Jesus Gladly Waited For Lazarus To Die - HEAR, O EARTH (Deut 32)

> [!title|noicon] **Jesus Gladly Waited For Lazarus To Die** ^top In the Bible, we read about the death of Lazarus in John 11:1-14: > *1 Now a certain [man] was sick, [named] Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.* > > *2 (It was [that] Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)* > > *3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.* > > *4 When Jesus heard [that], he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.* > > *5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.* > > *6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.* > > *7 Then after that says he to [his] disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.* > > *8 [His] disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?* > > *9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not, because he sees the light of this world.* > > *10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him.* > > *11 These things said he: and after that he says unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.* > > *12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.* > > *13 Howbeit Jesus spoke of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.* > > *14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.* In the passage above, notice the very interesting statement in verses 4 and 5, >*Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.* What this is saying is that Jesus loved Martha, her sister and Lazarus, *therefore* He stayed in the place where he was for 2 more days. Why didn't Jesus immediately go to see Lazarus if He loved him? Why would He remain longer in the place where he was? Furthermore, we read in verse 15: >*Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent you' may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.* So not only did Jesus purposefully delay traveling, He was *glad* for the sake of the disciples that He wasn't there. Jesus could certainly have prevented Lazarus' death had he been there. We read later on in John 11 in verse 32: >*Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.* Why did Jesus gladly wait for Lazarus to die in spite of His great love for him? There are actually two reasons for this. The first reason is that Jesus purposed to resurrect Lazarus from the grave as a great demonstration of salvation. It was to display the great power and glory of the Gospel, the infinite love that Christ has for His people in raising them unto eternal life, as we see in verse 4: >*When Jesus heard [that], he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.* And, as we already saw in verse 15: >*And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe...* And, as we read later in verse 25: >*Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:* In fact, while Christ tarried two more days in the place where He was, by the time He reached Bethany where Mary, Martha and Lazarus were, Lazarus had been dead a full 4 days already. Lazarus was a stinking, rotting corpse by the time Christ called him out of the grave -- picturing the spiritually dead condition of the elect believers who are given new, resurrected life in Christ upon salvation. Verses 39, 43-44 read: >*Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, says unto him, Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been [dead] four days .... And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus says unto them, Loose him, and let him go.* This parallels what we read in Ephesians 2:4-6: >*But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us [that is, made us alive] together with Christ, (by grace you' are saved;) And has raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:* Now, of course, Jesus could have prevented Lazarus from dying even from where He was, but in order to demonstrate the power of the Gospel Christ stayed away and allowed Lazarus to die. Moreover, since Lazarus had been dead four days by the time Christ arrived, that allowed for many of the Jews to learn about his death, travel to comfort Mary and Martha concerning him and thus to be witnesses to his resurrection: >*And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother....Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did believed on him.* (John 11:19, 45) But there is yet more to it than this. If we were to name one significant event that greatly induced the religious leaders to put Jesus to death (though there were actually many), it would be Christ's resurrection of Lazarus. We read later in John 11:43-57: > *43 And when he [Jesus] thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.* > > *44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus says unto them, Loose him, and let him go.* > > *45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.* > > *46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.* > > *47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man does many miracles.* > > *48 If we let him thus alone, all [men] will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.* > > *49 And one of them, [named] Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, You* know nothing at all,* > > *50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.* > > *51 And this spoke he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;* > > *52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.* > > 53 ***Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.*** > > *54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.* > > *55 And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.* > > *56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think you*, that he will not come to the feast?* > > *57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should show [it], that they might take him.* Since many were witnesses to Lazarus' resurrection, this was a very public event. And in spite of the fact many Jews believed on Him there, others did not and instead went running to the Pharisees. While we might wonder at such intense blindness on their part, the Pharisees were enraged when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead because so many people now believed on Him, and they were envious. They could not dispute that Christ had done this great miracle, so they cast off all restraint to put Him to death. In fact, they even conferred to put Lazarus back to death. This is seen in the next chapter (John 12) where Christ and Lazarus were subsequently at a supper, and Judas was on the brink of betraying Christ: > *1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.