Lazarus, Come Forth!

Introduction

Mary had come out to meet Jesus; when she arrived she fell at His feet and weeped. Others had gone out with her, thinking she had gone to weep at the tomb. So the scene was chaos. It was the custom of the day to express grief in a noisy, unrestrained manner so Mary, along with the friends and professional mourners with her were making quite a scene.

Deeply Moved — The english translations of the verb “Deeply moved” or “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” fail miserably at conveying what the Greek word means here. The verb denotes a loud, inarticulate noise and often appears for the snorting of horses. When used of people it denotes anger.

Jesus looked around at the sight of the grieving people and was angry about death and all that it meant for the human race.

We look at death and are tempted to be filled with anxiety, doubts and fear. Jesus looks at death and is angry at the consequence of sin in the lives of those whom He created.

Sin break God’s heart. The consequences of sin break God’s heart. The pain of sin and the suffering which comes with it break God’s heart. And it angers Him

Sin, suffering, death and broken relationship with God were never meant to be a part of the human experience…it was not part of God’s perfect will for us.

Jesus was also angry at the unbelief around Him. Someone had died, people were grieving but rather than coming to Him for their hope and consolation they were caught up in hopelessness and despondency. Jesus was indignant toward such denial and rejection of His identity and mission.

God can love us, be broken for our sorrow and angry with our unbelief all at the same time. He always wants the best for us…His life…His plans and what He can do for us. May we always been faithful, even in our most difficult moments, to choose faith!

A small boy from a non-Christian home had been brought into the Sunday school. His mother was not only unsaved, but she had a morbid fear of death. After her little boy became interested in the Sunday school he begged her to come to church with him, but she persistently refused his plea because she was afraid that the preacher might say something about death or dying. On Easter Sunday the teacher noticed the intensity of the boy's attention while she told the beautiful story of the risen Christ. The child hurried home with a shining face, and exclaimed, "Oh, Mother, you needn't be afraid of dying any more, for Jesus went through the grave and left a light behind Him!" Gradually the fear in her heart melted under the influence of her son's words about "the light behind Him." Early one evening she had put him to bed and heard him pray as he did nightly that God would make her a Christian, "and do it right quick!" he added. Later that evening a neighbor persuaded the mother to go to church. The Heaven-sent message brought conviction, and that night her little boy's prayer was answered!

God is pained over sin and its consequences…His heart is broken for the unbelief of those who have yet to come to Him for their salvation from both sin and its consequences…

Thank God Jesus went through the grace for us and left a light so we might see His salvation…the light of His glory and grace!

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Oh how Jesus wanted Mary, Martha and all the crowd to turn their eyes upon Him…oh how great His heartbreak at their refusal to do so.

Roll Away the Stone

Where have you laid him? — The sisters and Jews with them believed that Jesus intended to pay His respects and grieve with the family at the tomb so they led Him to its location.

Jesus Wept — “In this, the shortest verse in the Bible, the noteworthy thing is that a different word is used for weeping than that used of Mary and the Jews. The word used of them means a loud, demonstrative form of mourning, a wailing. That used here (and here only in the New Testament) signifies rather a quiet weeping. Jesus did not wail loudly, but he was deeply grieved. As in verse 33 this was not be because of the death of his friend, for he was about to raise him. It was because of the misconceptions of those around him. We are reminded of that other occasion when Jesus wept over Jerusalem (). There as here it was the wrong attitude of the Jews that aroused his deep emotion.”

Luke 19:41 NASB95

When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it,

In this, the shortest verse in the Bible, the noteworthy thing is that a different word is used for weeping than that used of Mary and the Jews. The word used of them means a loud, demonstrative form of mourning, a wailing. That used here (and here only in the New Testament) signifies rather a quiet weeping. Jesus did not wail loudly, but he was deeply grieved. As in verse 33 this will not be because of the death of his friend, for he was about to raise him. It will be because of the misconceptions of those around him. We are reminded of that other occasion when Jesus wept over Jerusalem (). There as here it was the wrong attitude of the Jews that aroused his deep emotion.

