#1503 John 11 Part 2 Undone

 

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away; 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother. 20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?” 27 She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the One who comes into the world.”

28 And when she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she *got up quickly and was coming to Him.

30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews—who were with her in the house and consoling her—when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to cry there. 32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus therefore saw her crying, and the Jews who came with her also crying, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time he smells, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the crowd standing around I said this, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” 44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. John 11: 17-46 LSB

John 11: 17-46

1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.… Ephesians 2: 1-3

20Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done. 22As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.”… Genesis 8: 20-22

…2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.” 3Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”… John 3: 2-4

V. 17 In the tomb 4 days - This is not in a freezer at the morgue. There are too many witnesses to both his sickness and his death at this point. Jesus has purposely waited, knowing all along what He is going to do, that this is for the purpose of God's glory. 

V. 19 Many of the Jews - More witnesses. Jesus' miracles are very open things, on the streets, in the fields, in public places feeding the five thousand and healing many. 

V. 21 Lord if You had been here my brother would not have died - This is not sentiment towards a leader of a false healing ministry; His power is well known, proven. She had sent word to Him about the situation, probably in the hopes of His arriving to heal her brother. All four of the gospels agree on Jesus' healing ministry, that He performed many miracles associated with His claim of being the Son of God.

13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. 14When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law sick in bed with a fever. 15So He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him.… Matthew 8: 13-15

…24This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who has written them down. And we know that his testimony is true. 25 There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written. John 21: 24-25

V. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You - She recognizes that God has withheld nothing from this man so far, but she is about to realize a whole lot more about this Man.

Vincent has a somewhat technical note which gives insight into Martha's statement - The verb aiteo is used of the asking of an inferior from a superior. Erotao is to ask on equal terms, and hence is always used by Christ of His own asking from the Father, in the consciousness of His equal dignity. Hence Martha, as Trench observes, “plainly reveals her poor, unworthy conception of His person, that she recognizes in Him no more than a prophet, when she ascribes that asking (aiteisthai) to Him which He never ascribes to Himself” (“Synonyms”). Bengel says: “Martha did not speak in Greek, yet John expresses her inaccurate remark, which the Lord kindly tolerated.”

Spurgeon has a fascinating comment noting that "There is faith there, and there is unbelief too. She believes that Christ can have what He wills of God, but she does not recognize His own personal Godhead — His own power to work resurrection." (See Vincent's comment above). - Precept Austin

…17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,… Matthew 28: 17-19

V. 23 Your brother will rise again - Jesus is talking about right now, like shortly after their conversation is done.

V. 24 I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day - This shows she had been paying attention as he taught, even when she was busy exercising her gift of hospitality. Martha is no small figure, when she entertains Jesus He is followed by at least 12, sometimes 70 in His company of disciples, plus those curious neighbors as well. Martha is the oil and the gears of her home. She is not without theology though, as no one should be, for it is the answer to the question, Who is God?, and the question, what is that to me? Her doctrine is growing, and the Teacher is utilizing this time of her brokenness, her stillness, to reveal the Great I Am. This is a dear conversation, something that I'm sure she held and cherished for rest of her life, that someone as busy as the Messiah took an aside with her, someone who is also a busy person herself. 

…28Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice 29and come out— those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 30I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.… John 5: 28-30

…14Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. 15But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah Psalm 49: 14-15

…7On this mountain He will swallow up the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken. 9And in that day it will be said, “Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”… Isaiah 25: 7-9

V. 25 I am the resurrection and the life - This is one of the most profound and fiercest statements in the Bible. If you are the life, then you did not receive it, you give it, you are the everlasting fountain from which life flows. Someone is probably looking for stones to throw again, and Thomas is probably thinking, "yep, we came here to die, and Jesus just sealed the deal with that statement." 

…20The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. 22Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,… John 5: 20-22

…43“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied. 44“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—… John 6: 43-45

…25Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. 27And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.… John 5: 25-27

…3Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. 4In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.… John 1: 3-5

…25But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. 26Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. 27I will see Him for myself; my eyes will behold Him, and not as a stranger. How my heart yearns within me!… Job 19: 25-27

V. 27 Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the One Who comes into the world - She has been paying attention. It's a bit foggy like it is for His other disciples right now, but she believes many of the things written about Him in the OT, and what He says. This is the great moment of testing, what do we believe in our sorrows, in our loss and pain?

