Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Jesus stated plainly that Lazarus had truly died after the disciples mistook His words about sleep for natural rest that brings recovery, as He led them toward Judea despite their fear because the Jews had lately sought to stone Him there. He had deliberately stayed away though He loved the family deeply and felt every pang of their anguish, because in the presence of the Life-giver death could not have aimed its dart at Lazarus. He let Lazarus pass under the dominion of death and lie four days in the grave so the death would become undoubted proof of His divine power, to train the disciples in unbreakable faith and to try and strengthen Mary and Martha until their faith shone with greater power. That crowning miracle set the seal of God on His claim to be the resurrection and the life and the Son of God, leading many to believe and giving evidence even the learned could not dispute, yet those who had repeatedly rejected light remained hardened and reported it to the rulers. The verse teaches that for believing children death is a real sleep without consciousness or torment until the last trumpet sounds, when Christ who called Lazarus from the tomb will raise the dead in Christ to immortal life.
Setting and Plain Statement
This is the story of Lazarus of Bethany, one of Christ's steadfast disciples, whom He loved deeply, and whose raising was His greatest and most wonderful work. Bethany was the house of Lazarus where Jesus often found repose and rest from public conflict. Having no home of His own and being dependent on the hospitality of friends and disciples, when weary and thirsting for human fellowship He was glad to escape to that peaceful household away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angry Pharisees. There He found sincere welcome and pure, holy friendship, and He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom, knowing His words would be understood and treasured. He appreciated a quiet home and interested listeners, and He longed for human tenderness, courtesy, and affection, and those who received the heavenly instruction He was ready to impart were greatly blessed.
While to the multitudes following Him through the open fields He unfolded the beauties of the natural world to open their understanding to how the hand of God upholds the world and to call out appreciation for God's goodness in dew, rain, and sunshine, the multitudes were slow of hearing. In the home at Bethany He found rest from the weary conflict of public life. There He opened to an appreciative audience the volume of Providence, and in those private interviews He unfolded what He did not attempt to tell the mixed multitude, and to His friends He needed not to speak in parables.
Jesus had first spoken of Lazarus sleeping, which the disciples mistook for natural rest that brings recovery, for He had been speaking of death, not rest in sleep. After waiting two days He corrected them by stating plainly that Lazarus was dead, as He directed them to go with Him to Judea. He said it to explain why He must go even though the disciples tried to hold Him back because the Jews had lately sought to stone Him there. His allotted time had not ended, and heavenly angels guarded Him from harm as He went toward Judea.
Lazarus truly died before Jesus arrived, under divine wisdom and as part of God's plan. Martha and Mary saw their brother die and laid him in the grave while waiting for Jesus, and two days passed before He came. He had been dead four days, and his body had seen corruption. Jesus knew all that was happening at their home, yet did not come before Lazarus died. He wept at the grave in sympathy for the bereaved, and then restored Lazarus to Mary and Martha and filled his sisters with joy by power over death and power to give life.
Why Jesus Let Him Die
The waiting was not neglect or loss of affection for the stricken household at Bethany. Every pang of anguish was felt, the rent hearts of the sisters were seen, Lazarus wrestling with death was watched, and the bereaved were upheld by grace. Love was no less because help was withheld, for in the presence of the Life-giver death could not have aimed its dart at Lazarus.
The enemy was allowed to exercise his power and Lazarus was allowed to pass under the dominion of death and be laid in the grave. This was permitted so that death itself would become the occasion for undoubted proof of divine power. The plain announcement that Lazarus was dead was therefore joined with gladness at not having been present, to the intent that the disciples might believe. In this way they would be united in a faith that could not be broken and trained as future representatives.
The trial was also meant to test and then strengthen the faith of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus until it shone with far greater power. It was to gain a victory for them, for Lazarus, for Himself, and for His disciples. In mercy toward stubborn, unbelieving Israel one more evidence was given that the priests could not misinterpret, a crowning evidence that He is indeed the resurrection and the life. He is the Restorer who alone brings life and immortality to light, the Saviour of the world and Son of God whose works reveal the Father, and this work belonged to His mission and displayed His character as Savior and Lifegiver.
