural event that supercedes the natural processes of the world. In other words, God breaks into the natural order of things, disrupts the predictable and draws attention to Himself. A miracle is a sign that points to God.
Several types of miracles are described in the Bible. Basically there are six different types of miracles:
1. miracles of healing of diseases or physical problems (blindness, lameness) 2. miracles over nature (storms, withered fig tree) 3. miracles over objects (feeding 5000, water into wine) 4. miracles over death (raising Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, raising the widow of Nain’s son, resurrection) 5. miracles over evil spirits (healing demoniac) 6. forgiving sins (this probably got Jesus into more trouble than any other miracles)
People often react to the concept of miracles with disbelief. “This event could not have happened! It is impossible!” Secondly, some people attempt to explain away the miracle. This is especially prevalent in today’s scientific and rational society. “Surely there must be a scientific explanation for what happened,” they assert. The people of Jesus’ day did not doubt the authenticity of the miracles. They saw the results of his actions first hand. They saw the lame walking, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing. They did not doubt that the miracle had occurred. The issue for them was to determine the source of the power. This was one of the arguments the Pharisees consistently had with Jesus. What was the source of his power? Was it truly from God? Or from evil spirits and Satan? At the time of Jesus, so-called miracles were not an uncommon experience. Conjurers and magicians traveled about the New Testament world creating a stir with their actions. Jesus always attributed his miraculous powers to the authority of God the Father. Jesus wanted his healings to be seen not as magic and miracles, but as a call to repentance and faith. He wanted his actions to be differentiated from the flashy forgery that was prevalent in the world. The fact that the New Testament writers included the accounts of Jesus’ miracles is convincing evidence that they did indeed occur. Otherwise the writers would have downplayed or left out these stories in order to prevent risking Jesus being seen as just another wandering charlatan magician.
Why does God use miracles? A miracle is sometimes called a “sign,” especially in John's gospel. Through miracles, God breaks through human and natural barriers and reaches people, therefore showing his deep concern, love, and empathy. A miracle is a signpost or a finger pointing toward God. Jesus performed miracles because they were part of his calling to do the unexpected and to reveal the nature, power, and authority of God. The miraculous events themselves are important. But just as important are the consequences of the miracles and what the miracles taught the people involved and what they continue to teach us today. This rotation focuses on the event that previews the coming death and resurrection of Jesus. Perhaps the most important question the miracle stories force us to ask is the question Jesus asked of his followers, “Who do you say I am?”
SOURCES
IVP Bible Background Commentary, Craig S. Keener, Intervarsity Press, 1993
The Illustrated Guide – How People Lived in the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002
Who’s Who in the Bible, Joan Comay and Ronald Brownrigg, Bonanza Books, 1980
Jesus Christ – Miracles, John P. Gilbert, Graded Press, 1985
Cokesbury Basic Bible Commentary – John , Norman P. Madsen, Graded Press, 1988
Abingdon Bible Handbook, Edward P. Blair, Abingdon Press, 1975
The Gospels, Ed. Charles M. Laymon, Abingdon Press, 1983
The Layman’s Bible Commentary, John, Floyd V. Filson, John Knox Press, 1963
DEFINITIONS/WORDS TO KNOW
Miracle: a sign which points to God, a supernatural event which breaks out of the natural order of events
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