John 11:38-44
This section of the story of Lazarus is the part where Jesus arrives at the tomb. He is still upset, and sad. He is described as being deeply moved (NIV) and deeply disquieted (Amplified). Whichever words you read, He felt strong emotions about Lazarus. I wonder if this was a way of demonstrating to the people that He knew Lazarus was dead and felt grief at His death, even though He knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus asked for the stone to be taken away from the tomb. Every practical Martha protested at this. She contended that Lazarus would be decayed enough for there to be an extremely unpleasant smell in the tomb. Jesus patiently reminds her that He had told her that if she believed she would see the glory of God. I think He recognised full well her love and belief in Him but her difficulty also in accepting the spiritual, in making that leap of Faith we need to make but frequently are too frightened to do.
The stone was rolled away. Jesus prayed, thanking God for hearing Him and, for the benefit of those watching, pointing out that He always knew God heard Him but He said this so that those listening would believe He was sent by God. So did they get the message?
Jesus told Lazarus to come out, and out he came wrapped in the cloths wrapped around his body at burial.
That was amazing. How would you react if you saw someone pray to God for a dead person to be alive and it happened? Would you believe it had happened? Would you believe God had performed at miracle at this person’s request? Do you believe in miracles? Is your walk with God more about the intellectual side and less about the spiritual? If you are neglecting your essential spiritual side, as Martha often did, what are you going to do to rectify this?

John 11:17-37 continued.

The last aspect of these verses that I want to talk about is verse 37. In this verse the Jewish mourners who had come to support Mary and Martha see Jesus crying for Lazarus. They are obviously moved, they see it as evidence that Jesus loved him (v 36). In verse 37 it is reported that some of them asked why this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, did not stop Lazarus from dying. At first, it appears they are holding the same belief as that of Mary and Martha; that if Jesus had been there Lazarus would not have died. If you look at it more closely, however, they base their comments on Jesus healing the blind man (chapter 9). If you look at chapter 9, there is great debate about how Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man. Much of the debate was about the people trying to reconcile their preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would do and the evidence of what Jesus was doing and saying. It appears that no matter how much evidence was presented to these people, they would not see the truth of who Jesus was. There was also a great deal of ignorance about what Jesus was teaching. Not only were these people ignorant of what the scriptures said, they were also ignorant about what Jesus said. As a contrast, Mary, Martha and Lazarus had a good understanding of Jesus’ teaching. I wonder how often the Jews who came to support Mary and Martha listened to readings of the scriptures, or heard Jesus speak? I wonder how often they spent time in prayer with God?

I think we need to be mindful of their behaviour. Having a belief in Jesus as our Saviour does not protect us against the failure to read the Bible every day and consider what it says. It does not protect us against the failure to spend time each day in prayer with God. Nothing replaces the relationship we are meant to have with Jesus, and through Him, God. Martha, in the previously recorded meeting with the sisters (Luke 10:38-42), put the need to attend to the housekeeping ahead of time at her Saviour’s feet. She could easily have become like the Jews who comforted her. Instead, she heeded Jesus’ warning and changed her priorities. It is so easy in the rush of modern life to neglect time with God. Don’t fall out of that habit, or you risk becoming like the Jews of v37. You risk losing that previous relationship with Jesus.

Only by spending time in his presence will we ever learn and grow.

John 11:17-37 continued.
Today I am looking at verse 35: Jesus wept.

In Luke 19:41-44 Jesus is recorded as weeping over Jerusalem as he rides in on the first Palm Sunday. In these verses, he speaks and expresses his sorrow that the crowds joyously meeting him did not know what would bring them peace and that they have failed to recognise Him as God’s Messiah but instead rejected Jesus, the source of their salvation.

In the NIV these passages are linked. Matthew Henry, in his commentary on the Bible suggests that in both instances Jesus is showing His love for the people of earth by crying at their pain, just as He cries for all our pain. It is a lovely indication that Jesus is not unaware of human emotions and is not indifferent to our pain, when we experience it. Matthew Henry also suggests Jesus’ tears are over the fallenness of humans and the blindness of so many. It is also possible to see in Jesus’ tears his great love for the people of earth that He was about to die for.
I think all Matthew Henry’s suggestions are true. I believe Jesus tears were over the sisters’ pain, the multitudes stumbling in darkness and most of all about love.
I find the thought of Jesus’ crying over the fallen of the world really comforting. So often in my prayers for my neighbourhood and all those who do not believe, I feel so overwhelmingly sad for all those who will never accept Jesus and it is comforting to see here in the Bible that God and Jesus care very much for those people.
I also find it comforting to see a picture in the Bible of Jesus crying for the pain of the sisters. This tells me that when I cry in pain, Jesus is there crying too.
Seeing Jesus’ tears as evidence of His great Love for us all is enough to bring me to my knees before the throne. Sadly, the one thing those stumbling in darkness frequently do not see in those who follow Jesus is the most important – Love.
Here’s a challenge. How many ways can you show those around you the Love of Jesus?

John 11:17-37
This next section of John 11 continues the story of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary.
Jesus arrives in Bethany to discover that Lazarus died four days ago and has been buried. Many Jews believed that when a person died their soul did not leave the body for three days. Lazarus being dead four days ensured that those who believed his soul would be close and ready to come back into his body would know he was well past saving.
Many people had come from Jerusalem to comfort the sisters. In a twist, instead of Mary being the one to come to Jesus feet, it is house-proud Martha who comes out to Jesus. She does not express anger, only pure faith. She tells Jesus that if He had been there her brother would have lived and then acknowledges that even now God will give Jesus whatever He asks. That seems to suggest she believes Jesus could still raise Lazarus, but later in the chapter her words suggest she does not believe Jesus can or will do this. Jesus however tells her that her brother will rise again. “Yes”, she replies, “he will rise again at the resurrection”. (24)
Jesus then made one of his powerful “I am” statements. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if they die and whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die”. He asks Martha if she believes this. (25-26)
Martha’s reply demonstrates her great faith and knowledge of Jesus. Yes, I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world. (27). She then returns to the house and fetches Mary.
When Mary comes to Jesus she falls at His feet and repeats her sister’s words. If you had been here my brother would not have died (32). She was very distressed at her brother’s death and weeping. Jesus asked her where Lazarus was buried and wept. The Jews who had come to comfort the sisters commented on how much he loved Lazarus because he wept but others said that he could have kept Lazarus from dying. Unlike the sisters, who professed deep faith in Jesus, the comforters justified their belief in Jesus ability with the comment that if He could make the blind see He could have kept Lazarus alive.
There are many points that I will be discussing about these verses. I have already mentioned the deep faith the sisters had. Presumably Lazarus also had a deep faith in Jesus. Jesus must have found it so enjoyable and a blessing to be in the presence of people of such faith. There were not that many in Judea. I have mentioned his I am statement and will not discuss it further. I think it is best pondered prayerfully in Jesus’ presence to determine what that means to you. I mentioned that Jesus wept and I will talk about that some more. Finally I will talk a little about the Jews and their inability to see Jesus as He really was.
For this blog, it is so lovely to reflect on the deep faith of Mary and Martha. With all that Jesus had to contend with, with all the unbelief, and the faulty belief and the attempts on His life, it must have been a delight for Him to teach this small family. It is a positive note that there were people who heard Jesus and truly believed in Him. They may not have understood all that He was to do, but they had faith in Him. I think Mary and Martha are a great example for us to follow. These women of deep faith, who, along with their brother, were deeply loved by Jesus because of their faith..