God’s heart is quickly broken by our unbelief and lack of faith in Him.

Morris, L. (1995). The Gospel according to John (p. 495). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

See How He loved Him — The Jews thought it was simply over the loss of His friend Lazarus. But this was not the case…Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He was not weeping over the loss of a friend. He was weeping over their unwillingness to come to Him in their grief and brokenness.

Could He not have kept Him from dying? — If he loved Lazarus so much why didn’t He heal him? Could He not have done so?

Again this brings to our mind that Jesus is always capable but does not always choose to heal…it is not always the Father’s will to do so. The Father intended for Lazarus to die so that he might be raised from the dead thereby bringing much greater glory to God than any mere healing would ever do.

John 5:19 NASB95

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

We often miss God’s bigger plans when we are looking with the eyes of the natural man…lacking God’s perspective.

This is an unpublished incident in the life of Hudson Taylor. He came to the city of Hangchow. The next day, with a bag of books over his shoulder, he started an evangelistic tour of the city. Great crowds followed him about. At night, weary, he sat down to rest at a tea house in the suburbs on the way to his boat in the river. As he sat at the table he saw peering at him though the gathering gloom an elderly Chinese. The man was evidently seeking someone. "Are you a foreigner?" "Yes, I am an Englishman." "Are there books in that bag on the table?" "Yes, there are." "Are you a teacher of a foreign religion?" "Yes, of the Jesus religion."

"Are you a foreigner?"

"Yes, I am an Englishman."

"Are there books in that bag on the table?"

"Yes, there are."

The Chinese then told Taylor that he had been an earnest seeker after truth for many years, but could find no religion which could take the burden of guilt from his soul. A few nights before, he had had a vision: a man in white had told him to go to Hangchow, that he would find there a foreigner sitting in an inn, with a bag of books on the table before him. He had visited the inn but had found no such person. Finally, hearing of this inn in the suburbs, he had as a last hope come thither. He asked Taylor to tell him the truth, whereupon he preached the gospel and gave him a New Testament. Two days later Taylor visited his house and found he had destroyed all his idols and was rejoicing in Jesus Christ. Taylor left the man adoring God not only for his power to save, but also for his marvelous and miraculous ways of leading souls to the messenger and the message of the gospel.

"Are you a teacher of a foreign religion?"

The opportunity to be a part of the Father’s work is available to us but we have to look for where He is at work and follow Him. Jesus always looked to the Father and always obeyed the Father’s plan for His life.

"Yes, of the Jesus religion."

The Chinese then told Taylor that he had been an earnest seeker after truth for many years, but could find no religion which could take the burden of guilt from his soul. A few nights before, he had had a vision: a man in white had told him to go to Hangchow, that he would find there a foreigner sitting in an inn, with a bag of books on the table before him. He had visited the inn but had found no such person. Finally, hearing of this inn in the suburbs, he had as a last hope come thither. He asked Taylor to tell him the truth, whereupon he preached the gospel and gave him a New Testament. Two days later Taylor visited his house and found he had destroyed all his idols and was rejoicing in Jesus Christ. Taylor left the man adoring God not only for his power to save, but also for his marvelous and miraculous ways of leading souls to the messenger and the message of the gospel.

All things are possible…Only believe!

“Jesus is once more deeply moved” — Same verb as that in verse 33. Jesus is angry, hurt and sad for the people, their sin, the consequences of their sin and continued unbelief in Him.

Then Jesus says the words no one expected to hear, “Take away the stone.” At this moment Martha comes back on the scene and attempts to take control of the situation, “But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, he has been in the tomb for four days.”

It is at this point that Jesus speaks some of the most important words of the passage and certainly the most important for us. Here is the message of the moment, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” The power and character of God!

This is reminiscent of verses 25-26. Jesus was telling Martha, “If you will have faith you will see God’s character and power all around you.”

