Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
When Jesus said Lazarus was asleep He meant that he was dead, but the disciples thought He meant ordinary rest in sleep from which he would recover. Death is a sleep in which the whole person rests unconscious in the grave until the resurrection, so the dead have nothing to tell of death itself. For His believing children this sleep is in Him, their life hidden with Christ in God until the last trumpet calls them to immortal life. After waiting two days Jesus told the disciples plainly that Lazarus was dead, and after four days in the tomb He called him forth to life, showing His divine power over death. The delay was by design, not lack of care, to make the raising a crowning proof that He is the Son of God and Saviour of the world, to fasten the faith of the disciples, and to lead many to believe.
Meaning and Setting
Jesus called Lazarus's death sleep, meaning that Lazarus had died, while the disciples mistakenly took Him to mean ordinary rest in natural sleep in sickness from which Lazarus would recover and do well. He used sleep as a figure for death, and the scene of calling Lazarus out of the tomb shows that this sleep was death from which He restored him to life.
After waiting two days since hearing of Lazarus's sickness, He said Lazarus was asleep and then told the disciples plainly that Lazarus was dead. He was glad He had not been there, so that they might believe.
The setting is the home of Lazarus at Bethany, where Jesus often found rest and repose. He had no home of His own and depended on the hospitality of friends and disciples, and often when weary and thirsting for human fellowship He escaped to this peaceful household away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angry Pharisees and from the weary conflict of public life. There He found sincere welcome and pure holy friendship, a quiet home, human tenderness, courtesy and affection, and interested listeners and an appreciative audience who understood and treasured His words. There He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom and open the volume of Providence and heavenly instruction in private interviews, unfolding what He did not attempt to tell the mixed multitude who were slow of hearing, and He needed not to speak to His friends in parables.
Lazarus truly died, and his sisters prepared him for burial and laid him in the grave. He had been dead four days when Christ called him from the tomb by His word, and his body had seen corruption.
Death as Sleep
Death is a sleep and the dead are asleep, for sleep was used as a figure for death while ordinary rest in sickness was mistakenly understood. Death is a sleep in this sense. For His believing children Christ represents death as sleep: those who die sleep in Him, their life hidden with Christ in God, until the last trumpet sounds.
The dead have no conscious experience to recount, for Lazarus when raised had nothing to tell about being dead. His testimony came from being raised to life by Christ, not from an experience of death. The dead rest in the grave until the resurrection, with the whole person asleep in death. Hope rests in the future resurrection, when the righteous dead will be raised to immortal life.
Death is a slumber that Jesus breaks by raising the dead to life. This figure of sleep connects with the belief that death is an eternal sleep.
Power and Purpose
The sleep Jesus spoke of was death itself, and the moment He called Lazarus out of the tomb proved it, for He restored the dead man to life and filled his sisters with joy. That raising of the dead to life displays His power over death as part of His divine mission.
His waiting two days after the news came was not from lack of interest in the stricken family but from design. He meant to make the death an occasion for undoubted proof of divine power. He meant to unite the disciples to Himself in a faith that could not be broken and to answer their doubts whether He was really the Christ because He had not saved one He loved. He meant to work a crowning miracle that would convince all who could be convinced that He is the Saviour of the world.
By divine wisdom He delayed going to Bethany, and Lazarus was buried before He arrived, so that raising him would lead many to believe and glorify God. Lazarus's death was permitted so that his resurrection would provide the Jews with crowning evidence that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus raised him knowing that this rescue would lead to His own suffering and death on the cross.
The miracle was powerful evidence, but those who had repeatedly rejected light remained hardened in unbelief and responded by stirring up the Pharisees' hatred of Jesus. For others the raising demonstrated Christ's character as Saviour and Lifegiver and gave convincing proof of His divinity. It revealed the Father to believers and unbelievers, showing that Christ's works were evidence of His divine connection with the Father.