…48“How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” 49“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”… John 1: 48-50

…15“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.… Matthew 16: 15-17

Spurgeon on I have believed - By which she as good as said, “I believe that, and I believe everything else. I have an implicit faith in thee. Whatever thou sayest, whatever thou hast said or shalt say, I am prepared to believe it all. for I believe in thee. I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” Will not many of you make Martha’s grand confession of faith your own? Believe in Jesus, and then you will be able to believe anything and everything that he says. Our Lord’s greatest miracles were ever the reward of faith. - C. H. Spurgeon quoted by PA

V. 32 And fell at His feet - Mary, the one who washed Jesus feet with her hair, falls at His feet, a sign of His Lordship. She expresses the same understanding as her sister, that if Jesus had been there, He could have stopped it. This is a close family, a sweet family, in much sorrow.

…7And He came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One seated on the throne. 8 When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.… Revelation 5: 7-9

VS. 33-37 When Jesus therefore saw her crying...Jesus wept - This is a family of hospitality, dear to Jesus, known by many, and it is interesting to see how everyone is moved. Even those identified outside of Jesus's circle of disciples, "the Jews who came with her also crying", were all in grief, all shared in their sorrow, even commenting in v. 37 to the effect that couldn't this man who healed blindness have prevented this. This is the awesome part to me though, the proof of Isaiah, and I know I lean away from this level of empathy, imperfect in my approach. I feel the need to joke things away, or to cause enough degrees of separation so I don't feel, and my response is often a stoic repetition. Don't get me wrong, there are crocodile tears that I deal with every day in this world as well, that someone is angry and upset because people aren't giving them enough recognition, or they had to eat the same thing twice this week, or someone is parked in my favorite fishing spot. Certainly not everything deserves the level of empathy that it is demanding, but look at Jesus. I think at first, well, He knows them, and yes, that is true, but He also knows what He is about to do, yet still He weeps over their sorrow. 

…3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. 4Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted. 5But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.… Isaiah 53: 3-5

…7During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. 8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. 9And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him… Hebrews 5: 7-9

V. 39 Lord, by this time he smells - Like I said, no refrigeration, his body is decomposing, everything inside is breaking down, the stone on the outside would only keep out large animals, but the bacteria inside the body is attacking all the dead cells. By 4 days he would smell like the worst road kill, beyond hoax for those that like to think Jesus' miracles were that. It's funny too, because the crowds that followed Him wanted miracles, wanted them every day, healing and feeding. No one contested that the miracles happened, but they wanted them to mean other than they did. They testified to Who He Is, that His claim of being God was no blasphemy. They didn't mind free food, only the suggestion that they needed to repent, for why do men love darkness? Because their deeds are evil. The problem for them is that His miracles seek His glory, the glory of God, the revelation of God With Us, Immanuel, and they want the miracles to be about them, for them, and to their own honor. They are dead in their trespasses and sins, and Lazarus is only physically dead. He smells of that death, they smell of a nature that God infinitely and eternally opposes. Martha still thinks He speaks of the far future resurrection, and what must a crowd, steeped in tradition about death and uncleanness, some true, some stretched, what must they be thinking?

Warren Wiersbe - There are three resurrections recorded in the Gospels, apart from that of our Lord Himself. Christ raised a twelve-year-old girl who had died (Luke 8:49–56), a young man who had been dead several hours (Luke 7:11–17), and an older man who had been in the tomb four days (John 11). They present a picture of three different kinds of sinners: (1) The little girl. Children are sinners, but open corruption has not yet set in. (2) The young man. Young people are sinners whose outward corruption begins to show. (3) The older man. Adults are sinners whose definite outward corruption can be seen. The point is that all three were dead. One person cannot be “more dead” than another. The only difference lay in the degree of decay. Is this not true of sinners today? The immoral church member is not “decayed” like the person on skid row, but he is still dead. (BORROW Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament page 240). - PA

The manufacture of new commandments is a very fascinating occupation for some people. You must not do this or that or the other, till one feels like a baby in reins. I find that ten commandments are more than I can keep without a deal of grace, and I do not mean to pay the slightest regard to any beyond. Liberty is the genius of our faith, nor do we mean to barter it away for the esteem of modern Pharisees. They say to us, ‘Thou shalt not laugh on a Sunday. Thou shalt never create a smile in the House of God. Thou shalt walk to public services as though thou wert going to the whipping post, and thou shalt take care when thou preachest that thou dost always make thy discourse as dull as it can possibly be.’ We do not reverence these precepts. Anything which is of God we honour, but not the sickening decrees of cant. We are men, not slaves. Our manhood is not annihilated by grace. We think, speak and act for ourselves, and are not the serfs of custom and fashion. We speak out our minds even when propriety is shocked and respectability is enraged. I would always give to young men this piece of advice: ‘quit yourselves like men’; let nobody have to say that your religion is mamby-pamby and your conversation affected. Do not be always sugaring every person you speak of as ‘Dear this’ and ‘Dear that,’ for this savours of nauseous hypocrisy. Do not whine or turn up your eyes or affect to be very devout. Be holy, but not showy, true, but not obtrusive. Be men, be manly, be Christians, be like Christ. He was the very highest type of man; you never see anything stilted or unnatural in him; he is always himself, transparent, outspoken, brave, honest, true and manly. - PA

