Last time we learn the characteristics of false shepherds and good shepherds. Jesus warned about false shepherds. Jesus is the true Good Shepherd that laid down His life for the us; we are eternally secured in Him.
John 11:1-44 – Lazarus’ Resurrection
The raising Lazarus from the dead after he had been in the tomb for four days and his body beginning to decompose was Jesus’ most dramatic and powerful miracle in His ministry.
Jesus had left the territory controlled by the Jews who were trying to kill Him. He heard that His friend Lazarus was sick. Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” – John 11:4. Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. Instead of rushing to heal Lazarus, Jesus delayed going to him for two days. He arrived in Bethany on day four after Lazarus had died. The sisters complained that if Jesus had come sooner their brother would not have died.
Jesus knew Lazarus would live again. He knew that the miracle He was about to perform would end in bringing glory to God. He also knew that these events would bring Him closer to being arrested with the end result making the Son of God glorified in His death and resurrection.
Jesus’ always glorified God in all He did. He didn’t let the pressure of His friends or loved ones dictate His decisions. He didn’t make decisions based on emotions. He made decisions based on what would glorify God, on accomplishing His work, and on helping others come to faith or to grow in faith. By waiting two days before leaving for Bethany; there would be no doubt that Lazarus was dead. Then when he was raised, it would bring more glory to God.
John 11:9-10 – The disciples were worried about returning to Jerusalem for their own safety and that Jesus may be killed. He told them they have nothing to fear. Like the sun protected them from stumbling in the dark so Jesus would protect them. The twelve hours of daylight is a picture of Jesus’ physical presence in the world. He has a limited time to be with them before He leaves the earth. He is also telling us that when we walk in God’s will, we are walking in the light or walking in the daytime. If we are out of His will, we don’t have light and we are walking in darkness; therefore we will certainly stumble.
In John 11:16 Thomas was willing to go and die with Jesus. He made this commitment when he really didn’t understand the promise of resurrection. He was showing love, devotion, and dedication to Jesus and the rest of the disciples.
Lazarus was in the tomb for four days so there was no doubt that Lazarus was dead and no hope of resuscitation. Jesus deliberately waited until death was beyond all doubt making it clear He would be operating with divine power.
Martha stated her disappointment in Jesus’ late arrival. She knew if He had been there earlier, Lazarus would not have died. Jesus told her that her brother would rise again. She thought He was talking about rising in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26. He is saying that HE IS THE ONLY WAY. Salvation is found in no other.
Mary went out to meet Jesus and when He saw her crying, He was moved and He wept. He wept out of love, compassion, and sympathy for the family. This shows Jesus was truly human, He wasn’t ashamed of His emotions, and He identified with their sorrow. He experienced grief and deep feelings just like us.
He may have also wept because of the sin in the world that brings death to us all. His tears give us a glimpse of how the Father feels over the grief of His children. He also knew by raising Lazarus it would actually cause the religious leaders to finally take action to put him to death. We don’t really know the inner distress Jesus was experiencing. He was dreading His Father’s wrath that was about to come. He was going to die a horrific death in order for you and me to have eternal life.
Jesus went to Lazarus’ tomb and told them to take away the stone that covered the entrance. In John 11:41 Jesus looked up and prayed with thanksgiving to God. His purpose was for the benefit of the crowd. By praying before the miracle, He was pointing to God giving Him the glory for the miracle that was about to happen. A lesson for us is to be thankful even before God answers our prayers. Prayer is central to Christian character. It gives glory to Him and is the key defense against Satan’s temptations. It protects us from sin and self.
After Jesus prayed, He cried out with authority, “Lazarus, come out!” – John 11:43. “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” – John 11:44b. Lazarus was brought back to life.
Not only did Jesus give the miraculous gift of physical life to Lazarus, He gives the miraculous gift of spiritual life to believers. When we believe and trust in Him, our old self is crucified with Him and we are freed from the being slaves to sin. He gives us eternal life; we will be united with Him in His resurrection.
Principle: When God seems to be doing nothing, He may be doing more than you could ever imagine.
John 11:45-57 – The Plot
There were different reactions and responses to Jesus’ miracle. Many of the Jews saw what Jesus had done and believed in Him. Some went and told the Pharisees. The chief priests, Pharisees, and Sanhedrin were worried and called a meeting and plotted against Jesus. They feared Rome and were concerned only with protecting their own interests. They knew Jesus had performed miracles, but they still opposed Him as the Messiah.
In John 11:49-50 the high priest, Caiaphas gave an unconscious and involuntary prophecy that it was better for this one man die than for the people than for the whole nation to perish. These were significant words because it prophesied that Jesus would die for all the world, even sinners. From that day they plotted to put Jesus to death. This was all in God’s plan.
Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews because it was not the appointed time for Him to die. He went with His disciples to a region near the dessert.
When it was almost time of the Passover, many went to Jerusalem for the ceremony. The chief priests gave orders if anyone saw Jesus they were to report it so He could be arrested.
The reasons they wanted to kill Jesus was motivated by fear, resentment, and self-interest. They wanted to stop what He was doing and prevent all men from believing in Him. They thought it would save the nation of Israel from being destroyed.
The true reason that Jesus had to die was to fulfill God’s eternal plan and to save people from eternal death. We see this in John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Principle: Jesus is the source of resurrection and eternal life.
Key verses:
Next week we will study John 12. Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus
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