Seventh Sign In The Gospel Of John: The Raising Of Lazarus
Every sign that preceded this one appears to have been part of a building up towards a climax: Jesus raising a man, dead and buried for four days, back to life.
His initial response to receiving the news of His friend's grave illness may have appeared confusing.
He did not rush immediately to heal Lazarus as He did in so many other instances when He heard someone is ill and needs healing.
No, instead He stayed two more days where He was.
On the surface this may have appeared as indifference.
But God is never indifferent -not to anything or anybody.
You see, this time, Jesus' mission was not to heal a sick man but to raise a dead man.
He appears to have been preparing the crowd for what was to transpire here a while before already: "A time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live...
Do not be amazed at this.
" (John 5:25; 28a).
Although Jesus was mainly referring to the Resurrection of the dead in that great day, I sense that He was also giving them a hint of what He will be doing in their presence (a time...
has now come).
He said these words following the healing at the Pool of Bethesda.
A huge range of human emotions were recorded prior to, during, and after this sign was performed.
" E.
H.
Peterson.
This sign had so greatly showed God's power at work in Jesus that it brought a clear division.
On the one hand we had those who believed in the Lord Jesus "Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in Him" (v.
45) and on the other hand a meeting was called (oh, don't they love their meetings!), "What are we accomplishing?" they asked.
"Here is this man performing many miraculous signs.
If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.
" (vv.
47-48).
Their fear of losing their prestige and the many benefits they enjoyed as religious leaders prevented them from believing in the Lord Jesus.
They never denied that He did great miracles.
But they had their church and their positions to protect.
Jesus was a threat to both.
He had to be taken out.
This division proves that with Jesus, there never is a middle way.
We are either on the narrow way that leads to life, or the broad way that leads to destruction.
We are either gathering with Him, or we scatter.
He prefers that we are either hot or cold, because lukewarmness leaves a bad taste in His mouth.
We serve either God or His enemy.
No middle way.
This sign, pointing to Jesus as being the Lord over both life and death, prompts a decision.
As Moses said centuries before: "Today I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.
For the LORD is your life...
" Deuteronomy 30:19-20a.
From these words of Moses we see that our decisions affect our children, "so that you and your children may live...
" we also see that listening to His voice is our life, "...
listen to His voice...
For the LORD is your life.
" These words are very similar to what our Lord said, "...
those who hear will live.
" John 5:25b May we hear His voice today, because on that day all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out -those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned (John 5:28-29).
But there is yet mercy today: "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
" (John 5:24).
His initial response to receiving the news of His friend's grave illness may have appeared confusing.
He did not rush immediately to heal Lazarus as He did in so many other instances when He heard someone is ill and needs healing.
No, instead He stayed two more days where He was.
On the surface this may have appeared as indifference.
But God is never indifferent -not to anything or anybody.
You see, this time, Jesus' mission was not to heal a sick man but to raise a dead man.
He appears to have been preparing the crowd for what was to transpire here a while before already: "A time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live...
Do not be amazed at this.
" (John 5:25; 28a).
Although Jesus was mainly referring to the Resurrection of the dead in that great day, I sense that He was also giving them a hint of what He will be doing in their presence (a time...
has now come).
He said these words following the healing at the Pool of Bethesda.
A huge range of human emotions were recorded prior to, during, and after this sign was performed.
- First, there was Thomas.
He took the courageous and fatalistic view.
Since Jesus wanted to return to the very region (Judea) where a short while before they threatened to stone Him, Thomas decided in that case it's best to rally the rest of the disciples to just follow along and die with Him and get it over with (John 11:16). - Then we have Mary who accused the Lord of not coming soon enough and were disappointed at His delay.
- We see Jesus Himself expressing emotion by weeping as He saw the pain of His friends at the loss of their brother and friend.
- Finally, we see the hatred that this sign stirred in the religious leaders to the point that a murderous plot to kill Him was set in full motion.
" E.
H.
Peterson.
This sign had so greatly showed God's power at work in Jesus that it brought a clear division.
On the one hand we had those who believed in the Lord Jesus "Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in Him" (v.
45) and on the other hand a meeting was called (oh, don't they love their meetings!), "What are we accomplishing?" they asked.
"Here is this man performing many miraculous signs.
If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.
" (vv.
47-48).
Their fear of losing their prestige and the many benefits they enjoyed as religious leaders prevented them from believing in the Lord Jesus.
They never denied that He did great miracles.
But they had their church and their positions to protect.
Jesus was a threat to both.
He had to be taken out.
This division proves that with Jesus, there never is a middle way.
We are either on the narrow way that leads to life, or the broad way that leads to destruction.
We are either gathering with Him, or we scatter.
He prefers that we are either hot or cold, because lukewarmness leaves a bad taste in His mouth.
We serve either God or His enemy.
No middle way.
This sign, pointing to Jesus as being the Lord over both life and death, prompts a decision.
As Moses said centuries before: "Today I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.
For the LORD is your life...
" Deuteronomy 30:19-20a.
From these words of Moses we see that our decisions affect our children, "so that you and your children may live...
" we also see that listening to His voice is our life, "...
listen to His voice...
For the LORD is your life.
" These words are very similar to what our Lord said, "...
those who hear will live.
" John 5:25b May we hear His voice today, because on that day all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out -those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned (John 5:28-29).
But there is yet mercy today: "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
" (John 5:24).
