Jesus Speaks With Mary While Martha Watchesby CBPepper
11:3John 11:3
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
The sisters sent Jesus a short, simple message telling Him that Lazarus was gravely ill, appealing only to His love with full trust that He understood the case and would do what was best. It came from their quiet home at Bethany where He had often found rest, welcome and sincere friendship away from public conflict. They fully expected their beloved Friend to come at once to heal their brother, and while life remained they watched, prayed and counted the hours for His arrival. He already knew of the sickness and could have healed from where He was, yet He deliberately stayed two more days, not from lack of love but by divine wisdom. He let Lazarus die so the raising would give undoubted proof that He is the Son of God and Saviour of the world, strengthen a faith that could not be broken, and lead many to believe and glorify God.
Home and Message
The message was sent from the peaceful, quiet home at Bethany where Jesus had often rested and found refuge from care, labor, and the conflict of public life. Sorrow entered that home when Lazarus was seized by sudden violent illness and a dark cloud hung over the household where His peace had rested. It was their humble home, marked by faith and love, where His spirit found rest.
Jesus had no home of His own and depended on the hospitality of friends and disciples, and when weary and thirsting for human fellowship He was glad to escape there away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angry Pharisees. There He found sincere welcome and pure, holy friendship, a quiet home with interested listeners, for He longed for human tenderness, courtesy, and affection. There He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom, knowing His words would be understood and treasured, and those who received His heavenly instruction were greatly blessed. While to the mixed multitudes in the open fields He unfolded the beauties of nature and how the hand of God upholds the world in dew and rain and sunshine given alike to good and evil, and was slow of hearing among them, in Bethany He rested from the weary conflict of public life and opened to an appreciative audience the volume of Providence, telling His friends plainly in private what He did not attempt to tell the mixed multitude, with no need to speak in parables.
Lazarus was among His most steadfast disciples, who firmly believed His divine mission and loved Him ardently, Mary listened earnestly, and Jesus loved them deeply in return with strong affection. Their faith and love toward Him made them confident He would not disregard their distress. His bond with Lazarus and the family was marked by deep affection and close, tested love, and the Saviour loved Lazarus especially.
When the severe disease struck, the sisters sent only a short, simple, confiding message reporting that he whom He loved was sick. It was an appeal to His love and His ability to heal every kind of disease and His sympathy in distress, with no added plea or urgent demand for His immediate presence. They trusted He understood the case and would do what was best and relieve their brother. In sending they fully expected their beloved Friend to respond at once and reach Bethany as soon as He could to heal him. While the spark of life remained they counted the days and hours, watched anxiously, prayed, and longed for Him to come and save and comfort them.
Delay and Purpose
Jesus already knew of the sickness and what was taking place in the home before the messenger reached Him, and He could have stopped the power of death from where He was, yet by divine wisdom He gave no immediate response but deliberately remained where He was for two days. His only answer was that the sickness would lead to the glory of God and the glorification of the Son. The sisters' short message carried no added plea or urgent demand for Him to come, for they fully expected their beloved Friend to come at once and heal their brother, trusting He would do what was best.
His waiting and lack of the visible sorrow the disciples expected did not come from lack of interest or love for Lazarus and his family. Jesus loved that family strongly, and the disciples knew it, so they expected Him to show sorrow and to go at once to comfort the afflicted household. Instead He showed no sorrow they looked for and remained silent about Lazarus, and His delay was a mystery that surprised and troubled the disciples and raised the question whether He would forsake His own in trial.
He let Lazarus die so that the death would give undoubted, unmistakable proof of His divine power and Messiahship that He is the Son of God and Saviour of the world. It was to be the last and crowning evidence to the Jews, His crowning miracle and a final test for the nation, in which the Father worked through the Son. By it He would join His disciples to Him in a faith that could not be broken and strengthen their faith in Him as the Saviour. It would answer the doubt that if He were really the Christ He would have saved one He loved, and work to convince all who could be convinced. His raising of Lazarus would lead many to believe and glorify God, with Lazarus himself testifying that Christ was the Son of God, while those who had repeatedly rejected light remained hardened in unbelief and their hatred grew. In Himself He was health and strength, and in His immediate presence disease was always rebuked, because He could not look on suffering without bringing relief nor face disease or death without combating the power of Satan.
