The hour is come

 

Agony in the soul of Jesus        v23-36

At the mention of the Greeks seeking him, Jesus entered into agony of soul, as the shadow of the cross was now upon Him.  The thought of expectant Jews and seeking Gentiles brought before Him the reality of the moment, this was why He had come, and now is the time.  The hour is come, the dreaded hour for Him, but the defining hour for the world.  He, gently, replies through Philip that matters were now so pressing, He must focus on the mission, and not be involved with any one group.  He spells out the terms of salvation.  It must be the suffering before the glory.

“The  hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone; but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit.  He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.  If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am there shall also my servant be.  If any man serve me, him will my Father honour.   Now is my soul troubled: and what shall I say, Father, save me from this hour?  But for this cause came I unto this hour.  Father  glorify thy name.”

He takes up the natural process of sowing and reaping.  Only when the seed dies will it produce fruit.  He saw a future harvest of Jew and Gentle coming to Him in salvation.  But it will not happen unless, in His terms, He loses his life, He falls into the ground and dies.  The same principle applies to all of us who would serve him.  To serve Him is to follow Him, and that means to the cross, to die to all of this world, to lose our lives.  In the words of the hymn which mirrors our service with that of Jesus;

“So send I you to leave your life’s ambition,
To die to dear desire, self-will resign,
To labour long, and love where men revile you—
So send I you, to lose your life in Mine.

So send I you—to hearts made hard by hatred,
To eyes made blind because they will not see,
To spend, though it be blood, to spend and spare not—
So send I you to taste of Calvary.
"As the Father hath sent Me, So send I you."

The way to blessing is the way of death to all of this life, and Jesus was now facing the end of His life on earth.  The crucifixion, which was before Him and which was a matter of shame so far as this world is concerned, He characterises as glory.  He begins and ends the section with the glory of God.  The shameful cross, and all it involves, the rejection of men, the mocking, the brutality, the injustice, the suffering, the sense of loss, was a matter of glory to Him.   It was at the cross the Son of man was glorified; it was through the cross the Father will be glorified.  

At this the Father responded, verbally, and immediately, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again”; people heard this audible declaration as thunder or the voice of an angel.  This is the third proclamation from above concerning Him.  He glorified God in His life, and He will glorify Him in His death.  What is true of Christ will be true of all who follow Him.  The cross, with all its shame will become the source of eternal glory.  Glory to God will come in the salvation of men and women from all walks of life.  Saved from a wasted life of sin, they will form what is later described as “…the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints.” He will bring glory to God by reproducing godly fruit in the lives of believers, as we shall see in John 15 where He says “Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit.  He will bring glory to God even in the death of His saints-John 21v19, where He says “…by what death He should glorify God.  Glory to Christ, glory to the Father. glory through the saints, glory in every fruit reproduced in our lives; even in a death because death removes a soul from the cesspool of this world and translates it to the purity of heaven.  Psalm 116v15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.  The word means that which is of great worth of great worth; Psalm 36v7, it is translated “excellent”, valuable, costly, glorious, splendid.  The reality, however, of this loss of life begins to bite. He says “Now is my soul, troubled…”-agitated, stirred, like the waves of the sea.  A sense of inward commotion takes over, restlessness, bringing disquiet into a peaceful situation. The reality of what the cross involved began to weigh heavily upon Him; the Greek word tarasso is used in Matthew 2v3-“all Jerusalem troubled”; Matthew 14v26-the disciples scared out their wits; Luke 1v12-Zachariah the priest shocked when he saw an angel; John 5v4-the angel stirring the water; John 11v33-Jesus emotionally disturbed at the anguish of Martha and Mary; John 13v21-Jesus troubled as He proclaimed one would betray Him.  This was real deep-seated anguish of soul.  Yet His resolve is undiminished.  He says “for this cause came I unto this hour”. He came into the world for this very purpose, this was the whole point of His mission.  He receives heavens’ full assent for all that He has done and for all he was about to do.  He then proclaims the defining issue of His mission.

Public acclamation

 

12v12-19   Acclamation in the streets of Jerusalem

The whole place was abuzz with the news of the resurrection of Lazarus, and unfulfilled hope appeared to rise in the breasts of those who looked for deliverance in Israel.  Many came to see the situation, including the Greeks from afar, but there seemed to be insincerity around for some among them wanted to see Lazarus, indicating a curiosity, rather than a conversion factor.  Like when Jesus fed the 5000, many followed because of the loaves and fishes; now they were clamouring because of the miracle of resurrection. 

