Introduction:

The village of Bethany, nestled less than two miles from the bustling city of Jerusalem, was shrouded in sorrow. Lazarus, known and cherished by Jesus, had succumbed to illness. His sisters, Martha and Mary, were enveloped in the profound grief that death inevitably brings, surrounded by neighbours and friends who had come to offer comfort in their loss. Yet, amidst the customary rituals of mourning, a palpable tension lingered. Jesus, the one they had sent for, the friend whose love for Lazarus and his sisters was undeniable, had delayed His arrival. This delay, fraught with unspoken questions and deepening the sisters’ anguish, was not born of indifference. It was a pause pregnant with divine purpose, setting the stage not merely for a healing, but for a staggering revelation of God’s glory and the unveiling of Jesus’s own divine identity.

The story of Lazarus transcends the category of a mere miracle account. Within the carefully structured narrative of John’s Gospel, it stands as a pivotal and climactic “sign”. The apostle John, under divine inspiration, selected specific miracles, or signs, with the explicit theological purpose of revealing Jesus’s true identity as the promised Messiah and the divine Son of God, so that readers might believe and find eternal life in Him. The raising of Lazarus serves as the seventh and arguably most profound of these signs in the Book of Signs (John chapters 2-12), a powerful demonstration of Jesus’s ultimate authority over humanity’s most feared and seemingly insurmountable enemy: death. This chapter marks a crucial turning point, illuminating Christ’s divinity in an undeniable way while simultaneously acting as the catalyst that propels the narrative towards His own suffering, death, and resurrection – the Passion. It is an encounter where human grief meets divine power, where despair confronts unshakeable hope, and where the world is invited to witness the very embodiment of Resurrection and Life.

Section 1: Confronting Death’s Perceived Finality (John 11:17-24)

Verse 17: The Weight of Four Days

Upon His arrival in the vicinity of Bethany, the weight of the situation was immediately apparent: Jesus found that Lazarus had already been entombed for four days. In the context of first-century Jewish customs, burial typically occurred on the same day as death. The passage of four days, therefore, carried immense significance, moving beyond the initial shock of loss into a period where death was considered absolute.

This four-day interval is critical for understanding the magnitude of the miracle Jesus was about to perform. While Scripture itself does not detail this specific belief, later Jewish tradition, likely reflecting perspectives current in Jesus’s time, held that the soul might linger near the body for three days, perhaps hoping for a return to life. However, by the fourth day, the onset of physical decomposition—a reality Martha herself would later voice with stark practicality—was seen as confirmation that the soul had irrevocably departed and death was final. Jesus’s timing, therefore, was precise and intentional. He arrived after any hope of natural resuscitation was extinguished, ensuring that the restoration of Lazarus could only be attributed to divine power acting upon a state of incontrovertible death.

Jesus’s deliberate delay in coming to Bethany, staying two more days where He was after receiving the news of Lazarus’s illness, thus appears not as neglect but as a carefully orchestrated decision. By arriving precisely when Lazarus had been entombed for four days—a period understood by contemporaries to signify irreversible death—Jesus positioned the impending miracle beyond any explanation of mere resuscitation. This timing aligns perfectly with His stated purpose: that the event was “for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it”. The hopelessness of the situation from a human perspective served only to magnify the divine power about to be displayed, revealing God’s glory ($doxa$) most profoundly.

Verses 18-20: The Community of Mourners

The narrative notes Bethany’s closeness to Jerusalem, “about two miles off” (or fifteen stadia). This proximity explains the presence of “many of the Jews” who had traveled from the city to mourn with Martha and Mary and offer traditional condolences concerning their brother. Fulfilling the duty of comforting mourners was considered an important act of piety. The gathering of this crowd, including individuals potentially connected to the religious center in Jerusalem, underscores the public nature of the events that unfolded. Lazarus’s resurrection would not be a hidden affair but a testimony delivered before numerous witnesses.

Upon hearing of Jesus’s approach, Martha, consistent with her character often depicted as active and perhaps more outwardly oriented, “went and met Him”. Mary, in contrast, “remained seated in the house”. This difference might reflect their distinct personalities, as observed in the earlier account in Luke 10 where Martha was busy with serving while Mary sat at Jesus’s feet. Alternatively, Mary might have been initially overcome by the depth of her grief, finding it harder to immediately face Jesus. Martha’s initiative, however, leads to the first crucial theological exchange.