V. 40 You will see the glory of God - The reason for the miracles. A small aside on the miraculous though. We live in bodies we did not design, and men try to make so light of it, like it is such an insignificant thing that it could come about on it's own. Some of them say that matter is God, something inert, frozen in space, suddenly exploded into meaningfulness, formed words and patterns like DNA, the language of life. Something chaotic and without intelligence started everything and became quite ornate and complex. That is beyond miraculous, it's simply unattainable, unobservable, beyond a childish fancy. There is a miraculous that can be observed because it follows the laws and boundaries assigned to it, and I was listening to Macarthur the other day on our fascination with the supernatural, with fantasy, and I thought it was a bit much at first. I thought about it again and again over the last few days and realized that I am living on a planet that I didn't make, with an ocean not fully described, in a Universe that is riddled with many mysteries. Every discovery of science has revealed how little I know and how much more there is to learn. There is no room for arrogance in this life, even one's perception and ability to collect and process data is based upon a mind and materials made by Someone else. It is all a miracle, all to the glory and honor of the Creator. It is all above me, the natural has come into being at the command of the Super natural. Things look designed because they follow a logical language, and they follow a logical language because God spoke and there it is. When Jesus does these miracles, what we call out of the ordinary or against the natural flow, that is Him pointing to Himself as the Author of all miracles. 

…13For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. 15My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.… Psalm 139: 13-15

V. 42 So that they may believe that You sent Me - The purpose of His miracles were to validate His person and claims. 

…3So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world. 4But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.… Galatians 4: 3-5

V. 43 Lazarus come forth - Now He is doing this, raising Lazarus here again in this life, and yet Lazarus will come to this same place once more. It is not to his benefit to be brought back to this place, for it is far from glory, but it is of a great deal of benefit to all who witness this. He just told Martha, in front of all these witnesses, that He is the resurrection and the life. Their doctrine grew three sizes that day, except for those who remain in unbelief even in the face of insurmountable proof. This takes us back to John 3, this is the very picture of the doctrine of being born again. Did Lazarus will himself unto life? Did his death create some sweet work that the Lord could not resist? no, he just stank. Notice Jesus does not ask his permission to do this, just as no one asked you if you wanted to be born. It is the picture of the greater miracle, not of being resurrected unto this life, but unto eternal life. It is the marvel of regeneration, no mere act of a man's will, that will accomplish nothing. This is the same God who caused Sarah's dead womb to conceive. He can speak to the things He has made, and they must obey Him, to not obey is to be given over to judgement, it is death.

…15For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”… Romans 9: 15-17

ANOTHER THOUGHT - This event suggests another great resurrection which could occur any day now, the Rapture of Christ's Bride! "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." (1Th 4:16+) Are you ready for the rapture beloved? Are you abiding daily in your Bridegroom "so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming" (1Jn 2:28+)? (cf 1Co 15:51, 52+) (Related - Chart on Order of Resurrection; The two Resurrections - "First" and "Second" - charted out)

Steven Cole adds "C. H. Spurgeon applied this verse by challenging his congregation to believe God for the conversion of sinners who were as corrupt in their morals as Lazarus was in his body. We sometimes see people who are debauched sinners and think, “There’s no way that that person could ever get saved.” If salvation comes from human will power, that’s true. But if salvation is of the Lord, then He is mighty to save the chief of sinners." - PA

V. 44 Unbind him and let him go - His haters have to be formulating all sorts of superstitious nonsense about Him. The emotions were high in the beginning, everyone was in mourning, but this is too surreal, I have seen people pass out at the sight of a drop of their own blood, imagine this! It is interesting as one commentator pointed out, Jesus follower play a part, first in rolling the stone away, Jesus speaks, the man comes forward, and then here they unbind him. 

Vs. 45 & 46 Believed in Him...but some of them went to the Pharisees - Some believed after this, but others went and told on Jesus like He did something wrong. They would be just like those in communist countries who need to bury evidence that supports their opposition. It is why people attack the Bible in our day, because it has a proven record of history that has withstood many attacks. Now they are left with propaganda, like lawyers that are trying to win a case, the decision, not what's true, so you find a doctor or expert that will give the opinion you want about the evidence that both sides are reviewing. Hopefully his title will sway; he does look like an intellectual after all. Overthrowing governments requires that men remove and change history. I will pick up with this tomorrow.