“On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet Him and cried “Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Jesus when he had found a young ass sat on it as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold thy king cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.”  These things understood not His disciples at the first, but when Jesus was glorified then they remembered  these things which were written off Him, and that they had done these things unto Him.”

Religious crowds in the Middle East are legendary and, according to the historian Josephus, there may have been, at this time, something like 2.7 million people in and around Jerusalem for the Passover.  You have to understand this to visualise the scene, the crowds were enormous.  People began excitedly to shout Hosanna, which means “Save now!” and is a call for Messiah to release Israel from their enemies.  This was the constant hope of every Israelite.  What with the predictions of John the Baptist, and now Jesus performing miracles, is this it? Is this truly the long-awaited Messiah come?  They quoted Zechariah 9v9 and applauded Him as the King of Israel.  Normally Jesus avoided publicity, but He allowed this as there was no turning back, the time had come.  This is a time of jubilation, it was short-lived but previews the time of festal joy when the King of glory will enter the everlasting gates (Psalm 24).  Palm tree branches are used in scripture to mark times of joy and worship and victory-Leviticus 23v40; Nehemiah 8v15; also to mark a time of rest after an arduous journey-Exodus 15v27, Numbers 33v9.  The city of Jericho at the entrance to the promised land was known as the “city of palm trees”, and the palm represented symbolically all that was the blessing of God upon His people.  In the temple there were carvings of palm trees-1^st Kings 6v29, v32, and 7v36.  They were symbolic of prosperity-Psalm 92v12; also of uprightness and stability as the palm was the most upright of trees-Jeremiah 10v5.  The palm tree was always associated with the preservation and protection of, and provision for God’s people.  This preview of the King entering the gates of Jerusalem will be fulfilled in reality.  The miracle of the resurrection persuaded many of the people that Jesus was the Messiah.  This had effects on others who were present.

v19 it brought consternation to the Pharisees who were disturbed at His new found fame; v20 the Greeks, possibly Jewish converts, were seeking Jesus.  So much was going on, people milling about everywhere. No one wanted to miss anything. Those who witnessed the resurrection were there. Many people of the Jews who did not witness, the resurrection were there.  Many people in the crowd who had gathered for the feast of Passover were part of the thronging crowd.  The Jewish converts, the Greeks came seeking Jesus.  This was the fulfilment of the prophetic scriptures-Psalm 118v25 and Zechariah 9v9.  He approaches Jerusalem in humility riding on a colt of an ass, a beast of burden.  When He comes the next time to set up His Kingdom, He will come on a white horse-the symbol of victory and authority.

Sweet incense in the shadow of Calvary

 

The extravagant worship of Mary.      Mary was a very pensive, very private person.  Every time we read of her in scripture, she is at the feet of Jesus.  In Luke 10v39 she waited at His feet and heard His word; in John 11v20 she wept at his feet at the grave of Lazarus; now in John 12v3, she worshipped at His feet.  This act of utter devotion was lavish in its detail, her action speaks for itself.  “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”

In verses 3-10 and we can look at the extravagance of her worship; the effect of her worship on the gathered company; the examination of her worship by one out of tune with God; and the extolling of her worship by the Lord Jesus Himself.

The extravagance of her worship    

Worship is just worth-ship, what value we place on the object of worship.   Mary’s evaluation of Christ was as much as she could give.  A pound of ointment-of spikenard no less, the costliest ointment available, an aromatic perfume that came from India and Nepal.  Judas Iscariot, who was a money-handler knew its value to be 300 pence or denarius.  We learn from Matthew 20v2 that a penny was a working man’s wages for a day!  Taking into account Sabbaths and public holidays, what she poured out on Jesus was equivalent to a man’s wages for a year!  Talk about the quiet ones surprising everyone? She anointed Jesus with a fortune in monetary terms.  How she came by this is even more astonishing for what it reveals about Mary.  Jesus revealed “Against the day of my burying hath she kept this”.  She has been saving this up, laying it aside to use as spices for His burial.  We marvel at her intelligence for she knew more than all the disciples together.  Sitting at His feet she learned to her sorrow that He was going to die, and she believed Him, which was more than the disciples who could never come to terms with this possibility.  Mary simply believed and acted and went out and bought the most precious ointment available, nothing but the best for her Lord.  This may have been the sum total of her life savings.  She privately bought the precious ointment and put it away, adding to it as she could for the day of His burial.  But now there is an even greater wonder, in conversation with her sister Martha, she also learned, that not only would He die but that He would rise again.  Together they interpreted the scriptures, compared them to what Jesus had said and they were now persuaded He would rise again, so there would be no need for burial spices!  Her brother Lazarus had just died and she didn’t use the spices for him for she had laid it aside for Jesus, and no one else.  Now in an act of pure devotion she emptied the casket on His head and wiped His feet with her hair. 

