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.