The Resurrection of Lazarus

Pastor Martin Saine brings us the Resurrection Series Part III

RESURRECTION 2022

Pastor Martin Saine: Sermon Notes on Raising Lazarus From the Dead – Resurrection Sermon Series Part 3

Raising Lazarus from the dead

John 11:1  Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 

Joh 11:2  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 

Joh 11:3  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love (phileo) is sick.” 

Joh 11:4  When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 

Joh 11:5  Now Jesus loved (agape) Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 

Joh 11:6  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  

Why stay two more days?

Tradition! Jesus demonstrated that He was Lord over tradition. 

Three examples:

1)Three days, dead is dead!  No one could revive the dead after 3 days…

2)No one could heal the blind that were born blind!

Joh 9:1  Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 

Joh 9:2  And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 

Joh 9:3  Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 

Joh 9:4  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 

Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 

Joh 9:6  When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 

Joh 9:7  And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. The rest of the chapter accounts how the Pharisees literally put this man and his family on trial because they didn’t believe he was born blind!  

3) No one could cast a demon out of the mute person

Mat 9:32  As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 

Mat 9:33  And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!” 

Mat 9:34  But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.” 

Joh 11:7  Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 

Joh 11:8  The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” 

Joh 11:9  Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 

Joh 11:10  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 

As long as Jesus was following the Father’s will, doing His work in the “daylight”, i/e., publicly, He would fulfill His work.

Joh 11:11  These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” 

Joh 11:12  Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 

Joh 11:13  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 

Joh 11:14  Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 

Joh 11:15  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

The resurrection of Lazarus was meant to be a testimony that Jesus is Lord of even life and death.  It was meant to strengthen the faith of those who believed in Him and prepare them for His resurrection!

Joh 11:16  Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”   Although Thomas is known principally as “doubting Thomas”, he demonstrated great faith and courage at other times.  Pessimistic..

Joh 11:17  So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 

Joh 11:18  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 

Joh 11:19  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 

Joh 11:20  Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 

Joh 11:21  Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 

Joh 11:22  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 

Joh 11:23  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 

Joh 11:24  Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 

Joh 11:25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 

Joh 11:26  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 

Joh 11:27  She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” This confession is the very reason the Gospel’s were written!

Joh 11:28  And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 

Joh 11:29  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 

Joh 11:30  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 

Joh 11:31  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”   minimum of two flute players, one professional “wailing mourner”… vs 19 says there were “many” who came to comfort Mary and Martha so it would have been quite a large group of loud, wailing, weeping, fluting, parade of mourners.  

Joh 11:32  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

Joh 11:33  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned (embrimahomahee- to snort with anger, have indignation on, to blame,) in the spirit and was troubled (taraso, to stir or agitate, (roil water, trouble). 

Joh 11:34  And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 

Joh 11:35  Jesus wept. Implies broken heart, shedding tears, unlike the wailing of the professionals…

Joh 11:36  Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” 

Joh 11:37  And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” 

Joh 11:38  Then Jesus, again groaning (embrimahomahee- to snort with anger, have indignation on, to blame,)  in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 

Joh 11:39  Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 

Joh 11:40  Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 

Joh 11:41  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 

Joh 11:42  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 

Joh 11:43  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 

Joh 11:44  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” 

Not resurrection body!  Lazarus would in fact die again.  

Eastern tradition holds that Lazarus along with Martha and Mary went to Cyprus where Lazarus became a church Bishop and died of natural causes in 63 AD.

Western tradition holds that Lazarus went to Marsailles with his sisters to preach the Gospel, become a church Bishop, and later be beheaded in the Christian persecution under the Roman Emperor Domitian.

The effect of the resurrection of Lazarus was huge!

Joh 11:45  Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 

Joh 11:46  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 

Joh 11:47  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. 

Joh 11:48  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” 

Joh 11:49  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 

Joh 11:50  nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” 

Joh 11:51  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 

Joh 11:52  and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. 

Joh 11:53  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. 

Joh 11:54  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples. 

Joh 11:55  And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 

Joh 11:56  Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?” 

Joh 11:57  Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him. 

Joh 12:1  Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 

Joh 12:2  There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 

Joh 12:3  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 

Joh 12:4  But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 

Joh 12:5  “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 

Joh 12:6  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 

Joh 12:7  But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 

Joh 12:8  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” 

Joh 12:9  Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 

Joh 12:10  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 

Joh 12:11  because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. 

Joh 12:12  The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 

Joh 12:13  took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’ The King of Israel!” 

Joh 12:14  Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 

Joh 12:15  “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SITTING ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” 

Joh 12:16  His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 

Joh 12:17  Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 

Joh 12:18  For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.

The biggest take away from this Biblical account is what Jesus said in John 11:25-26  

Joh 11:25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 

Joh 11:26  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 

Another resurrection:

Mat 12:38  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 

Mat 12:39  But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 

Mat 12:40  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

Mat 12:41  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 

See Jonah 1 &2…

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