This chapter starts with a message from Bethany saying that Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha is sick. Jesus cares for his friend, but refuses to go. “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
After two days, Jesus tells his disciples that Lazarus is asleep and he will go awaken him. They are relieved thinking that Jesus means resting, but he means dead. Sleep was often used as a metaphor for dying as in “he slept with his ancestors.” We all know that once someone dies they don’t just normally just wake up. Jesus tells them plainly Lazarus is dead and they will visit. The disciple Thomas says they can die with him. The town is only two miles from Jerusalem and the disciples are afraid of the religious leaders who are coming to kill Jesus.
Finally, Jesus goes to Bethany and meets with Martha outside of the house. She tells him that if he had been there then her brother would not have died, but whatever you ask God will give you. Jesus says to her that her brother will rise again. She says, he will rise at the resurrection in the last days. Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in me will never die, and asks her if she believes in him. She says she believes he is the Christ (savior). He tells her to get her sister.
This is a reversal of the earlier time when Mary went to Jesus and Martha hung back preparing food. Bringing back her brother from the dead was out of Martha’s wheelhouse; even the most capable cannot do everything. She went to Jesus for help and held out hope for the impossible.
Mary comes out of the home full of mourners. The Eastern part of world gives more time and space for grief. Moved by their suffering, Jesus weeps too. Part of the significance of Jesus’s life is his feelings. He gets hungry, tired, angry and sad. We get uncomfortable with anything negative that shows weakness or dependency. Jesus doesn’t chastise Mary for lack of hope, but joins her in her sadness. It’s honoring to her, her brother and their community. Some of the others wonder out loud why Jesus didn’t heal Lazarus earlier. They complain without expressing any faith.
Martha and a crowd of mourners takes Jesus to the tomb which is a cave. Jesus them to open the door, but she balks saying the smell will be bad. Jesus says to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they open it up. Faith is not only expressed words but actions. Sometimes we have to do uncomfortable things to get to the miracle.
Jesus says a prayer to God and then shouts into the tomb for Lazarus to come out. Out he comes, still wrapped up like mummy. Jesus tells the crowd to unbind him. Many believed in Jesus, but some went and tattled to the authorities. Some saw a dead man come to life but still didn’t believe.
The religious leaders expressed concern that Jesus will throw off the balance of power they had with the Roman occupation. The high priest Caiaphas was given a vision of Jesus dying to save the Jews and believers scattered abroad. They thought they were supposed to kill Jesus to preserve their status within the Roman structure. “It is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” They would rather stay under foreign subjugation with a modicum of power than see everyone freed from the power death itself. God was showing his truth to the priests, yet they still missed the real meaning.
