Christ’s Resurrection Power (John 11:38–46)

Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name”Text: John 11:38–46

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: December 24, 2023

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

Tomorrow is Christmas Day, the day that we remember the incarnation of our Lord. The teaching of the incarnation, though, can be confusing as we think about what it means that God came in flesh. How does that practically play itself out? Is the divinity of God the Son somehow diminished, for instance?

Scripture makes it clear that Jesus remained fully God as he walked the earth, while remaining just as clear that he was completely human. We see these two facts meet on Christmas, where a virgin miraculously gives birth to a baby; the divine and the human meet. Theologians use the term hypostatic union to explain this unique nature. He’s fully God concerning His divinity, and He’s fully human concerning His humanity — these two natures can never be separated from one another, nor can they be mixed together.

These are big thoughts to ponder, and Christmas gives us that opportunity. Of course, as we consider the nature of God, we should expect that He’s bigger than we might imagine within our limited thinking. He exists in tri-unity (three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — yet one essence and will. So, it should be no surprise that God coming to earth would mean something bigger than we might have imagined.

We see the two natures of Christ, the divine and the human, featured prominently in John Chapter 11. Jesus is clearly grieved and moved with great emotion over the death of Lazarus and the existence of suffering. Yet, in this passage, we also see the divinity of Christ prominently on display as He wields supernatural power over the situation.

This is what we will consider this morning. We will see that Jesus demonstrates His command over the situation, His communion with the Father, His control over death and life, and His completion of the divine plan. Let’s consider the first of these.

Jesus Demonstrates His Command Over the Situation (vv. 38–40)

So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

There are a variety of ways that v. 38 is translated, and it goes back to what I mentioned last week. For instance, the NKJV has “groaning in Himself,” while the HCSB has “angry in Himself.” This translation has “deeply moved within.” That’s because this word can translate either as intense emotion or, more commonly, as anger. As I noted last time, though, if this does best translate as “angry,” it is not because Jesus is upset at people being sad; Jesus Himself wept (v. 35). Rather, He’s upset at the death and suffering which sin has wrought.

So, He’s stirred at the presence of the tomb. We read that this is a cave, and again, as we noted last time, this cave sepulcher is an indication of wealth. This tomb will be similar to the one in which our Lord will lie, which was borrowed from the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea (Matt. 27:60; Mark 15:46; Luke 24:2; John 20:1). Christians in the fourth century believed they knew where Lazarus’s tomb was, and they built a church over the site called the Lazareion, though there have been modifications over the years, and we’re not certain the site is authentic.

Despite His emotional state while standing there, Jesus remains in complete control. So, He tells them to remove the stone lying in the entrance. Later, angels will remove the stone from Jesus’s tomb, but that was to let the disciples in, not to allow Jesus to exit the tomb. In this case, though, Lazarus will need the help, and Jesus involves people in the work of the miracle. They would remove the stone at a risk of defiling themselves by interacting with a corpse, but they will eventually comply.

They must have Martha’s authorization, though. She heard and believed Jesus’s words in vv. 25–26, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Yet, she didn’t know Jesus meant now. In fact, her objection indicates that resurrection is the furthest thing from her mind.

She respectfully responds, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench.” Our translators are often too respectful of the sensibilities of the readers, with some having “an odor” and this one having “a stench;” a more literal translation would be, “Lord, he stinks already!” Perhaps assuming Jesus only wanted to see the body, Martha advises against opening the tomb, pointing to the purification process, which would have overcome the sweet scent of the spices and fragrances they used in preparation for burial.

She adds in that her brother “has been dead four days,” perhaps to emphasize the decay process. Yet, in the providence of God, John may have highlighted this for another reason. There was a superstition about the spirits of the dead hanging around their bodies for three days, hoping to find a way to reenter them and resume life. Yet, once decay reaches a point where facial features begin to fade, the spirit then departs, giving up on the notion of reentry by the fourth day. This isn’t a biblical thought, and Martha herself might not of believed it, but there may be some who thought this. In any event, Martha’s words confirm that Lazarus is dead beyond any shadow of doubt.

So, Jesus says to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Now, we might ask the question, “When did He say that?” We read Him say something like this in v. 4, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” But, He said that to His disciples, not to her. To her, in vv. 23–26, He didn’t specifically mention the glory of God, but that was the implication of His words. He calls her only to faith, to trust.

