NOTE.—The home of Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary, was at Bethany (now called El-Azarieh), on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Jesus often stopped at this home, for He "loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." Lazarus was taken sick, and his sisters sent for Jesus, who was at Bethabara, on the other side of Jordan. But Jesus did not start for Bethany until two days after receiving the summons, and when He arrived at Bethany Lazarus had been dead four days. Hearing that He was coming, Martha went out to meet Him, and said, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." After some conversation, Jesus remained outside until Martha went to the house and sent Mary out to greet Him.
32 "Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw Him, fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto Him, 35 Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, 36 Behold how He loved him! But some of them said, Could 37 not this Man, which opened the eyes of him that was blind, 38 have caused that this man also should not die? Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself cometh to the tomb. Now it 39 was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he hath 40 been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst, thou shouldst see the glory of 41 God? So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me. 42 And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the 43 multitude which standeth around I said it, that they may be- 44 lieve that Thou didst send Me. And when He had thus spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto him, Loose him, and let him go. 45 "Many therefore of the Jews, which came to Mary and beheld that which He did, believed on Him."
Golden Text: "I am the resurrection, and the life." John 11: 25.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) Where was the scene of this lesson? (2) At what home in Bethany had Jesus frequently stopped? (3) Why did He make that a frequent stopping-place? (4) What had now occurred to cause sadness in that home? (5) For whom did the sisters send in their time of sorrow? (6) What was the sad condition when He arrived at Bethany? (7) Which of the sisters went out first to meet Jesus? (8) What did she say to Him? (9) When Martha returned to the house, who came out to see Jesus? (For answers to foregoing questions, see introductory note.) (10) When Mary came out where Jesus was, what did she do and say? V. 32. Note 1. (11) How was Jesus affected by the scene of mourning? V. 33. (12) What question did He ask? What was the reply? V. 34. (13) How was the deep sorrow of Jesus manifested? V. 35. Note 2. (14) What did the Jews say when they saw Him weeping? V. 36. (15) What query did some of them raise? V. 37. (16) Then what did Jesus do? What kind of grave was it? V. 38. (17) What command did Jesus give? What did Martha say about opening the grave? V. 39. Note 3. (18) How did Jesus reply to her protest? V. 40. (19) When the stone was taken away, what prayer did Jesus offer? Vs. 41, 42. Note 4. (20) After the prayer, what did He say? V. 43. Note 5. (21) What was the response to this call? Then what further order did Jesus give? V. 44. (22) What was the effect of this miracle upon the people? V. 45.
NOTES.
1. "If Thou hadst been here."—Notwithstanding all the teaching of Jesus, both in word and in deed, concerning His divine origin and power, even His most devoted Jewish disciples could not grasp the idea that He could do anything for them unless He were present in person. This faith had to be first manifested and the fact demonstrated by those not of the Jewish Church. See Luke 7: 2-10; John 4: 46-53.
2. "Jesus wept."—His tears were no evidence of what some men term effeminacy, or weakness of character. They bespoke deep sorrow and strong sympathy with grief. His sorrow was not because of the death of Lazarus, for He had told His disciples that He was glad of the occasion for their sakes, that they might believe (verse 15); it was because of the unbelief of His people who were about to reject their only hope of salvation, notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence of His Messiahship.
3. "Dead four days."—This was deemed certain evidence that decomposition had begun, and to raise such an one to life could not be accounted for on any other theory than by the exercise of divine power. It was the opportunity for which Jesus had waited when He received the message that Lazarus was dead.
4. "I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me."—This shows that Jesus had prayed over the matter before coming to the tomb, and had the mind of the Father as to what He should do. His audible prayer at that time was to give the glory to God for the miracle, and that those present might have indisputable evidence of His connection with the Father.
5. "Lazarus, come forth."—Whom did He call?—Lazarus. What did He call?—The cold, decomposing body that had been dead four days. Whence did He call Lazarus?—From the tomb. Is there any intimation that Lazarus had been anywhere else than in the tomb?—No. We have the testimony of the Lord Himself that Lazarus was dead (verse 14), and that his death was a sleep. There is no consciousness in perfect sleep, not even a dream, and "the dead know not anything." Eccl. 9: 5. The miracle was a complete re-creation of Lazarus, and, up to that time, was the crowning evidence, from a human standpoint, that Jesus was the Son of God.