Verses 21-22: Martha’s Faithful Anguish

Martha’s opening words to Jesus are a poignant blend of profound faith and heart-wrenching sorrow: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You”. The¹ first sentence, “Lord, if you had been here…”, clearly affirms her belief in Jesus’s power to heal the sick; she holds the conviction that His presence could have averted this tragedy. Yet, beneath this statement of faith lies an undeniable current of disappointment, a question hanging in the air about His delay, perhaps even a gentle lament or rebuke born of grief.

Remarkably, however, Martha does not allow her grief or potential questioning to be the final word. She immediately pivots with “But even now…”, a testament to a faith that refuses to be entirely extinguished by despair. This expression reveals her enduring belief in Jesus’s unique intimacy with God the Father and His access to divine power. While she may not fully comprehend what is possible now that Lazarus is dead and buried, she holds onto a sliver of hope, acknowledging Jesus’s standing with God. Her faith, though perhaps limited in its expectation regarding resurrection from the grave, still clings to the person of Jesus and His connection to the Almighty. This juxtaposition demonstrates that deep sorrow and lingering questions can coexist with genuine faith. Martha models a resilient belief that acknowledges the painful reality (“my brother has died”) but simultaneously refuses to place absolute limits on God’s power (“But even now…”).

Verses 23-24: Hope Deferred?

Jesus responds to Martha’s complex expression of faith and grief with a direct promise: “Your brother will rise again”. His statement, however, is initially open to interpretation. Martha immediately understands it through the framework of the prevailing Jewish eschatological hope, particularly the belief held by the Pharisees in a general resurrection of the dead at the end of the age. She replies, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day”.

Her answer, while demonstrating correct theological understanding according to her tradition, reveals that she is not anticipating an immediate miracle. She places the fulfillment of Jesus’s words in the distant future, expressing a resignation to the present reality of her brother’s death. Martha’s faith grasps the future promise but fails, at this moment, to apprehend the immediate, life-giving power standing before her in the person of Jesus Christ. Her hope, though real, feels deferred.

Section 2: The Heart of the Matter – “I AM the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25-27)

Verse 25: Unveiling Divine Identity – “I am the resurrection and the life.”

In response to Martha’s focus on a future event, Jesus redirects her attention dramatically and personally, unveiling His own divine identity with one of the most profound statements in Scripture: “I am the resurrection and the life”. This declaration stands as the fifth of the seven great “I AM” pronouncements recorded in John’s Gospel. These “I AM” statements deliberately echo God’s revelation of His sacred name to Moses at the burning bush (“I AM WHO I AM,” Exodus 3:14), thereby constituting a clear claim to divinity on Jesus’s part.

Jesus is not merely claiming the ability to perform resurrection or grant life; He asserts that He is the very source, the embodiment, the power, and the essence of both resurrection and life itself. This shifts the understanding of resurrection from being solely a future eschatological event to being a present reality embodied in His person. He proclaims His absolute authority over the ultimate powers of life and death, an authority belonging to God alone. By identifying Himself as the resurrection, Jesus fundamentally alters the focus of hope. It is no longer primarily fixed on an event at the end of time, but on a relationship with the Person who embodies that hope now. Salvation and eternal life are thus revealed to be intrinsically linked to knowing and trusting Him.

Verse 25b-26a: Life Transcending Death – “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

Jesus immediately² clarifies the implications of His divine identity for those who place their faith in Him. This profound promise unfolds in two interconnected parts, addressing both the future reality beyond physical death and the present experience of eternal life.

First, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” speaks directly to the fear of physical mortality. It assures the believer that physical death is not the ultimate end. Because Jesus is the resurrection, those united to Him by faith will experience resurrection life, a continuity of existence beyond the grave.

Second, “and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die,” points to the nature of the life received through faith in Christ. This refers to the eternal, spiritual life—the very life of God—that begins the moment one believes. This life is not terminated or interrupted by physical death; it continues eternally. For the believer, physical death is transformed into a mere transition within this unending life. The emphasis throughout is on belief: “Whoever believes…”. Faith in Jesus is the conduit through which this resurrection life flows.

This declaration radically redefines the meaning of death for those in Christ. In much Old Testament and Second Temple thought, death often led to Sheol, a shadowy realm of the dead. Jesus, however, proclaims that for believers, physical death is not the final stop but a passage into continued, fuller life with Him. This truth strips physical death of its ultimate terror and finality, diminishing its sting and offering a hope that transcends the grave itself (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:54-55).