Those raised during His ministry, including Lazarus, returned to mortal life and remained subject to death and decay, unlike the saints raised with Him to everlasting life. Yet the same voice that called Lazarus after four days in the tomb will at His return call the dead in Christ to glorious, immortal life. The raising of Lazarus from the dead drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to Jesus before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
When Jesus said Lazarus was asleep He meant that he was dead, but the disciples thought He meant ordinary rest in sleep from which he would recover. Death is a sleep in which the whole person rests unconscious in the grave until the resurrection, so the dead have nothing to tell of death itself. For His believing children this sleep is in Him, their life hidden with Christ in God until the last trumpet calls them to immortal life. After waiting two days Jesus told the disciples plainly that Lazarus was dead, and after four days in the tomb He called him forth to life, showing His divine power over death. The delay was by design, not lack of care, to make the raising a crowning proof that He is the Son of God and Saviour of the world, to fasten the faith of the disciples, and to lead many to believe.
Meaning and Setting
Jesus called Lazarus's death sleep, meaning that Lazarus had died, while the disciples mistakenly took Him to mean ordinary rest in natural sleep in sickness from which Lazarus would recover and do well. He used sleep as a figure for death, and the scene of calling Lazarus out of the tomb shows that this sleep was death from which He restored him to life.
After waiting two days since hearing of Lazarus's sickness, He said Lazarus was asleep and then told the disciples plainly that Lazarus was dead. He was glad He had not been there, so that they might believe.
The setting is the home of Lazarus at Bethany, where Jesus often found rest and repose. He had no home of His own and depended on the hospitality of friends and disciples, and often when weary and thirsting for human fellowship He escaped to this peaceful household away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angry Pharisees and from the weary conflict of public life. There He found sincere welcome and pure holy friendship, a quiet home, human tenderness, courtesy and affection, and interested listeners and an appreciative audience who understood and treasured His words. There He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom and open the volume of Providence and heavenly instruction in private interviews, unfolding what He did not attempt to tell the mixed multitude who were slow of hearing, and He needed not to speak to His friends in parables.
Lazarus truly died, and his sisters prepared him for burial and laid him in the grave. He had been dead four days when Christ called him from the tomb by His word, and his body had seen corruption.
Death as Sleep
Death is a sleep and the dead are asleep, for sleep was used as a figure for death while ordinary rest in sickness was mistakenly understood. Death is a sleep in this sense. For His believing children Christ represents death as sleep: those who die sleep in Him, their life hidden with Christ in God, until the last trumpet sounds.
The dead have no conscious experience to recount, for Lazarus when raised had nothing to tell about being dead. His testimony came from being raised to life by Christ, not from an experience of death. The dead rest in the grave until the resurrection, with the whole person asleep in death. Hope rests in the future resurrection, when the righteous dead will be raised to immortal life.
Death is a slumber that Jesus breaks by raising the dead to life. This figure of sleep connects with the belief that death is an eternal sleep.
Power and Purpose
The sleep Jesus spoke of was death itself, and the moment He called Lazarus out of the tomb proved it, for He restored the dead man to life and filled his sisters with joy. That raising of the dead to life displays His power over death as part of His divine mission.
His waiting two days after the news came was not from lack of interest in the stricken family but from design. He meant to make the death an occasion for undoubted proof of divine power. He meant to unite the disciples to Himself in a faith that could not be broken and to answer their doubts whether He was really the Christ because He had not saved one He loved. He meant to work a crowning miracle that would convince all who could be convinced that He is the Saviour of the world.
By divine wisdom He delayed going to Bethany, and Lazarus was buried before He arrived, so that raising him would lead many to believe and glorify God. Lazarus's death was permitted so that his resurrection would provide the Jews with crowning evidence that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus raised him knowing that this rescue would lead to His own suffering and death on the cross.
The miracle was powerful evidence, but those who had repeatedly rejected light remained hardened in unbelief and responded by stirring up the Pharisees' hatred of Jesus. For others the raising demonstrated Christ's character as Saviour and Lifegiver and gave convincing proof of His divinity. It revealed the Father to believers and unbelievers, showing that Christ's works were evidence of His divine connection with the Father.
Those raised during His ministry, including Lazarus, returned to mortal life and remained subject to death and decay, unlike the saints raised with Him to everlasting life. Yet the same voice that called Lazarus after four days in the tomb will at His return call the dead in Christ to glorious, immortal life. The raising of Lazarus from the dead drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to Jesus before His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.