* > > *2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.* > > *3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.* > > *4 Then says one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's [son], which should betray him,* > > *5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?* > > *6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bore what was put therein.* > > *7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying has she kept this.* > > *8 For the poor always you' have with you; but me you' have not always.* > > *9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.* > > *10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;* > > *11 Because by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.* Indeed, those who observed the resurrection of Lazarus were now bearing great witness to Christ insomuch that even the Greeks who came to worship at the feast wanted to see Him, and this greatly agitated the Pharisees. Chapter 12 continues in verse 17: > *17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bore record.* > > *18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.* > > *19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how you' prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.* > > *20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:* > > *21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.* Now, in verses 3-6 above (speaking about the supper), right in the midst of the situation where the Pharisees were vexed by the resurrection of Lazarus, Judas was incensed that Mary poured precious ointment on Jesus' feet which could have been sold for a tidy sum. Verses 3-6 read: > *3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.* > > *4 Then says one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's [son], which should betray him,* > > *5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?* > > *6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bore what was put therein.* The reason Judas was incensed is because he wanted to have that money for himself. He was the one who kept the money for benevolence purposes, but being a greedy thief, he would embezzle or steal some of that money to enrich himself. In a parallel passage, Matthew 26:1-16, we see that Judas' frustration from not getting that money instigated his betrayal of Christ to the willing Pharisees (for money, no less), who were already plotting to kill Jesus and looking for an opportunity to do so. (As an aside, we see in this passage that the ointment was also poured on Jesus' head, and Judas' faux concern for the poor caused the other disciples to murmur as well). We read: > *1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,* > > *2 You' know that after two days is [the feast of] the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.* > > *3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,* > > *4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill [him].* > > *5 But they said, Not on the feast [day], lest there be an uproar among the people.* > > *6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,* > > *7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat [at meat].* > > *8 But when his disciples saw [it], they had indignation, saying, To what purpose [is] this waste?* > > *9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.* > > *10 When Jesus understood [it], he said unto them, Why trouble you' the woman? for she has wrought a good work upon me.* > > *11 For you' have the poor always with you; but me you' have not always.* > > *12 For in that she has poured this ointment on my body, she did [it] for my burial.* > > *13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, [there] shall also this, that this woman has done, be told for a memorial of her.* > > *14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,* > > *15 And said [unto them], What will you' give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.* > > *16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.* Thus, the envy of the religious rulers at the resurrection of Lazarus (and the resulting witness that many bore of Him), working in tandem with Judas' frustrated greed at the anointing of Christ with the costly ointment, became the major events (humanly speaking) that lead to the crucifixion of Christ. Now, the death and resurrection of Christ was ultimately by God's design to the saving of God's elect people, which was purposed before the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:3). >*As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.* (John 10:15) > >*Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you' have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:* (Acts 2:23) Christ served as the sacrificial lamb for His people. He appeased the wrath of God by paying the penalty of eternal death for the sins of His people -- which included Mary, Martha and Lazarus. So we see the full intent of the original passage in John 11:5-6, where we read: >*Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.* Christ purposed for Lazarus to die, that He might raise Him to life again as a demonstration of salvation. AND Christ purposed for Lazarus to die that He consequently might be crucified Himself, demonstrating the work required to save Lazarus and his sisters (and all the elect) from their sins as He went to the cross! That is, the great act of raising Lazarus from the dead so inflamed the Pharisees to put Him to death, whereby He might show His great salvation to His dear people. This, then, is the great love that Christ has for Martha, her sister and Lazarus, as well as for every true believer! Where we find it odd that Christ remained where he was for 2 days and allowed Lazarus to die, it was to fulfill a far greater purpose and to demonstrate His love for those who are His, even to the death of the cross. >*Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:* (John 11:25) 7.30.2023 Tags: #Lazarus #Christ/death