He knew what was coming. He knew that Lazarus died, He knew He would raise Him, and He knew it was to the glory of God and His own. He had complete command over the situation, not doubting that He should even tell them to remove the stone. His was a total command over the situation, for He has a divine connection (as we see next).

Jesus Demonstrates His Communion with the Father (vv. 41–42)

So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

The people heeded Christ’s command. The sisters probably gave their consent, and men from the crowd rolled back the stone, just as the angels will remove the stone from Jesus’s tomb later (Luke 24:2; John 20:1). The text doesn’t say here, but the stench probably began to waft in the air. Yet, even at this moment, Jesus is in control.

Some might think that He is worried. What if this doesn’t work? What if the Father doesn’t will the raising of Lazarus? Will this destroy His credibility as the Messiah?

Yet, there was no doubt in His mind, for He had true communion with the Father. His prayer is one of confidence. It begins with Jesus lifting His eyes; they lifted the stone, and He lifted His eyes (not really noted in the English translations). He assumed one of several regular positions for prayer.

We look up not because God is physically “above” us but because He is spiritually higher; the reality is that He’s all around us, but looking up forces our minds off of the earthly and upon the spiritual. In Jesus’s case, He does have a task, and He chooses to look above it to the Father.

His prayer emphasizes to the witnesses “that God the Father is the source of the miracle He is about to perform” (this is not the work of demons, as some falsely accused Him of doing). He calls God “Father,” further demonstrating His communion with Him. This was distinct because the Jews did not typically refer to God in this way in personal prayer. Yet, Jesus flouts tradition to emphasize his connection with the Father.

Also note the confidence in His prayer. He thanks the Father for having heard Him. Of course, prayer should always include thanksgiving, but He doesn’t pray that the Father hears Him. In fact, in the next verse, He says, “I knew that You always hear Me.” In fact, He makes no requests in this prayer — He just thanks the Father for hearing Him and always hearing Him. That is a bold prayer!

Moreover, He doesn’t at this point request that the Father raise Lazarus. We’ve already read that the Father has given life to the Son, as part of His Messianic mission. So, Jesus can raise Lazarus at any time. Yet, He doesn’t simply rely on that, though the point of the prayer isn’t to make a request. As one study notes, “He begins with thanks for what God has already done.”

So, why does Jesus pray? First, He is in communion with the Father, and prayer is a natural outgrowth of that relationship. Second, for the thankfulness we just discussed. Third, He specifically prays here aloud with thanksgiving because, as He says, “of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” He wants them to know that He has this relationship with the Father and that He is sent from the Father so that they may come to faith.

He prays to demonstrate His communion with the Father. In fact, His miracle will only be further confirmation of this relationship, as He proves His divine control. That’s what we see next.

Jesus Demonstrates His Control Over Death and Life (vv. 43–44)

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” 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.”

Here, we get to the heart of the miracle and the chapter. Some have wondered why the other Gospel accounts don’t record this miracle considering how spectacular it is. However, as one study notes, they “do record two other resurrections Jesus performed (Mk 5:21–42; Lk 7:11–17), and by choosing to omit all but Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem, they have no place in their outline for other events in and around the holy city.” This Gospel doesn’t repeat all the other amazing miracles the previous ones record, and each Gospel account has its own focus and emphases.

So, what features do we see in this miracle? We see His complete control over life and death. First, we read that He cries out with a great voice. He doesn’t walk into the tomb and touch Lazarus. He doesn’t need to touch a person physically to heal, for we’ve seen Him heal with but a word before. Yet, He doesn’t usually shout, and we can’t imagine that He needed to yell for Lazarus to hear Him. This is a supernatural act.

So, why holler? This loud voice must have been, again, for the benefit of the witnesses. He didn’t want them wondering at what He had said. As one study notes, He was no wizard muttering spells. As another says, “On other occasions Jesus had said that men would hear His voice and come out of their graves (5:28) and that His sheep hear His voice (10:16, 27).” He communicates with divine authority, speaking life into the dead, and He wants His words to be heard so unbelievers will come to faith once they fully witness the miracle.