This is an unpublished incident in the life of Hudson Taylor. He came to the city of Hangchow. The next day, with a bag of books over his shoulder, he started an evangelistic tour of the city. Great crowds followed him about. At night, weary, he sat down to rest at a tea house in the suburbs on the way to his boat in the river. As he sat at the table he saw peering at him though the gathering gloom an elderly Chinese. The man was evidently seeking someone. "Are you a foreigner?" "Yes, I am an Englishman." "Are there books in that bag on the table?" "Yes, there are." "Are you a teacher of a foreign religion?" "Yes, of the Jesus religion."

The Chinese then told Taylor that he had been an earnest seeker after truth for many years, but could find no religion which could take the burden of guilt from his soul. A few nights before, he had had a vision: a man in white had told him to go to Hangchow, that he would find there a foreigner sitting in an inn, with a bag of books on the table before him. He had visited the inn but had found no such person. Finally, hearing of this inn in the suburbs, he had as a last hope come thither. He asked Taylor to tell him the truth, whereupon he preached the gospel and gave him a New Testament. Two days later Taylor visited his house and found he had destroyed all his idols and was rejoicing in Jesus Christ. Taylor left the man adoring God not only for his power to save, but also for his marvelous and miraculous ways of leading souls to the messenger and the message of the gospel.

This is reminiscent of verses 25-26. Jesus was telling Martha, “If you will have faith you will see God’s character and power all around you.”

We do not have to know the why of every move God makes; we are simply called to believe and trust Him, as He moves. If we will believe and trust God we will see Him make our life a visible witness to His character and power…a life beyond the natural!

The Resurrection

Jesus had already prayed for Lazarus to be resurrected. The public prayer we see Him pray here is simply a prayer of thanksgiving for what the Father has already granted to Him. He said it publicly so those around Him would know that He was working with the Father. He was the Son of God and He was obeying, following the Father’s will. Jesus wanted the people to know He was glorifying the Father and Himself in what He was about to do.

Lazarus, come out! — It is more than a platitude or old preacher tale to emphasize the importance that Jesus spoke specifically to Lazarus at this point. Had Jesus, the resurrection and life, simply said, “Come out!” Every person who had ever died would have come out of their grave. Jesus has that authority, the authority to raise the dead, from the Father.

Lazarus came out of the tomb dressed in his grave clothes. He was wrapped up in a long sheet around his body and legs as well as a cloth around his head.

Jesus says, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” — Stop living like a dead man and start dressing for your new life!

Many put faith in Jesus because of the miracle that he did.

Conclusion

How do you face the difficulties of life? By faith? In faith? We have the choice to do that. To face life full of hope and in complete trust of God’s power, providence and character.

Matthew 6:25–27 NASB95

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

Suffering and pain will come. Grief will pay us a visit. Through each of these circumstances there is an opportunity to have faith in who Jesus is, what He can do and what His intentions are for our life…how we might bring glory to Him.

The sadness and anger Jesus felt was in no small part due to the lack of faith and hope that the people around Him should have had if they were only to believe.

There is an old song that we used to sing when I was a child at the end of every Sunday night service at Inglewood Baptist church in Grand Prairie…Only believe, only believe all things are possible, only believe. Only believe, only believe, all things are possible…only believe.”

When you believe Jesus can do what you ask and trust that God is going to give you just what you need for His glory to be revealed in your life the possibilities are endless.

P. T. Barnum was not only a great showman but something of a homely philosopher. He once observed that more people were humbugged into believing too little than were humbugged into believing too much. The danger today is that people will be humbugged into believing nothing.

Humbugged — Deceived or tricked

Too many have been deceived or tricked into believing too little. Too little of God’s love, grace, faithfulness and purpose for their own life. Too little of the opportunity and privilege to be a part of what God is doing in the world around them.

Our life has great purpose — to enjoy and glorify God.

Will you ask God to give you eyes to see how you might enjoy Him more and serve Him better? Would you ask Him to give you a big vision of what your life can become…how you might make much of Him...not just the successes and high points but even your failures and low points…not just the moments of joy but the moments of grief…not just the moments of happiness but those of hardship and suffering as well?