Verse 26b: The Call to Believe – “Do you believe this?”

Having made this monumental claim about His identity and its implications, Jesus brings the focus back to Martha with a direct and personal question: “Do you believe this?”. This question transcends mere intellectual agreement with doctrine. It is a call to personal trust and commitment. It challenges Martha, and every subsequent reader, to move beyond understanding resurrection as a concept to embracing Jesus Himself as the living embodiment of that hope. The crucible of suffering often serves as a clarifying moment for faith, forcing individuals to confront the object and depth of their belief. Jesus asks if she trusts Him—the one standing before her—as the source of all life, both now and forever.

Verse 27: Martha’s Great Confession – “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Martha’s response is immediate and comprehensive, a powerful declaration of faith made in the very shadow of death. She affirms, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” This confession is remarkable for its theological richness and stands alongside other key confessions in the New Testament, such as Peter’s at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:16) and the stated purpose of John’s Gospel itself (John 20:31).

In this single sentence, Martha acknowledges Jesus’s multifaceted identity:

• Lord: Recognizing His rightful authority and sovereignty.
• The Christ (Messiah): Identifying Him as the long-awaited Anointed One, the hope of Israel.
• The Son of God: Affirming His unique divine nature and relationship with the Father.
• Who is coming into the world: Testifying to His pre-existence and divine mission, His arrival as the one sent from God.

While her later hesitation at the tomb (John 11:39) suggests she may not have fully grasped the immediate, practical implications of Jesus raising Lazarus at that moment, her confession here is undeniably a profound statement of belief in who Jesus is. It is a pinnacle of faith, articulated with clarity and conviction even amidst profound personal grief, affirming Jesus as the divine Messiah, the very answer to humanity’s deepest needs, including the need for life itself.

Section 3: Divine Compassion Meets Human Grief (John 11:28-44)

Mary’s Sorrow, Jesus’ Tears (vv. 28-37)

Following her profound confession, Martha returns to the house and privately informs her sister, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you”. Mary, upon hearing this, rises quickly and goes to Jesus, who is still outside the village where Martha had met Him. The mourners accompanying Mary assume she is going to the tomb to weep and follow her. When Mary reaches Jesus, her reaction is one of unrestrained grief; she falls at His feet, echoing Martha’s initial words but perhaps with a different emotional intensity: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”.

Observing Mary weeping, along with the Jews who had come with her, triggers a powerful and complex reaction in Jesus. The text states He was “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved”. The Greek term translated “greatly disturbed” (enebrimēsato) is intense, carrying connotations that go beyond simple sadness to include indignation, anger, or profound agitation. This suggests Jesus felt a deep, visceral anger—not at the mourners, but at death itself, the devastating consequence of sin and the enemy He came to conquer. He was also “deeply moved” or “troubled” (etaraxen), indicating a stirring of His innermost being, a profound emotional turmoil.

It is in this context of divine indignation and deep agitation that the shortest verse in the English Bible occurs: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). His tears are not a sign of hopelessness, for He knows He is about to raise Lazarus. Rather, they are a profound expression of His full humanity, His deep empathy and shared sorrow with His grieving friends. He enters completely into the human experience of loss, demonstrating that the Son of God understands and feels the pain caused by death. The onlookers interpret His tears variously: some see it as proof of His deep love for Lazarus, while others cynically question why, if He could heal the blind, He couldn’t have prevented this death. Jesus’s emotional response thus reveals the mystery of the Incarnation: the divine Son, Holder of resurrection power, stands fully present in human grief, angered by death’s reign yet moved to tears by its impact on those He loves.

Faith Tested at the Tomb (vv. 38-40)

Still deeply disturbed within Himself, Jesus arrives at the tomb, described as a cave with a stone lying against it. His command is direct and authoritative: “Take away the stone”. At this critical juncture, Martha, the sister of the deceased, intervenes with a practical and visceral objection: “Lord, by this time there is an odor, for he has been dead four days”. Her words starkly reveal the tension between the lofty confession of faith she made earlier (v. 27) and the overwhelming sensory evidence of death and decay confronting her now. Her practical concern about the smell highlights how human reason and experience can struggle against divine promises, even when faith is present.

