Waiting on Jesus Part 3

Start with vs 28-

But the reaction of Jesus to that kind of wailing by the mourners was hardly empathetic support. The result was that Jesus became “disgusted” or “angered” (the Greek is embrimasthai) in his spirit and “perturbed” (tarassein)by the actions of the people (11:33). While psychoanalyzing Jesus is impossible from a report about Jesus, a statement needs to be made here about the meaning of v. 33. In contrast to German translations of this sentence, Beasley-Murray has argued convincingly that English polite translations (Including the NIV’s “he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled”) have failed to give sufficient negative impact to the Greek words in the sentence.328The sense conveyed by most english versions is that Jesus was troubled along with the Jews over the death of Lazarus because he loved Lazarus (11:36). But that statement was made by the mourners, not Jesus. Clearly Jesus did not like death. Death, like sin, was an enemy for him, as it was for Paul (cf. 1 Cor 15:26, 54–57). His problem in this story, however, was not death. It was the mourners. Jesus was not a helpless human in the face of death. The story has a much different focus. Martha had been full of words, and here Mary and her supporters were full of tears and wailing. But for all of them Jesus was an unrecognized power in their midst.9

Therefore Jesus asked for the tomb. It was then that Jesus wept (11:35). John carefully used a different word (dakryein)for Jesus’ tears, a word that is not used elsewhere in the New Testament. It was almost as though the evangelist wanted to send a signal to his readers not to misinterpret Jesus’ weeping. It is, I would argue, precisely what the Jews here did. They interpreted his weeping as the loss of one “he loved” (11:36). They also questioned why the wonder-worker could not “have keptthis man from dying” (11:37; italics added). After all, he had already opened the eyes of a blind man (cf. 9:6–11). But the time for miracles had by their reckoning already passed. Clearly, it had been four days since the death of Lazarus, and for them the situation was closed.

Yet in interpreting this text it is important for us not to rely on what other people have said about Jesus. Their evaluations may be skewed. Of course Jesus loved Lazarus, but I doubt that that was the basic reason Jesus wept. Of course Lazarus had been dead four days, but I doubt that death was the main reason Jesus wept. The evangelist had made it clear from the very beginning of this story that the illness of Lazarus would “not end in death” but would bring glory to God and to the Son of God (11:4).

Then what about Jesus’ weeping? The other places in the Gospels where such a depth of Jesus’ emotions were expressed are specifically places related to his mission: the places where he groaned over the failure of Jerusalem to come to him (cf. Matt 23:37–39; Luke 13:34–35), where he prayed for his disciples’ safety and future (cf. John 17:9–26), and where he wrestled with his death and the disciples’ weaknesses (cf. Matt 26:37–41; Mark 13:33–37; Luke 22:40–46; John 12:27–28). Accordingly, I would maintain that Jesus’ weeping here is directly related to the failure of his followers to recognize his mission as the agent of God. God’s Son was in their midst. They really missed the point. That fact becomes more evident in the next two segments of the story10

11:38This next scene continues with the evangelist’s note that Jesus’ reactions were at about the same level as in 11:33. He was again (palin)“disgusted” or “angered” (embrimōmenos;cf. NIV “deeply moved”) by the events. It is important to remember that 11:37 ends with the mourners questioning his power. It was accordingly a tense situation when Jesus arrived at the tomb.11

11:39–41aThe events in this segment of the story are a study in contrast. When Jesus uttered his first of three commands at the tomb, “Take away the stone” (11:39; cf. 11:43–44), Martha (here designated as “the sister of the dead man”), who obviously had joined the crowd, tried to take charge of the situation by informing Jesus of the passage of time (four days) and the fact that the deteriorating body had already begun to stink (11:39; The NIV “bad odor” is much too mild for the story). Bodies began decomposing rather quickly in Palestine because they were not preserved by embalming processes in the manner of Egyptian funerary procedures. Spices were used primarily to hide the smell of decay.333Jesus countered Martha’s words by restating the fact that believing was her responsibility (cf. 11:25). She had already said she believed (11:26), so the time had arrived for her to witness “the glory of God” (11:40; cf. 11:4). With Jesus back in charge, the stone was removed (11:41a).12

charge, the stone was removed (11:41a).

11:41b–42These verses form one of the three prayer texts of the Gospel (cf. also 12:27–28; 17:1–26). As I have indicated elsewhere, these prayer texts all invoke the “Father” (pater), and all have their focus in the mission of

Jesus. In this case the mission statement (“that they may believe that you sent me,” 11:42) is very close to the purpose statement of the Gospel (20:31). Unlike the other prayers, however, this prayer focuses on thanksgiving and is not unlike the formula prayer in Ps 118:21 (a psalm frequently cited by the NT writers). The prayer presupposes that Jesus knew the Father’s will concerning Lazarus, and what he was about to do would not be merely for the sake of Lazarus but for those who would witness the incredible act that was to follow. The prayer thus was not primarily for his benefit, but it was aimed at bringing the observers into the group of believers (11:42).

The purpose of this act/sign must never be confused with Madison Avenue public relations patterns. In the Synoptics the devil sought to lead Jesus into such a tangential mission strategy. Jesus was tempted there to throw himself from the high point of the temple in a death-defying show of power. But Jesus was not attracted by show business as a pattern for mission, and in those texts he forcefully rejected such a means for his mission (cf. Matt 4:5–7; Luke 4:9–12). The point of this text, however, is that the world was about to receive a taste of God’s matchless power and grace that would conclude Jesus’ public acts of power and point beyond the event to his own resurrection. It would forever mark him as entirely unique.13

11:43–44When the prayer ended, Jesus yelled for the dead man to come from the tomb. This second command of Jesus, “Lazarus, come out!” (11:43), is indicative of his supreme power over death. Imagine the reaction of those people as the body all wrapped in burial clothes stirred, rose out of the vault, and shuffled toward the mourners. I suspect some of them departed rather hurriedly.

The Jewish practice of wrapping the body was not like the Egyptian practice of wrapping a mummy, but it was equally effective. A long, narrow sheet was folded in half, and the body was inserted between the folded halves. Then the wrap was bound together, and the body was thus secured. The head was wrapped separately, which explains the note both in the Lazarus situation (11:44) and the separate head wrapping in the case of Jesus’ grave clothes (20:6). When Lazarus came struggling forth, he was bound in the grave wrappings. So the third and final command of Jesus was to set him free (luein)of the bindings—to let him get out of the hindrances and be on his way (11:44). In summary, the first and third commands involved the mourners. The second involved Lazarus and the great enemy, “death.” What is important to note is that Jesus performed the miracle, but he employed human agents to assist him with the circumstances. Thus the very mourners who doubted him were agents in the completion of the miracle. In their participation the mourners in fact became part of the sign and therefore were undeniable witnesses to the power of Jesus (11:47–48).14

1. Waiting During Trials

2. Waiting During Tribulation

3. Waiting During Times of Trouble

4. Waiting With Our Thoughts

5. Waiting With Trust