As soon as the messenger left, Lazarus grew rapidly worse with increasing fever until death triumphed. The messenger returned without Jesus, bringing only the word that the sickness was not unto death. With hearts full of anguish the sisters saw their brother die, prepared him for burial while anxiously looking for Christ and longing to see Him and hear His words of comfort, laid him in the grave, and then passed two long sorrowful days looking anxiously for Christ to come. While the spark of life remained they had counted the days and hours, watched anxiously, and prayed for Him to come and save their brother.
Raising and Witness
The brief word sent from Bethany opens into the raising of Lazarus, in which Christ's character as Saviour and Lifegiver was demonstrated and His mission as humanity's Pattern fulfilled. The restoration showed His power over death to bring a dead brother back from the grave and fill his sisters with joy. It was convincing proof of His divinity, with the Father working through the Son, and unmistakable evidence of His Messiahship. It became His crowning miracle and a final test for the Jewish nation.
Though his body had seen corruption, Lazarus had no experience of death to recount, because the dead know nothing and their love and hatred have perished. His return to life did not make him immortal, for he remained subject to death and decay. This was unlike the saints raised when Christ rose, who were raised to everlasting life.
By divine wisdom Lazarus was allowed to die and be laid in the tomb before Jesus arrived, so that through his resurrection the last and crowning evidence might be given that Jesus is the Son of God and many might believe and glorify God. The raising had a profound effect and drew a large, enthusiastic crowd to see Jesus. Lazarus himself testified that Christ was the Son of God. Those who had again and again rejected light were not persuaded but stayed hardened in unbelief with growing hatred, and went to tell the priests and rulers to arouse anew jealous hatred.
The account shows Jesus sharing the sorrow of those who mourn, weeping at Lazarus's grave and giving Mary and Martha their brother back and helping them in distress. In Himself He was health and strength, and in His immediate presence disease was always rebuked, because He could not look on suffering without bringing relief and could not face disease or death without combating the power of Satan. He was ever touched by human woe, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf and speech to the dumb, feeding the hungry and comforting the sorrowful, walking upon the waves and silencing them by a word, casting out devils that acknowledged Him to be the Son of God, breaking the slumbers of the dead, and holding thousands entranced by words of wisdom. That life was lived amid persecution and insult, driven from Bethlehem by a jealous king, rejected by His own people at Nazareth, condemned to death without cause at Jerusalem, and at this time with His few faithful followers finding temporary shelter in a strange city, driven from the people He had labored to save because He was unable to reach hearts blinded by prejudice and hatred that resolutely rejected the light.
The sisters sent Jesus a short, simple message telling Him that Lazarus was gravely ill, appealing only to His love with full trust that He understood the case and would do what was best. It came from their quiet home at Bethany where He had often found rest, welcome and sincere friendship away from public conflict. They fully expected their beloved Friend to come at once to heal their brother, and while life remained they watched, prayed and counted the hours for His arrival. He already knew of the sickness and could have healed from where He was, yet He deliberately stayed two more days, not from lack of love but by divine wisdom. He let Lazarus die so the raising would give undoubted proof that He is the Son of God and Saviour of the world, strengthen a faith that could not be broken, and lead many to believe and glorify God.
Home and Message
The message was sent from the peaceful, quiet home at Bethany where Jesus had often rested and found refuge from care, labor, and the conflict of public life. Sorrow entered that home when Lazarus was seized by sudden violent illness and a dark cloud hung over the household where His peace had rested. It was their humble home, marked by faith and love, where His spirit found rest.
Jesus had no home of His own and depended on the hospitality of friends and disciples, and when weary and thirsting for human fellowship He was glad to escape there away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angry Pharisees. There He found sincere welcome and pure, holy friendship, a quiet home with interested listeners, for He longed for human tenderness, courtesy, and affection. There He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom, knowing His words would be understood and treasured, and those who received His heavenly instruction were greatly blessed. While to the mixed multitudes in the open fields He unfolded the beauties of nature and how the hand of God upholds the world in dew and rain and sunshine given alike to good and evil, and was slow of hearing among them, in Bethany He rested from the weary conflict of public life and opened to an appreciative audience the volume of Providence, telling His friends plainly in private what He did not attempt to tell the mixed multitude, with no need to speak in parables.
Lazarus was among His most steadfast disciples, who firmly believed His divine mission and loved Him ardently, Mary listened earnestly, and Jesus loved them deeply in return with strong affection. Their faith and love toward Him made them confident He would not disregard their distress. His bond with Lazarus and the family was marked by deep affection and close, tested love, and the Saviour loved Lazarus especially.