Incidentally, John will hear a loud voice again from the Lord in Rev. 1:10. At that time, he will turn and see Jesus full of glory! At this time, though, Jesus’s glory is veiled, and all the people hear is a loud, clear voice against the hillside.

Jesus then does the unthinkable in their minds — He addresses Lazarus. Understand that necromancy, talking with the dead, is forbidden in Scripture (Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:9–12). The Lord did not approve of King Saul consulting the witch of Endor to speak with Samuel, and He would not approve of us calling the psychic hotline, playing with Ouija boards, or in any other way seeking answers from the dead. So, this might be surprising for the Jewish audience.

Yet, Jesus isn’t consulting; He’s commanding. He said, “Lazarus, come forth.” This is as terse in the English as it is in the Greek. It could be rendered with the two adverbs, “Here, out!” or, simply, “come here!” And, He had to address Lazarus specifically, for as one study notes, “Augustine once said that if Jesus had not designated Lazarus by name, all the graves would have been emptied at His command (5:28).” He commanded Lazarus to come out, and just like that, Lazarus emerges.

Note how complete His miracle is. Jesus isn’t putting on a show where some people begin to say, “I think I see something.” He isn’t getting them worked up into a delusional state. There isn’t a fog machine set up in the tomb that creates a mist, making shapes which some might mistake for a man. Jesus speaks, and the dead are now alive, as touch can confirm in just a moment.

The Holy Spirit reminds us that this is a miracle. Verse 44 could say, “Lazarus came out;” it says, “The man who had died came forth.” Lazarus exits the tomb just as he went in, bound loosely with “linen strips” (ESV, HCSB) around his hands and feet and a covering over his face. For Lazarus to move freely, someone would need to help untie those, giving witnesses observational verification of the miracle. They will touch and see that Lazarus, the formerly dead, is truly alive again!

This control of death and life demonstrates several points. This is a demonstration of what it means to first believe and come to new life, when the Son of God speaks and the spiritually dead come to spiritual life (cf. Eph. 2:1–10). It also shows us a glimpse of what the final resurrection will look like, when we will all be raised.

Jesus has complete control over death and life. This is the message He’s been communicating to His disciples, to Martha, and to us. He came into the world on Christmas to give us life. Hopefully His control is enough to convince you; it convinced others, as we see next:

Jesus Demonstrates His Completion of the Divine Plan (vv. 45–46)

Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

There are always two responses to the undeniable realities of Christ. One is belief, and the other is more stubborn disbelief. We see both reactions with this group who followed Mary from her house to the tomb, meeting Jesus and Martha along the way. Let’s consider first those who believed.

First, we read that many of them “believed in Him.” This seems like the most natural reaction to the supernatural work before them. This is the purpose of this Gospel — to believe that He’s the Christ and the Son of God, and this is His purpose in performing such works. As one commentator notes, “Christ did not permit the miracle which he had wrought to be without fruit, for by means of it he drew some persons to the faith. For we ought to understand that miracles have a twofold use. They are intended either to prepare us for faith, or to confirm us in faith.” In this case, Jesus wasn’t just calling Lazarus to life, He was calling many to faith, and they believed!

Some might say today, “Well, if I saw something like that, I would finally believe, too!” However, don’t be so sure, because we see that some of the comforters saw the miracle and decided to report it to Christ’s enemies. They were there and didn’t believe. The human heart in rebellion to Christ will always find reasons to remain obstinate toward the Lord.

Conclusion

I wonder where you are this Christmas. You know, the incarnation isn’t the greatest miracle of the gospel message, nor is the raising of Lazarus. Jesus is about to raise Himself to life, not needing anyone to call out Him out of the grave. Moreover, when Jesus arises that Easter morning, He doesn’t need anyone to unbind Him, and He rises with a renewed, unique body which can never die again. This is the promise He gives to all believers, that He will one day raise them to new life, making them alive with Him forever more (1 Cor. 15:20–22).

He can do this because of what happened in the lead up to Christmas. He miraculously produced a body within a young virgin’s womb. He always was, as the opening of this Gospel tells us, but now the Son of God would have two natures, one remaining fully divine while also having one fully human. He came into this world to be a light of life for all who would believe in Him.

The question is whether you believe it. Don’t pass by the nativity scenes and Christmas decorations and not know that He came to supply salvation for this world. Will you call upon Him, knowing that He can give you the eternal life you need?