John 11:39-57 | Psalm 30:1-3
Today we wrap up the story of Jesus & Lazarus. It gives us the seventh and final sign in John.1
Some questions as you read today:
What do you make of the deceased’s sister’s worry about the smell?
What parallels do you see between Lazarus’ resurrection and Jesus’? What is the same? What’s different?
What is with the leaders who continue to miss the miracle and focus on the nit picking? How might I have the capacity at times to do the same thing?
Why do you think the other gospels do not mention the raising of Lazarus?
John 11:39-57
Jesus said, “Remove the stone.”
Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “Lord, the smell will be awful! He’s been dead four days.”
Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?” So they removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that you sent me.” Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”
Therefore, many of the Jews who came with Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
Then the chief priests and Pharisees called together the council and said, “What are we going to do? This man is doing many miraculous signs! If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our people.”
One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, “You don’t know anything! You don’t see that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed.” He didn’t say this on his own. As high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would soon die for the nation— and not only for the nation. Jesus would also die so that God’s children scattered everywhere would be gathered together as one. From that day on they plotted to kill him.
Therefore, Jesus was no longer active in public ministry among the Jewish leaders. Instead, he left Jerusalem and went to a place near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
It was almost time for the Jewish Passover, and many people went from the countryside up to Jerusalem to purify themselves through ritual washing before the Passover. They were looking for Jesus. As they spoke to each other in the temple, they said, “What do you think? He won’t come to the festival, will he?” The chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where he was should report it, so they could arrest him.
Psalm 30:1-3
I exalt you, Lord, because you pulled me up;
you didn’t let my enemies celebrate over me.
Lord, my God, I cried out to you for help,
and you healed me.
Lord, you brought me up from the grave,
brought me back to life from among those going down to the pit.
Prayer
God,
I’m not dead (yet), but I could use some of the resurrection power you demonstrated for Lazarus. Sometimes I feel dead. Or dead-tired. Or like death is all around.
My neighbors in Maine are reeling right now. Actually, some of them aren’t reeling at all, but are quite numb. Dead-like.
All that we “have” in this nation, Lord, and we can’t figure out how to reduce the effect of weapons of death and come alongside those men who are so distraught they can do nothing else but use them against other people.
Death continues pretty quickly in Gaza and Israel. And death continues its slow but strong crawl in other places like Haiti and so much of the continent of Africa. And I often wonder about places not mentioned by the popular media where death is strong.
Lord, you know.
So I ask for your work of resurrection. In my life (I really am tired!) and in the life of the world.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
Of course, the resurrection is yet to come. The 8th sign, if you will.
😢Lord have mercy on us and on all.