John 11:39, commentary and pictures

Jesus ordered the heavy stone rolled away from the rock cave where Lazarus lay buried four days and already decaying, and Martha protested because she thought He only wanted to look upon the decomposing body. The command opened His greatest and crowning miracle, giving clear proof by a word calling the dead to life and health that He is the Son of God with power over death. He had delayed coming by divine plan so the resurrection in daylight before many witnesses would be undeniable, and while many believed and glorified God, the priests and rulers hardened their hearts and grew more determined to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. Though He could have removed the stone by a word, He as one of the weakest required human hands to do what they could before divine power would complete the work, and He still works only when the helpless show faith by works and prepare the way by submitting the will to Him. The stone stands for unbelief, doubts and insistence on one's own plans that bars His way until put away by obedience, and the same cooperation is required to reach those bound in deathlike carnal slumber that they may hear the life-giving voice and live.

Tomb, Delay, Objection

The tomb was a cave cut in rock, closed by a massive stone, and at command the stone was rolled away openly and deliberately while the cold and silent body lay in its rocky grave before surprised and expectant mourners, so all were given opportunity to see that no deception was practiced. The one who lay there was Lazarus of Bethany, among the most steadfast of the disciples, strong in faith from the first meeting and deep in love, greatly beloved and bound by peculiarly tender affection in a household knit by a strong bond of love. It was at the house at Bethany that rest was often found.

By this time Lazarus had been dead and buried four days, and corruption and decay of the body had already begun its work. Martha objected to opening the grave because she thought only a wish to look upon the dead was expressed, and she was unwilling for the decomposing body to be brought to view. Her objection that the body had begun to decay made the witnesses fear the sight of decay. He was afterward restored to life and health and strength by a word, and came forth alive and strong, even joining the crowd escorting to Jerusalem.

Her word that it was too late shows the human heart slow to understand, with faith failing to grasp the true meaning of the promise, with limited vision and dread of decay. It was unbelief reasoning against His requirements, saying the case was beyond help. To this came the gentle answer that if she would believe she should see the glory of God, that she should not doubt His power but take Him at His word. Obedience in removing the stone was still required before the work was done, with human hands to do what they could before divine power completed it.

The four days and the expected decomposing confirm the reality of death and leave no room to claim the raising was a deception. The raising took place in full daylight before a crowd of witnesses. Thus displayed, the act gave clear and unquestionable proof of divine power.

Divine Power and Witness

This was the greatest of Christ's miracles, His most wonderful work, His last and crowning miracle, and it had a powerful effect on minds and drew a large enthusiastic multitude. It was performed for Lazarus of Bethany after he had been dead four days. It drew that multitude to where Jesus was staying and stirred enthusiastic interest.

The act displayed divine power and majesty, power and truth, and gave clear and unquestionable proof that Jesus was the Son of God with power over death. It revealed the Father as Saviour and Lifegiver. By a word He called Lazarus back to life and health and strength, even though the body had already begun to decay. The raising took place in full daylight before a crowd of witnesses.

Lazarus was allowed to die and be laid in the tomb before Jesus arrived, and the delay was by divine wisdom and plan. He could not witness suffering without bringing relief, yet the death was permitted so that the resurrection would provide crowning evidence to the Jews that Jesus was the Son of God. In this way the resurrection became the crowning evidence of Christ's divinity given to the Jewish people.

The raising led many to believe in Jesus and glorify God. Lazarus came forth from the tomb to testify to Him, a living witness to His divine power and a convincing proof of His divinity. He was restored alive and strong, and was later seen alive and strong when he joined the crowd escorting Jesus to Jerusalem. His restored life stood as a witness to Jesus' power to raise the dead.

Though the evidence was wonderful enough to banish all prejudice even in the most unbelieving, and rulers already convinced of the Saviour's divinity witnessed His power and authority, the priests, elders, rulers and Pharisees refused in stubbornness, self-exaltation and proud boasting to humble themselves and confess they were in error. They hardened their hearts against all light, met the miracle with the bitterest opposition, were maddened because Christ had done something they could not possibly refute, and grew more determined to kill Him. They rejected this convincing proof and sought to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus. Others remained hardened in unbelief, and that power over death did not overcome the prejudice and hatred of those who resolutely rejected Him.

This rejection proves that resistance to light hardens the heart until no light however strong and no evidence however plain has any effect. It vindicated Christ's warning that those who do not hear Moses and the prophets will not be persuaded though one rose from the dead, proving that piling evidence upon evidence will not convince those who refuse God's Word, and that the law and the prophets are God's appointed agencies for salvation. The raising gave Nicodemus undeniable evidence that Jesus was the Messiah.

The raising was a return to mortal life, not a clothing with immortality. Like the son of the widow of Nain and the ruler's daughter — Jairus's daughter — Lazarus after being raised was still subject to death and decay. This is different from those who came forth from the grave at Christ's own resurrection, who were raised to everlasting life to be with Him where He is, nevermore to see death or experience sorrow. Lazarus had no experience of death to recount and no story to report from death, because the dead know nothing; once restored he bore witness to Christ's divine power and declared Him the Son of God.

The account shows Christ's power to raise the dead and points forward to His return, when His voice will awaken the dead in Christ to glorious, immortal life, and they will be with the Lord forever. The scene also shows Jesus' sympathy for the bereaved, weeping at Lazarus's grave, bringing comfort to those who mourn and restoring the buried brother to Mary and Martha. In raising Lazarus He knew He would pay the ransom for that life on the cross, and every rescue brought Him nearer to humiliation and death. He wept because His power to save the whole world could not save everyone whom death had brought under Satan's power, but His ransom was for all who would return to loyalty to God. Raising the dead fulfilled His mission as the Pattern Man just as certainly as toiling as a carpenter at Nazareth while hiding His divine mission, as walking on the foaming waves of the Sea of Galilee, and as dying on the cross as man's sacrifice to lift the whole race to a new and perfect life.

Human Cooperation Required

Though He could have removed the stone by a word and could bid mountains depart and hills remove, He stood before the sepulcher as one of the weakest and commanded human hands to do what they could before divine power completed the work. He could have moved it by miracle, yet He called for human action as an act of faith and cooperation before He raised Lazarus. The command to take away the stone must be obeyed before He will work and command death to give up its captive. He will not exhibit His power unless the feeblest, most helpless and afflicted show their interest and faith by their works and thus prepare the way, by submitting the will to His will and letting Him help in His own way. Only when man has done all that is required is the way prepared, and on the same conditions He still works.

The stone still bars the way to His work until it is put away by obedience and faith, for the stone represents the stone of unbelief. That unbelief includes doubts and jealousies and insistence on one's own plans, which hinder Him from making the spiritually dead alive. Much is for human hands and human faith to do before those bound in deathlike slumber in carnal security are reached by the life-giving voice of the Son of God. Those who hear shall live, once His followers yield and act in faith and prepare the way for Him to awaken the spiritually dead and bring people to life.

Cooperation did not end with rolling away the stone, for after He called Lazarus from death the disciples helped free him from his burial cloths.