The Raising of Lazarus

GOLDEN TEXT: “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” —John 11:25

JOHN 11:32-46

MANY centuries before Jesus awakened Lazarus from the sleep of death, the Prophet Job asked the question: “If a man die shall he live again?” Jesus answered that question when, in the words of our Golden Text, he said, “Though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Jesus had said to Martha, “Thy brother shall rise again,” to which she had replied, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (vss. 23,24) Then Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the Life”—I am the One through whom the “resurrection at the last day” shall be accomplished. Thus he implied that it was within his power to awaken Lazarus from death immediately.

The account of Lazarus’ illness, death, and resurrection is very illuminating. When Jesus was notified that his beloved friend was sick he did nothing about it. After two days he said to his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” (vs. 11) They misunderstood his meaning, supposing he spoke of “taking of rest in sleep.” Then Jesus said unto them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.”—vs. 14

Thus, from the lips of the greatest of all teachers we are informed that adamic death is like a sleep from which there will be an awakening. Those asleep are unconscious, but we do not mourn for them because we know that in due time they will awaken. Those who are dead are also unconscious.

Through the shed blood of the Redeemer, that which would have been eternal oblivion in death has been transformed into a sleep from which, by divine power, there will be an awakening. Martha understood enough concerning the divine plan of salvation to believe that her brother Lazarus would thus be awakened, “in the resurrection at the last day.”

Agreeing with this, Jesus said, “He that believeth in me, though he were dead [or, though he die], yet shall he live.” This is a promise to believers who, so far as the human viewpoint is concerned, go into death at the present time in the same manner as do unbelievers. A further explanation of this is found in John 5:24,25,28,29. In these verses Jesus says that believers have everlasting life in the sense that they will not come into judgment (mistranslated “condemnation” in verse 24) when awakened from the sleep of death.

From these texts we also learn that believers are said to have everlasting life, not because they now remain alive, but because they will have a “resurrection of life,” their trial period being over when they have proved faithful “even unto death.” (Rev. 2:10) These are awakened or “come forth” to this “life” resurrection without further judgment, or trial.

But these are not the only ones to be awakened from the sleep of death. Jesus speaks of those who “live and believe in him,” thus emphasizing the fact that some will have an opportunity to believe after they have been awakened from death. The two classes are clearly shown in the Master’s complete statement. First, those who believe, yet die, shall “live,” in the resurrection. Then there are the others who shall also be awakened, or “live,” who, if they then believe, shall “never die.”

In John 5:29 Jesus identifies this latter class as those who have done evil, the ones who do not now believe. He assures us that these also shall “come forth,” but to be placed on trial, or subjected to a krisis, as it is given in the Greek text (not “damnation” as it is in the King James Version). In this krisis, or trial period, they will have an opportunity to “believe,” and if they do, they will never die again.

Jesus awakened Lazarus from the sleep of death as an illustration of what the resurrection would accomplish for all mankind. This assurance of the resurrection is the message of comfort we can give to the people today. When Martha met Jesus upon his return to Bethany, and said, “If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died,” he did not say to her, “Martha, your brother is not actually dead, but is really more alive than ever, and enjoying himself in heaven.” Jesus knew that this would not have been the truth. He knew that Lazarus was dead, so he comforted Martha with the promise, “Thy brother shall rise again.”

In awakening Lazarus, Jesus used the expression, “Come forth!” and we read that he who was dead came forth. He was not called back from heaven, nor out of a burning hell; neither from purgatory; but, being dead, he was restored to life. What joy there will be world-wide when all who are in death will hear the Master’s call, “Come forth!”—John 5:28,29

QUESTIONS

How does Jesus’ dialog with Martha answer Job’s question, “If a man die, shall he live again?”

Why did Jesus refer to Lazarus as being asleep?

What will be the difference between believers and unbelievers when awakened from death?

What message of comfort can we now give to those who mourn the death of their loved ones?

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