The raising became a crowning miracle that set the seal of God upon His work and His claim to divinity. It led many to believe and stood as compelling evidence of Messiahship that even the learned could not dispute. It deeply moved the people and drew a large, enthusiastic crowd to see Him. Yet even mighty works displaying power over death could not overcome prejudice and hatred. Those who had repeatedly rejected light remained hardened, reported the miracle to the rulers, and stirred the hatred of the Pharisees.
Restoring Lazarus to life was known to carry a cost, for it would ultimately bring the ransom to be paid on the cross, so the miracle foreshadowed His own suffering and death. Grief at the grave also carried sorrow that not all brought down by death could be saved, though He gave Himself for all who would return to loyalty to God. To all reaching for God's guiding hand, the moment of greatest discouragement is when divine help is nearest. God knows how to deliver the godly out of every temptation and trial with firmer faith and richer experience.
Death as Sleep and Hope
Jesus stated plainly that Lazarus was dead after the disciples mistook His word about sleep for ordinary rest that brings recovery. For His believing children death is a sleep in Him until the last trumpet sounds, and the entire being rests in the grave until the Life-giver raises the dead, with life hidden with Christ in God. Death is a real sleep, not an eternal life in conscious torment. This Bible teaching about the sleep of the dead guards against the deception that the dead can appear and communicate with the living.
The dead know nothing and have no experience to relate, for their love and hatred have perished. So Lazarus, who had truly died, had no account of death to recount and nothing of what happened while he was dead to tell. After Christ raised him, his testimony was through his restored life that Christ had raised him by divine power and is the Son of God.
When Jesus raised him, Lazarus was restored only to mortal life and was not made immortal, but remained subject to death and decay. This contrasts with those raised at Christ's resurrection, who came forth to everlasting life as trophies of His victory over death. Christ's power to call Lazarus out of the tomb after he had been dead four days points to His power when He returns, when the dead in Christ will rise to immortal life and be with the Lord. That raising of saints at Christ's resurrection is the symbol of the final resurrection of the righteous.
Jesus stated plainly that Lazarus had truly died after the disciples mistook His words about sleep for natural rest that brings recovery, as He led them toward Judea despite their fear because the Jews had lately sought to stone Him there. He had deliberately stayed away though He loved the family deeply and felt every pang of their anguish, because in the presence of the Life-giver death could not have aimed its dart at Lazarus. He let Lazarus pass under the dominion of death and lie four days in the grave so the death would become undoubted proof of His divine power, to train the disciples in unbreakable faith and to try and strengthen Mary and Martha until their faith shone with greater power. That crowning miracle set the seal of God on His claim to be the resurrection and the life and the Son of God, leading many to believe and giving evidence even the learned could not dispute, yet those who had repeatedly rejected light remained hardened and reported it to the rulers. The verse teaches that for believing children death is a real sleep without consciousness or torment until the last trumpet sounds, when Christ who called Lazarus from the tomb will raise the dead in Christ to immortal life.
Setting and Plain Statement
This is the story of Lazarus of Bethany, one of Christ's steadfast disciples, whom He loved deeply, and whose raising was His greatest and most wonderful work. Bethany was the house of Lazarus where Jesus often found repose and rest from public conflict. Having no home of His own and being dependent on the hospitality of friends and disciples, when weary and thirsting for human fellowship He was glad to escape to that peaceful household away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angry Pharisees. There He found sincere welcome and pure, holy friendship, and He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom, knowing His words would be understood and treasured. He appreciated a quiet home and interested listeners, and He longed for human tenderness, courtesy, and affection, and those who received the heavenly instruction He was ready to impart were greatly blessed.
While to the multitudes following Him through the open fields He unfolded the beauties of the natural world to open their understanding to how the hand of God upholds the world and to call out appreciation for God's goodness in dew, rain, and sunshine, the multitudes were slow of hearing. In the home at Bethany He found rest from the weary conflict of public life. There He opened to an appreciative audience the volume of Providence, and in those private interviews He unfolded what He did not attempt to tell the mixed multitude, and to His friends He needed not to speak in parables.