The effect of her worship      Such was the effect on John that 70 years after the event he recalls it vividly.  Here we are nigh on 2000 years afterwards, and still talking about this amazing incident.  The effect on the gathered company was the whole house was filled with the odour of the ointment.  Such is the effect that devoted worship has on any company.  The ointment is symbolic of the incense of the temple, the ingredients of which speak of the glories of Christ-Exodus 30v34-38.  Her anointing was lavish, it was total, she poured it all out, it was humble, in lowliness she wiped His feet with her hair.  The sweetness filled the air in the home, bringing pleasantness to all who were gathered. 

The examination of her worship    Judas Iscariot was not alone in his criticism of her devotion, but he was sadly out of tune with the mind of God.  His characterisation of this was waste, he had no concept of real values.  He was so aware of the cost of things, he could pinpoint the value and suggest a better use of the ointment.  Yet John reveals the true reason, he was a thief and had control of the bag for the group of disciples.  Perhaps his objection was due to missing out on a valuable contribution.  However the worst aspect of this is he had no concept of the value of Jesus, whom he sold for just 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave in compensation to his master if accidentally killed according to Exodus 21v32.  This was a trivially worthless amount of money.  The real picture here is of the different worth-ship of the two, Mary and Judas.  The need of the poor was more important than the anointing of Jesus.  Rank materialism had gripped his heart as he succumbed to the god of Mammon.  The disciples were not guiltless, but then they were unaware at the time of Judas’ habits.

Jesus extols her worship        He says “Let her alone; against the day of my burying hath she kept this.  For the poor always ye have with you, but me ye have not always.”  The record in Matthew and Mark of the same incident reports that Jesus said “She hath wrought on me a good work”-Matthew 26v11 and Mark 14v7.   He also said “Wherever this gospel is preached throughout the whole world, this also that she has done will be spoken of for a memorial of her.”  People will want to forget Judas Iscariot, but they will applaud Mary across the world.  What a commendation from the lips of the Master.  Ultimately it matters not the criticism of men, all that matters is the commendation of the Master.

Bethany a haven of rest

 

These three functions sum up church life-witness, work and worship.  We will note that in each case there has been a change in their lives.  Such was the beauty of the occasion, that seventy years after the event, John records the memory of it in vivid fashion.  He recalls:

  #1 the extraordinary witness of Lazarus;                                             #2 the exemplary work of Martha;                                                       #3 the extravagant worship of Mary.

We shall see the power of resurrection life in all three individuals.

The extraordinary witness of Lazarus.     He had always been a witness, but now he had become public property.  The story of his resurrection had reached the length and breadth of the land.  People were now flocking to him. The chief priests and Pharisees wanted him dead, because he had become a threat-12v1; 12v9-11; and 12v17. When rogue rulers seek to bring you down, you know you are testifying to the Lord.  The family were already popular in Jerusalem, but now the influence spread.  Many were being lost to Judaism because of Lazarus.  Crowds clamoured to meet Jesus because of him, as the Pharisees declared, “the world is gone after Him-chapter 12v19.  Even the Greeks came asking to see him.  He became a drawing power for many; why? because he was living the power of the resurrection!  Is that why our testimony is so weak, because people don’t see in us the transformation that newness of life brings?  People flocked miles to hear the preaching of John the Baptist, for John preached repentance.  In Acts 5v14, the church that were in the fear of the Lord, attracted many to them.  In the church at Corinth, where good order was observed and the unfettered power of the word was spoken, the effect was that people who came in were convicted of their sins, and proclaimed that “God is here in this place”.  Real preaching of repentance, a sense of the fear of the Lord, ordered gatherings where the word of God is declared; this seems to be the way to attract people in.  Perhaps our lives don’t match our lips; perhaps we are not in the good of resurrection life. 

The change in Lazarus is evident.  During many occasions when the home at Bethany was cited, there was never any mention of Lazarus, which was strange, him being the male in the house.  The first we hear of him is in John 11v1 where it says he was sick; was he a sick man, or had he just become sick?  Also it says that Bethany was the “town of Mary and her sister Martha”; in a culture where women were considered secondary, these women were prominent.  Yet now in chapter 12, he is very much the centre of attention, and how he has come to the fore!  In resurrection Lazarus went from obscurity to public awareness.