Jesus responds not with impatience, but with a gentle yet firm reminder, recalling His earlier conversation and promise: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”. He links belief directly to the perception of God’s glory (doxa). In John’s Gospel, “glory” often signifies the tangible manifestation of God’s presence, power, character, and honor. To “see the glory of God” in this context means to witness His supreme, life-giving power overcoming the ultimate finality of death. Jesus calls Martha back from the limitations of sight and smell to the possibilities inherent in faith.

The Command of Life (vv. 41-44)

Responding to Jesus’s word, the stone is removed. Jesus then lifts His eyes toward heaven and prays aloud. His prayer is one of thanksgiving and communion with the Father, explicitly stating that He speaks for the benefit of the crowd gathered there, “so that they may believe that you sent me”. This public prayer underscores the source of His authority—His unity with the Father—and clarifies the purpose of the impending miracle: to evoke faith in His divine mission.

Having prayed, Jesus issues a command filled with divine authority, crying out in a loud voice: “Lazarus, come out!”. The response is immediate and astounding. “The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of linen, and his face wrapped with a cloth”. Lazarus emerges from the tomb, alive, yet still encased in the wrappings of death. This vivid image powerfully portrays resurrection: life restored to a body that had been prepared for burial. Jesus then instructs the onlookers, “Unbind him, and let him go”. This act serves as the climactic seventh sign in John’s Gospel, an unparalleled demonstration of Jesus’s power over death just before He Himself would face it. It is the ultimate validation of His claim: “I am the resurrection and the life”.

Section 4: The Great Lesson – Living in the Light of the Resurrection

Unique Revelation: A Resurrection Unlike Others

The raising of Lazarus holds a unique place among biblical accounts of resuscitation or resurrection. While the Old Testament records instances like Elijah raising the widow of Zarephath’s son (1 Kings 17) and Elisha raising the Shunammite’s son (2 Kings 4) or the miraculous revival of a man whose body touched Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13), and the Gospels record Jesus raising Jairus’s daughter (Matthew 9, Mark 5, Luke 8) and the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7), the Lazarus narrative possesses distinct characteristics that elevate its theological significance.

Key differences highlight the uniqueness of the Lazarus miracle:

1. Timing and Condition: Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days, with decomposition explicitly anticipated. This contrasts with Jairus’s daughter, who had just died, and the widow’s son, who was being carried to his burial. The four-day period eliminated any ambiguity about the finality of death from a human perspective.
2. Explicit Theological Discourse: The raising of Lazarus is embedded within a profound theological dialogue where Jesus explicitly declares, “I am the resurrection and the life”. This direct revelation of His identity as the source of life is unparalleled in the other accounts.
3. Narrative Function: Within John’s Gospel, this miracle serves as the carefully positioned seventh and climactic sign, the culmination of Jesus’s public demonstrations of divine power before His Passion.
4. Publicity and Impact: Unlike the raising of Jairus’s daughter, which Jesus commanded be kept quiet, the raising of Lazarus was a public event before “many Jews” and had immediate, widespread consequences, provoking both faith and fatal opposition.
5. Focus on Identity: While all these miracles display God’s power over death, the Lazarus story uniquely focuses on Jesus’s identity as the embodiment of resurrection and the giver of eternal life, powerfully foreshadowing His own resurrection.

The progression observed across Jesus’s miracles of raising the dead—from someone just deceased (Jairus’s daughter), to someone being carried to burial (widow’s son), to someone four days entombed (Lazarus)—can be seen as an intentional, escalating demonstration of His authority. It culminates in the Lazarus event, leaving absolutely no doubt about the totality of His power over death, even in what was considered its most irreversible state.

The Turning Point: Solidifying Faith and Opposition

The repercussions of Lazarus’s resurrection were immediate and polarizing. John records that “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him”. The undeniable display of divine power convinced many onlookers of Jesus’s claims.

However, this powerful sign also solidified the opposition against Him. Some witnesses reported the event to the Pharisees. This led to an urgent council meeting of the chief priests and Pharisees (the Sanhedrin), who acknowledged the reality of Jesus’s miracles but feared the consequences of His growing popularity. Their concern was political and self-preservational: “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation”³ (John 11:48). It was Caiaphas, the high priest that year, who cynically articulated the deadly solution, inadvertently prophesying the redemptive nature of Jesus’s death: “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50).⁴ John explicitly states, “So from that day on they plotted to take his life” (John 11:53). Thus, the raising of Lazarus, Jesus’s ultimate sign of life-giving power, became the direct catalyst for the plot that would lead to His crucifixion. The act of giving life to His friend ironically sealed His own death sentence.