When the severe disease struck, the sisters sent only a short, simple, confiding message reporting that he whom He loved was sick. It was an appeal to His love and His ability to heal every kind of disease and His sympathy in distress, with no added plea or urgent demand for His immediate presence. They trusted He understood the case and would do what was best and relieve their brother. In sending they fully expected their beloved Friend to respond at once and reach Bethany as soon as He could to heal him. While the spark of life remained they counted the days and hours, watched anxiously, prayed, and longed for Him to come and save and comfort them.
Delay and Purpose
Jesus already knew of the sickness and what was taking place in the home before the messenger reached Him, and He could have stopped the power of death from where He was, yet by divine wisdom He gave no immediate response but deliberately remained where He was for two days. His only answer was that the sickness would lead to the glory of God and the glorification of the Son. The sisters' short message carried no added plea or urgent demand for Him to come, for they fully expected their beloved Friend to come at once and heal their brother, trusting He would do what was best.
His waiting and lack of the visible sorrow the disciples expected did not come from lack of interest or love for Lazarus and his family. Jesus loved that family strongly, and the disciples knew it, so they expected Him to show sorrow and to go at once to comfort the afflicted household. Instead He showed no sorrow they looked for and remained silent about Lazarus, and His delay was a mystery that surprised and troubled the disciples and raised the question whether He would forsake His own in trial.
He let Lazarus die so that the death would give undoubted, unmistakable proof of His divine power and Messiahship that He is the Son of God and Saviour of the world. It was to be the last and crowning evidence to the Jews, His crowning miracle and a final test for the nation, in which the Father worked through the Son. By it He would join His disciples to Him in a faith that could not be broken and strengthen their faith in Him as the Saviour. It would answer the doubt that if He were really the Christ He would have saved one He loved, and work to convince all who could be convinced. His raising of Lazarus would lead many to believe and glorify God, with Lazarus himself testifying that Christ was the Son of God, while those who had repeatedly rejected light remained hardened in unbelief and their hatred grew. In Himself He was health and strength, and in His immediate presence disease was always rebuked, because He could not look on suffering without bringing relief nor face disease or death without combating the power of Satan.
As soon as the messenger left, Lazarus grew rapidly worse with increasing fever until death triumphed. The messenger returned without Jesus, bringing only the word that the sickness was not unto death. With hearts full of anguish the sisters saw their brother die, prepared him for burial while anxiously looking for Christ and longing to see Him and hear His words of comfort, laid him in the grave, and then passed two long sorrowful days looking anxiously for Christ to come. While the spark of life remained they had counted the days and hours, watched anxiously, and prayed for Him to come and save their brother.
Raising and Witness
The brief word sent from Bethany opens into the raising of Lazarus, in which Christ's character as Saviour and Lifegiver was demonstrated and His mission as humanity's Pattern fulfilled. The restoration showed His power over death to bring a dead brother back from the grave and fill his sisters with joy. It was convincing proof of His divinity, with the Father working through the Son, and unmistakable evidence of His Messiahship. It became His crowning miracle and a final test for the Jewish nation.
Though his body had seen corruption, Lazarus had no experience of death to recount, because the dead know nothing and their love and hatred have perished. His return to life did not make him immortal, for he remained subject to death and decay. This was unlike the saints raised when Christ rose, who were raised to everlasting life.
By divine wisdom Lazarus was allowed to die and be laid in the tomb before Jesus arrived, so that through his resurrection the last and crowning evidence might be given that Jesus is the Son of God and many might believe and glorify God. The raising had a profound effect and drew a large, enthusiastic crowd to see Jesus. Lazarus himself testified that Christ was the Son of God. Those who had again and again rejected light were not persuaded but stayed hardened in unbelief with growing hatred, and went to tell the priests and rulers to arouse anew jealous hatred.
The account shows Jesus sharing the sorrow of those who mourn, weeping at Lazarus's grave and giving Mary and Martha their brother back and helping them in distress. In Himself He was health and strength, and in His immediate presence disease was always rebuked, because He could not look on suffering without bringing relief and could not face disease or death without combating the power of Satan. He was ever touched by human woe, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf and speech to the dumb, feeding the hungry and comforting the sorrowful, walking upon the waves and silencing them by a word, casting out devils that acknowledged Him to be the Son of God, breaking the slumbers of the dead, and holding thousands entranced by words of wisdom. That life was lived amid persecution and insult, driven from Bethlehem by a jealous king, rejected by His own people at Nazareth, condemned to death without cause at Jerusalem, and at this time with His few faithful followers finding temporary shelter in a strange city, driven from the people He had labored to save because He was unable to reach hearts blinded by prejudice and hatred that resolutely rejected the light.