CLEAN – podcast 26, Lazarus

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.IntroductoryFor most people, this is far and away the best known reanimation in scripture.In the 7th reanimation podcast, Jesus raises a friend.I recorded an earlier podcast on Lazarus (NT Character Podcast 20). You might want to listen before or after today’s podcast.Hear also Christ Through the Ages, podcast 10.As a result, in order to avoid duplication, I will try to keep my comments to the subject of the reanimation itself. Further, we won’t read every verse in the account. Scriptural study: John 11:1-7, 11-15, 17-27, 32-49a, 51b-53; 12:9-11Lazarus (v.1) is not to be identified with the Lazarus in the parable of Luke 16:19-31, although the coincidence of names is intriguing.“This illness does not lead to death” (v.4). Of course it does lead to death, but only for a short time.Just as with the miracle of the blind man two chapters earlier, God will be glorified (v.4).Lazarus is a beloved friend (v.5). We always feel differently when we knew the person who’s died, and never more than when we had a significant relationship.A great uncle – 10k – took me fishing. Not close but we’d met several times. Mother father sisterHe delays his visit to Bethany, it seems, precisely in order to make sure that Lazarus has passed.Sleep (v.11) is a common biblical metaphor for death. See Q&A 1356.This section (vs.17-27) is rich with theology, dense with meaning and insight. Of course Lazarus, the subject of this podcast, isn’t really doing anything. But no one exists to himself alone; there is a sizeable network of friends, family, and acquaintances involved in all our lives, and this network becomes visible at key junctures in our lives, like births, weddings, deaths.“Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (v.26). How would we answer Jesus? What difference does it make in our lives? Are we always on the lookout for opportunities to share the good news?Jesus does not minimize death, even though it isn’t the last word.Jesus wept (v.35). He was not so intellectual in his knowledge of truth that the common and human waves of emotion washed over him without affecting him deeply!Many were buried in caves (v.38).You may also want to listen to Martha (NT Character podcast 19).Notice once again Jesus' direct address to the deceased (v.43).Notice also how the dead were prepared (v.44).Strips of linenSeparate headpieceNo coffin or sarcophagusLazarus comes out (v.44)!John’s gospel features seven confessions of faith, seven “I am statements,” and seven signs. The raising of Lazarus is the last sign—which itself points to the resurrection of Jesus.This miracle places Jesus’ life in extreme danger. For more on the high priest who suggested Jesus' execution, listen to Caiaphas (v.49) NT Character Podcast 42.The raising of Lazarus takes place just outside Jerusalem itself, with its religious power center, the Temple, controlled by unscrupulous and rapacious priests and teachers.It’s not just Jesus who is in danger; Lazarus himself is now singled out for execution (12:9-11)!It is not God’s agenda to grant longevity or immortality. We all die, and hardly anyone comes back from the dead, in the sense of reanimation. And no one is immortal—only God, and those who in Christ receive the gift of eternal life. Every reanimation in the Bible has a reason, and points to deeper truths.Application“Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (v.26). How would we answer Jesus? What difference does it make in our lives? Are we always on the lookout for opportunities to share the good news?Let’s live like it today!