Jesus had first spoken of Lazarus sleeping, which the disciples mistook for natural rest that brings recovery, for He had been speaking of death, not rest in sleep. After waiting two days He corrected them by stating plainly that Lazarus was dead, as He directed them to go with Him to Judea. He said it to explain why He must go even though the disciples tried to hold Him back because the Jews had lately sought to stone Him there. His allotted time had not ended, and heavenly angels guarded Him from harm as He went toward Judea.
Lazarus truly died before Jesus arrived, under divine wisdom and as part of God's plan. Martha and Mary saw their brother die and laid him in the grave while waiting for Jesus, and two days passed before He came. He had been dead four days, and his body had seen corruption. Jesus knew all that was happening at their home, yet did not come before Lazarus died. He wept at the grave in sympathy for the bereaved, and then restored Lazarus to Mary and Martha and filled his sisters with joy by power over death and power to give life.
Why Jesus Let Him Die
The waiting was not neglect or loss of affection for the stricken household at Bethany. Every pang of anguish was felt, the rent hearts of the sisters were seen, Lazarus wrestling with death was watched, and the bereaved were upheld by grace. Love was no less because help was withheld, for in the presence of the Life-giver death could not have aimed its dart at Lazarus.
The enemy was allowed to exercise his power and Lazarus was allowed to pass under the dominion of death and be laid in the grave. This was permitted so that death itself would become the occasion for undoubted proof of divine power. The plain announcement that Lazarus was dead was therefore joined with gladness at not having been present, to the intent that the disciples might believe. In this way they would be united in a faith that could not be broken and trained as future representatives.
The trial was also meant to test and then strengthen the faith of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus until it shone with far greater power. It was to gain a victory for them, for Lazarus, for Himself, and for His disciples. In mercy toward stubborn, unbelieving Israel one more evidence was given that the priests could not misinterpret, a crowning evidence that He is indeed the resurrection and the life. He is the Restorer who alone brings life and immortality to light, the Saviour of the world and Son of God whose works reveal the Father, and this work belonged to His mission and displayed His character as Savior and Lifegiver.
The raising became a crowning miracle that set the seal of God upon His work and His claim to divinity. It led many to believe and stood as compelling evidence of Messiahship that even the learned could not dispute. It deeply moved the people and drew a large, enthusiastic crowd to see Him. Yet even mighty works displaying power over death could not overcome prejudice and hatred. Those who had repeatedly rejected light remained hardened, reported the miracle to the rulers, and stirred the hatred of the Pharisees.
Restoring Lazarus to life was known to carry a cost, for it would ultimately bring the ransom to be paid on the cross, so the miracle foreshadowed His own suffering and death. Grief at the grave also carried sorrow that not all brought down by death could be saved, though He gave Himself for all who would return to loyalty to God. To all reaching for God's guiding hand, the moment of greatest discouragement is when divine help is nearest. God knows how to deliver the godly out of every temptation and trial with firmer faith and richer experience.
Death as Sleep and Hope
Jesus stated plainly that Lazarus was dead after the disciples mistook His word about sleep for ordinary rest that brings recovery. For His believing children death is a sleep in Him until the last trumpet sounds, and the entire being rests in the grave until the Life-giver raises the dead, with life hidden with Christ in God. Death is a real sleep, not an eternal life in conscious torment. This Bible teaching about the sleep of the dead guards against the deception that the dead can appear and communicate with the living.
The dead know nothing and have no experience to relate, for their love and hatred have perished. So Lazarus, who had truly died, had no account of death to recount and nothing of what happened while he was dead to tell. After Christ raised him, his testimony was through his restored life that Christ had raised him by divine power and is the Son of God.
When Jesus raised him, Lazarus was restored only to mortal life and was not made immortal, but remained subject to death and decay. This contrasts with those raised at Christ's resurrection, who came forth to everlasting life as trophies of His victory over death. Christ's power to call Lazarus out of the tomb after he had been dead four days points to His power when He returns, when the dead in Christ will rise to immortal life and be with the Lord. That raising of saints at Christ's resurrection is the symbol of the final resurrection of the righteous.