·      “Lazarus was one of them which sat at table with Him”-12v2

·      Crowds of people came to see Lazarus who had been raised from the dead-12v9

·      The chief priests consulted that they might put him to death, he was now a threat to them, as Jesus was-12v10

·      Because of him many believed in Jesus-12v11

·      In Jerusalem they were talking of nothing else, and this led to their adulation of Jesus-12v17-19; because of Lazarus the Pharisees proclaimed “…the world has gone after Him”.

·      This prompted the visiting Greeks to seek Jesus-12v21

Through this, Bethany was forever placed on the map, as the place where Lazarus was raised from the dead; it was also the place associated with the Ascension to heaven of Christ-Luke 24v50-51; therefore also with His Coming again, for to this place He will return-Zechariah 14v4.   Lazarus thus becomes an associate of the Resurrection, the Ascension, and the Return of Christ.

The exemplary work of Martha      It simply says “Martha served”.   Martha was always serving, it was she who ran the household, made the meals, hosted the visitors.  We see in Luke 10v38-42 that the home where they lived was used for hospitality, and Martha bore the burden of that.  She was used to receiving many visitors, including the Lord with His disciples.  The picture given back then was that Martha was left to do all the work and she complained about it.  It says “Martha was cumbered about with much service”.   Cumbered means dragged all around, distracted, pulled out, stressed.  She was left with too much to do on her own. She complained to the Lord that her sister had left her to do all the work, and requested He bid that her sister help her.  Jesus answered, “Martha, thou art careful and troubled by many things; careful is anxious or stressed-she was also very irritated, pointing the finger at her sister.  Martha was a tireless worker, but she was stressed out, she wasn’t enjoying the task.  She wasn't quite fulfilling the desire of the Lord, that whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord.  But now in chapter 12, there is a change.  We note that it says “…they made Him a supper, not only they made a supper, they made Him a supper.  What made the difference was, that they were both doing it, and doing it with joy.  This time there was no complaining from Martha, it simply says that she served. The stress had gone, the joy of serving Him was paramount.  She was serving Him in the power of resurrection life.  No complaining, no irritation, just gracious, loving service.  Here, the most menial service of serving tables is elevated to highest ground.  It is when we serve in that spirit, the attitude and the atmosphere changes.   Martha was always a worker, but now she was working at a different level.   In terms of church life there is endless work to be done.  It is not all about praying or preaching. There is the work of administration; of serving tables; of organising services; of maintaining buildings and finances; of preparing for special occasions; of providing materials; of tending to the needs of different age-groups.  On resurrection ground, how we serve is as important as the service itself.  “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men”-Colossians 3v23; “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”-1^st Corinthians 10v31. 

Countdown to Calvary

 

Chapter 12     The countdown to Calvary

·      12v1-11      Adoration in the home at Bethany

·      12v12-22    Acclamation in the streets of Jerusalem

·      12v23-36    Agony in the soul of Jesus 

·      12v37-50    Apathy in the hearts of the people

 

12v1-11  Adoration in the home at Bethany

“Six days before the Passover…”  chapter 12 represents a turning point in the gospel, as it moves us from the public ministry of Jesus, to His private instruction to His chosen apostles.  After this He will no longer address the public, except in His own defence.  Out of 89 chapters in the four Gospels, more than 20 are devoted to the last week of Jesus’ life.  In many ways it is a crisis chapter and the very word is used in the key verses 31-32 “Now is the judgment of this world.  Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out.  And I, if I be lifted up from the Earth, will draw all men unto me.”  The word for judgment is the Greek word krisis, and this chapter is a crisis for many, a significant event that will have permanent consequences.  It presents a crisis for Himself, because “the hour is come”.  This is the first time He has declared this-until now it was “the hour is not yet come”, or similar, but now the hour has come, and now is the countdown to the cross.  It is a crisis for the world for the cross will forever divide humanity; it is a crisis for Satan the prince of this world, as this will seal his doom; it is a crisis for the nation of Israel, for their rejection of Him will consign them, at large, to Divine judicial hardening which continues to this day; it is a crisis for the Roman Empire, for their part in this treachery will ultimately bring down an Empire which, hitherto, had seemed impregnable; it will prove a crisis for Judas Iscariot, for, at this time he will finally decide his intention to betray Jesus, leading to eternal ruin.

