Lazarus

Lazarus of Bethany

John 11:11-24 Lazarus

John 11:25-34 I Am the Resurrection and the Life

JOHN 11:11-17 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” 12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” 17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

Why did Jesus go to Lazarus?
"That I may wake him up" (John 11:11) - i.e., raise him from the dead - so "that you may believe" (John 11:15).

Isn't it sadistic to wait so that He can raise a dead man instead of healing him before he dies?

How long had Lazarus been dead when Jesus arrived?
"He had already been in the tomb four days" (John 11:17).

How many days did Jesus wait before leaving for Bethany?
"Two" (John 11:6).

What does this mean?
Had Jesus left for Bethany right away, He would have arrived to find Lazarus already dead for two days; chances are, Lazarus was dying or already dead by the time Jesus received his sisters' message.

But still, why did Jesus delay for two days?
So that there would be no doubt that Lazarus was indeed dead when Jesus resurrects him. Back then, any part of a day was counted as a day, so "two days" could have meant the morning after his death, and skeptics could have claimed that he was never dead. “Four days” meant at least 3 nights, during which decomposition already would have started, so there would be no doubt that Jesus raised someone who had died.

JOHN 11:18-19 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

Where was "Bethany" (John 11:18)?
Bethany was a village "near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia" (John 11:18) to the east (see John 12:1).

How far is "fifteen stadia"?
1.7 miles or 2.7 kilometers (see Do not be afraid).

JOHN 11:20-24 20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha 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 of 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 at the last day.”

Is it true that if Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died?
Probably but not necessarily. Jesus has the power to heal anyone and did heal multitudes of sick people. But whether or not to use that power to heal a particular person still remains His prerogative.

How is that different today?
It isn't.

Does Martha recognize Jesus' deity?
Not yet. At this point, she sees Him as just a "Teacher" (John 11:28 below) close to God: "I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You" (John 11:22).

When will her brother "rise again" (John 11:23)?
Let's read on.