Sign #7 - Raising Lazarus From the Dead
"Now a man was sick, Lazarus, from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick. So the sisters sent a message to Him: 'Lord, the one You love is sick.'"
John 11:1-3, HCSB
To start, we need to recognize one specific thing about this introduction, and that is that one of these three siblings has been powerfully saved by Christ already, and that is Mary... Mary of Bethany. The alabaster jar of perfume that was broken to pour out expensive fragrant oil, and the tears and wiping of Jesus' feet with her own hair, the moment of preparation for Jesus from this woman, the moment He told her to go and sin no more, to be freed from her life of ill repute: these things are vital, because it establishes that Jesus knows this family closely (as we would understand closeness), and that they know and trust in Him already.
(On a side note, for anyone who might have a feeling that Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, or any other Mary was somehow further involved with Jesus, please understand that if that were the case, it would be a very important detail in the life of Christ, and it would be written down. It's non-existence means, quite simply, that the Word of God, handed down through the Spirit to men through inspired thought, does not state that Jesus married... and therefore, He did not. So please, leave other apocryphal theories with doubters and naysayers where they belong, and understand that Jesus loves Mary Magdalene the same way He loves you and me. Further, understand that the Word of God is absolute, irrefutable, and 100% accurate... to question this is blasphemy.)
Sickness has been healed by Christ to this point in many forms. From our Signs, He has healed a lame man, a sick child, and a man born blind. None of these people are named in the Gospel, because their names aren't important, as they represent our lame infirmity, our own fever and burning, and our own Spiritual blindness. Lazarus, however, is different. He represents for us the Truth of the Messiah's desire to have a One-with-one, personal relationship with each and every one of His children that believe and are saved. Reading that, you then are probably wondering why Jesus decided to wait before heading to Bethany, just as I wondered the same. Let me show you in Jesus' words...
"When Jesus heard it, He said, 'This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'"
John 11:4, HCSB
Just like the previous Signs, this one has purpose, and that purpose is higher than we can grasp. It must run the course that is necessary, so that the timing can be right according to the Father, and so that the will of the Father can be accomplished. By the by, this is a truism for all life, Christian sibling, including yours and mine. His will is all that matters, and those who seek it are wise. Those who seek only their own desires are counted among fools.
So Jesus stays for two full days before leaving to Bethany, and in this time, Lazarus dies. He tells the 12 that this has happened, and He points out that this death is a good thing, because it allows for the Sign to be performed. Again, this is a truism for the Christian life, in that our death from this earth is a good thing, because for the Christian, it is only the beginning of our reunion with the Father. People fear death today, just as they did in Jesus' time, but it is only because we cannot measure or quantify or qualify how it happens or what follows with any level of accuracy... because all we know is that it happens, and that it happens to 10 out of 10 people. (Staggering statistic, right... but really, one day will come that does not include me on this earth, just as that same day will come for each of you.) Now, please know that I'm not trying to be negative here, but accepting this absolute and unwavering fact of our own mortality is a necessary step to overcoming the fear.
Jesus arrives in Bethany, and Lazarus has been placed in a tomb with a large stone in front. It has been four full days since Lazarus died, and Martha comes running to Christ, stating that if only He had been there, Lazarus would be alive. She believes, and is comforted by Jesus, then states that she does believe that He is the Messiah. Martha then leaves to go and bring Mary to Jesus, who is followed by a large crowd. Mary made the same statement about Jesus' late arrival (in their understanding of "late"), and was tearful and sobbing in sorrow.
Seeing the pain that sin and death, brought into the world by Adam and Eve, caused these people, Jesus was so deeply moved that He wept. People say that He was mad, or that He was sad about Lazarus, but those don't make sense. He knew what was about to be done, so why be upset? And as for being mad, if that is the case then He was mad at sin itself, and the power that sin and death held over the people who had limited understanding to this point of just what Jesus was offering.
What happens next is nothing short of awesome... but for now, reflect on how Jesus, seeing all time in one frame, saw whatever level of fear you once had and may still have about death, and He wept for you, too. There is nothing more personal, more loving, more caring. Think about it.
God bless you all!!!
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