The chapter begins with a reference to the Passover and this is very significant.  The shadow of His pending death is over this chapter, and all its contents are against that background, as we can see from the following: “After six days the Passover…”-v1; “Against the day of my burying, has she kept this”-v7”; “…the hour is come”-v23; “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into  the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit”-v24; “Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say, Father, save me from this hour?  But for this cause came I unto this hour”-v 27;  “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me”-v32; “This, he said, signifying what death he should die”-v33.

On Passover day the lamb must be slain for the sins of the nation-the lamb is identified in John 1v29.  Jesus, now has before His mind, one supreme event-His death on Passover day.   It was in this context Jesus attended a supper in the home at Bethany.   Here we have a cameo of church gatherings of the future, when, in a world of hate and doubt and rejection, Jesus will rest with His beloved people. 

“…where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead.”   This scene is on resurrection ground!  All His beloved people have been raised from the dead in a spiritual resurrection.  Resurrection ground is the ground of change, it is based on newness of life, it is a new creation, a new humanity.  We have died with Christ, buried out of sight from the world and living a new and changed life. 

Romans 6v3-5- “Know ye not that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into his death?  Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For, if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection.”  Church gatherings consist of those who have died with Christ, who are buried with Him, and raised to newness of life.  2^nd Corinthians 5v17 “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away behold all things have become new.”   The picture is clear, those people who gather with Christ are changed people in power of resurrection life.  Now we are going to see this working out in the lives of three people,   Lazarus, His sister, Martha and his sister, Mary.   Together they represent the sum total of the exercises in a gathered church.  In Lazarus we have a witness; in Martha we have a worker; in Mary we have a worshipper.  All three are functions in the church.  Before He goes to the cross, He gathered with His people in the home at Bethany, which had been a haven for Him and His disciples in His public ministry.  How this brings to us in the present, that in an antagonistic and hateful world, the gatherings of His people are havens of rest for Him.

Effect of the resurrection

 

Division among the people           v45-57

“Then many of the Jews, which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him.”

This is at the very heart of this Gospel of John.   All the way through from beginning to end, there are those who believe, and those who do not; and as he says at the end, “…these things were written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and believing ye might have life through His name.”  Sprinkled throughout the gospel are the records of those who believed-2v11, v22, v23, His disciples; 4v39,v41, the Samaritans; 4v50, v53, the nobleman with all his house; 7v30-31 many of the people; 8v30-31 many believed; 10v42 many believed; 11v45 the Jews(generally thought to be the ruling class) believed; 12v11 many Jews believed; 12v42 many among the chief rulers believed;17v20 Jesus spoke about many “who shall believe on me through their word.”

Also recorded are those who did not believe, and so Jesus divided opinion in Israel, just as He will do, ultimately on a global scale.  Those who did not believe reported proceedings to the Pharisees.  There was now a clear dividing line between Jesus and the Pharisees.  This prompted a council meeting, a gathering in emergency mode, of the chief priests and the Pharisees to investigate what could be done about Jesus. They were in a quandary, they could not fail to act, for His popularity was increasing and this would have an undesirable effect on the Romans.  Caiaphas, the high priest, who was so not by Divine ordinance but by Roman politics, entered the discussion, putting a different perspective, which answered their dilemma.  In fact what he said was perfectly scriptural and it gave the rulers the ideal reason to kill Him-it’s predicted in holy writ.  This was said callously, and coldly, not in any sense, based on morality.  He said “Ye know nothing at all; not consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not.  This spake he not of himself but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation.  And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one, the children of God that were scattered abroad.”  He argued from expediency, justifying murder based on the predictions of Holy Scripture.  How easy it is to quote scripture when it suits us, this surely a case of handling the word of God deceitfully.  His ungodly approach worked, for it says “Then from that day forth, they took counsel together for to put Him to death.”  The decision was made, it was now only a matter of time. 

“Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness; into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with His disciples.”

Jesus knew of their decision, as He knows all things at all times, as we have seen throughout the book.  He knew that they had decided to kill Him, and so He took Himself away.  He did not court untimely danger, and He took His disciples out of harm’s way. He had come to Bethany from beyond Jordan in Bethabara to raise Lazarus from the dead-a distance of more than 20 miles eastward.  Again He moves away from Jerusalem this time some 20 miles northward, to the edge of the wilderness where He could rest with His disciples, before the trauma to come.  It is not without significance that the next verses speak about the Passover.

Verses 55-57 “And the Jews’ Passover was nigh at hand.  And many went out of the country up to Jerusalem, before the Passover, to purify themselves.  Then sought they for Jesus and spake among themselves as they stood in the temple, what think ye that He will not come to the feast?  Now, both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where He where, he should show it, that they might take Him.”