Resurrection Life Today: Applying the “Great Lesson”

The narrative of Lazarus and Jesus’s profound declaration, “I am the resurrection and the life,” resonates deeply with the challenges and hopes of contemporary Christian life, speaking directly to the themes of faith, doubt, suffering, and hope mentioned in the original meditation. The “Great Lesson of the Resurrection” extends far beyond the historical event in Bethany.

• Hope in Suffering and Delay: Life inevitably brings moments of grief and situations that feel like Bethany—places of affliction where hope seems lost. Jesus’s initial delay, though agonizing for Mary and Martha, teaches believers to trust in God’s sovereign love and timing, even when His purposes involve allowing suffering. We may not understand the “why” behind hardships or perceived delays, but we can trust that the One who loves us is working for a greater glory we may not yet see. We must interpret our suffering through the lens of His unchanging love, not the other way around.
• Faith Amidst Doubt: Martha’s journey through grief, questioning, confession, and renewed doubt at the tomb provides a realistic portrait of faith. Faith is not the absence of struggle or hard questions; it is the persistent clinging to Christ even when circumstances scream otherwise. Jesus meets us tenderly in our doubts, not with condemnation, but by redirecting our focus to His character, His identity, and His promises. He invites belief even when understanding is incomplete.
• The Reality of Present Eternal Life: The declaration “I am the resurrection and the life” fundamentally changes our understanding of life and death. For the believer, eternal life is not just a future inheritance but a present possession, beginning at the moment of faith. We are called to live a “resurrection life” today, animated by the hope and power that flows from Christ. This present reality is sustained by the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and now dwells in believers.
• The Comfort of an Empathetic Savior: The image of “Jesus wept” remains a profound source of comfort. It assures us that our Savior is not distant or detached from our pain. He is fully God, with power over death, yet fully human, capable of entering into our deepest sorrows. He meets us with both the ministry of truth and the ministry of tears, understanding our frailties and grieving alongside us.
• Overcoming the Fear of Death: Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, death loses its ultimate power over the believer. It is transformed from a terrifying end into a transition into the immediate presence of the Lord and the fullness of eternal life. This truth provides profound peace and courage in facing our own mortality and the loss of loved ones in Christ.
• A Call to Belief and Witness: Just as the events in Bethany led many to believe, encountering the power and person of Jesus Christ today calls for a response of faith. We are invited to answer Jesus’s question, “Do you believe this?” and, like the early Christians, share the hope of the resurrection with a world often captive to the fear of death.

Conclusion: The Enduring Invitation – “Do You Believe This?”

The encounter in Bethany, culminating in the raising of Lazarus, stands as a monumental revelation within the Gospel of John. It moves far beyond a mere display of miraculous power; it unveils the very heart of Jesus’s identity and mission. He is not simply a prophet, a healer, or a teacher; He is the divine Son of God, the promised Messiah, the One who embodies Resurrection and Life itself. His deliberate timing, His engagement with Martha’s struggling faith, His profound empathy expressed in tears, and His authoritative command that defied the finality of death all converge to demonstrate this truth. The raising of Lazarus serves as the ultimate sign before His own death, foreshadowing His victory over the grave and securing an unshakeable hope for all who would believe in Him.

The great lesson of the resurrection, therefore, is not merely about a future event, but about a present relationship. Eternal life, victory over sin, and the conquest of death are not found in abstract doctrines or religious observances alone, but are inextricably bound to the person of Jesus Christ. His question to Martha, echoing through the centuries, remains the pivotal invitation to each human heart: “Do you believe this?”. To answer “Yes, Lord” is to embrace Him not just as a historical figure, but as our personal Resurrection and Life—the source of hope in sorrow, the anchor of faith in doubt, the guarantee of life beyond death, and the wellspring of abundant life today, tomorrow, and into eternity.

Lord, help us truly learn the lesson of the resurrection. Grant us faith like Martha’s, that even amidst grief and confusion, we may confess You as the Christ, the Son of God. Help us to trust You as the Resurrection and the Life, finding in You our hope for the future and our strength for today. May we live always in the light of Your victory over death, assured of Your presence and power, now and forevermore. Amen.