The scene was set, the die was cast, and Jesus would appear in His own time.

The resurrection

 

Deliverance from the chains of death    v38 to 44.

There will now be a demonstration of His power, and He will perform the mighty miracle.  Only He can raise the dead, but He will have us do what we can-v39, “Take away the stone…”; v44”Loose him and let him go.”  Martha, almost in a daze in wonderment at was about to happen, said “Lord by this time he stinks he’s been four days dead.”  Jesus reminded her of His promise to her “Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

Jesus took control. The helpers took away the stone from the entrance to the grave.  Before the mighty act, He prays;  And in doing so, notice the posture of His prayer-“He lifted up His eyes…”.   Prayer is not necessarily about physical posture, but of the attitude of the heart.  In the language of the poet, James Montgomery”;

“Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, unuttered or expressed. The motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.  Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear. The upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near”

Note the praise content of His prayer;  “Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me.  And I knew that thou hearest me always.  But because of the people, which standby I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”  Reverence and thanksgiving to His Father, and consideration to the people around, was in the forefront of His mind as He performed this miracle.  It was not for self-adulation or popularity that moved Him, but for the benefit of all who witnessed this event.

“And when He had thus spoken He cried with a loud voice Lazarus, come forth! and he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, loose him and let him go.”  

It was a rare thing for Jesus to raise His voice, as clearly predicted in Isaiah 42v2 “He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.”  Jesus was no loud mouth= preachers take note.  But in times of great moment, His voice was lifted up; as on the last day, the great day of the feast-John 7v37; as on the cross when he uttered the cry of victory- Matthew 27v48; Mark 15v34; Luke 23v46.  His voice will be heard as a shout when He comes to the air for His church-1st Thess. 4v16.  His call woke the dead; one has said if He had not said Lazarus, then all the graves would have yielded the dead!!  Death will ultimately yield to His command and death will be no more.  There were two miracles here, Lazarus was resurrected, and also he was able to walk in binding graveclothes.  This became the springboard for the crucifixion, as it focused the mind of His enemies against Him as this miracle publicised His powers through a wide area.  This also had the effect of convincing many to believe Him; there were more people converted through this incident than anything else-note the ripple effect the resurrection of Lazarus has in the ensuing verses-11v45; 12v1, v9, v10, v18, v19.  This was the third and the most public of occasions when Jesus raised the dead-the others being the raising of Jairus’ daughter-Luke 8v40-56, and the raising of the widow of Nain’s son-Luke 7v11-17.  Much can be gleaned from a comparison of the three miracles. 

Jesus the resurrection and the life

 

Distress at the graveside        v28-37

Mary was more reserved than her sister, but she came at the call of Jesus and bowed at His feet.  Three times Mary appears in scripture, and each time, she is at His feet:

·      Luke 10v39   She waits at His feet, “She had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard His word.”

·      John 11v32   She weeps at His feet, “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 12v3    She worships at His feet, “Then took Mary a pound of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”

By her actions she said the same as her sister said in words, and she repeats Martha’s words “Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died.”  There was a feeling of anguish about the place, as there always will be in circumstances of unexpected and untimely death.  When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping who had come to console them, it says “He groaned in His spirit, and was troubled.”  We're about to witness absolute Deity, in His power over death but right now we see His tender humanity.  The word for groaned-which also appears in v38, is embrimaomai which means more anger and indignation than it does sympathy.  Its usage in the Greek language is of the snorting of a horse as it enters into battle, with vehement anger against the enemy.  Picture the scene, He is amongst friends whom He loves very dearly, and they are very distressed.  The one emotion that emerges Is a deep anger as He contemplated the awful consequences of sin and the suffering it was brought to humanity.  He was angry for the distress of His friends, it tends to hurt more, the closer we are to people.  He was angry at the consequences of sin that had reduced humanity to despair.  He was angry at the deception of Satan who had pronounced in the garden, “Ye shall not surely die”-Genesis 3v4.  He was in angry outrage at the monstrosity of death in God’s world and was deeply moved.   It was not the emotion of uncontrollable grief, but of irrepressible rage.  We learn here of the pain in the heart of God when utter helplessness and despair besets us…Jesus wept!  The shortest verse in the Bible, with the deepest possible meaning.

Our tears are His tears; our sorrow is His sorrow; our pain is His pain, but it is tempered with indignation and a firm resolve to meet head on the power of death, which for long has held sway, and which He will destroy as the great enemy of mankind.