John 11:42, commentary and pictures

Jesus prayed with uplifted eyes after the stone was removed and the decayed body of four days was exposed, then with a loud command called Lazarus to life and health before many witnesses in daylight. He already knew the Father always heard Him, and He spoke aloud not from doubt or to persuade the Father but for the sake of the bystanders, so they would believe the Father had sent Him and recognize the miracle as proof of His divine mission. The raising was His last and crowning miracle, permitted after death and burial to display God's majesty and power and to give clear public proof that He is the Son of God, united with the Father. Many who saw it believed and glorified God, yet those determined to resist truth were only hardened by it, with the rulers refusing to confess though convinced, opposing Him more bitterly and even seeking to kill Lazarus. As the mighty Lifegiver He restores the dead by His word, His intercession is always heard so that all who come to Him are saved completely, and He still waits for people in faith to do what they can, as removing the stone and unbinding Lazarus, before He does what only He can do.

Setting at the Tomb

With eyes lifted up, the prayer was offered after the stone had been taken away and the decayed body laid open to view, while friends pressed around in curiosity and awe. It was spoken at the tomb in the midst of the raising of Lazarus, with people gathered close and standing by. In it thanks was given for being heard, with the assurance of being always heard, declared aloud not for personal need but so the bystanders might believe in the sending by the Father. A hush followed the prayer until it was broken by the loud call for Lazarus to come out, which at once gave life to the form that decay had changed.

Lazarus had lain dead four days and his body had begun to decay, yet by a word he was called from the grave to life and health. The miracle had been planned by God to occur after death and burial had taken place. It was performed in daylight before many witnesses.

Meaning of the Prayer

Jesus knew with certainty that the Father always heard Him. That constant hearing underlies His confidence that His intercession prevails.
He spoke the prayer aloud not for His own sake, not from any doubt, and not because He needed to establish or persuade the Father to hear Him. He said it aloud for the sake of the people standing by, gathered near the tomb, so that those present would believe that the Father had sent Him. His open thanksgiving that the Father had heard Him declared that unbroken communion before the bystanders.

He was always careful to make His dependence evident, co-operating with the Father in all He did and never working independently, but working His miracles by faith and prayer. His words at the grave made clear His relationship with God and showed that His claim to be God's Son was not a deception. Spoken for the bystanders, the aloud prayer prepared them to recognize the raising of Lazarus as evidence of His divine mission and as a sign of that mission.

Evidence of Divine Mission

The raising of Lazarus was Christ's last and crowning miracle and the crowning evidence of His divinity. It was given to the Jewish people and nation as wonderful light and wonderful evidence of God's majesty, power and truth, with Lazarus dead four days yet raised and bearing his testimony before them. The miracle had a powerful effect on people's minds and drew a large, enthusiastic multitude to see Jesus. Lazarus' death was permitted so that his resurrection would provide the Jews with this crowning evidence that Jesus was the Son of God.

It was performed in daylight before many witnesses, displaying divine power and giving clear, public proof that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus spoke aloud so the people standing nearby would believe that the Father had sent Him, and His words together with the miracle were meant to lead those present to believe in His divine mission. This work reveals the Father through Christ and gives convincing evidence that the Father and the Son are united.

Lazarus coming forth from the tomb testified to the mighty power of Jesus of Nazareth. The evidence was great enough to banish all prejudice even in the most unbelieving, able to convince a mind guided by reason and conscience. The mighty work served as undeniable evidence of Jesus' Messiahship to Nicodemus, and the raising after four days in the grave was evidence of Christ's Messiahship and authority through a deed that those present witnessed, though the religious leaders did not accept it.

Responses to the Evidence

The prayer was answered in the very purpose for which it was spoken aloud, for many who stood by were led to believe in Jesus and God was glorified. To the sisters the raising brought unspeakable joy as Christ's power over death was displayed before them. The crowning miracle made a powerful impression on minds and drew a large, enthusiastic multitude to see Jesus.

Yet those who had repeatedly rejected truth and earlier light remained hardened in unbelief despite evidence able to convince a mind guided by reason and conscience. Instead of yielding, they responded with greater hatred and bitterest opposition. They stirred up Jesus' enemies against Him. Their resistance went so far that they even sought to kill Lazarus, the living witness who had returned from the dead and bore his testimony before them.

The priests, rulers and Jewish leaders had witnessed clear proof of divine power, majesty and truth in a man dead four days called forth in daylight before many witnesses. Some among the rulers were already convinced of the Saviour's divinity, and the deed was great enough to banish all prejudice even in the most unbelieving. They nevertheless would not humble themselves to confess they were in error, but filled their hearts with opposition, maddened because Christ had done something they could not refute. In stubbornness, self-exaltation and proud boasting they rejected Him despite this evidence of His power, salvation, Messiahship and authority, sought to mislead the people, and did not recognize God in Christ.

The public testimony to Christ's divine power and identity as the Son of God thus became a final test for the Jewish nation. Their refusal illustrates how the first step in resistance to light leads to the second and third, until no light however strong and no evidence however plain has any effect. The same truth that softens the contrite heart only hardens the heart determined to resist. In this their course vindicated the declaration that if men hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. The law and the prophets are God's appointed agencies for salvation, and piling evidence upon evidence, even the testimony of a witness raised from the dead, will not convince or lead to repentance those who refuse to listen to the voice of God in His Word.

Christ the Lifegiver

Jesus stands at the grave as the mighty Lifegiver whose command gives life to the dead. He breaks the slumbers of the dead, ever touched by human woe. There His character as Saviour and Lifegiver was demonstrated.

His tears at the tomb reveal sympathy for mourners, and the raising reveals His power to restore the dead. He remains a compassionate helper to mothers in their distress.

The raising of Lazarus was a raising back to mortal life, not to immortality. Like the son of the widow of Nain and Jairus' daughter raised during His ministry, Lazarus after being raised continued 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 never more to see death or sorrow.

Raising the dead was His fulfilling His mission as the Pattern Man. He did so just as certainly as when He toiled as a carpenter hiding the great secret of His divine mission, as when He trod the foaming white-capped billows on the Sea of Galilee, and as when He died as man's sacrifice on the cross to lift the whole race to a new and perfect life.

Intercession and Human Cooperation

The Father always hears Christ, and His intercession for Peter when Peter was in danger of falling was heard. He is mighty to save, and He saves completely all who come to Him. This assures believers that their prayers are joined with Christ's intercession, whose voice the Father hears. Christ is the great Intercessor, foreshadowed by Moses, whose earnest plea for God's presence in his work was heard and granted.

Christ's words and miracle at the raising of Lazarus were meant to lead those present to believe in His divine mission, while as the mighty Lifegiver His power raised Lazarus and human faith and obedience prepared the way for His work. In that miracle Jesus performed His life-giving work after people removed the stone and later unwrapped Lazarus, showing that He calls for human faith and action as people prepare the way while His command gives life to the dead. His divine power works alongside human cooperation, for people must act in faith by removing the stone and later unbinding Lazarus, while Christ gives life by His command. Christ may require people to do what they can before He does what only He can do.

Jesus stood ready to bring Lazarus back to life but waited for the people to roll away the stone. His life-giving power was ready to act, while human unbelief and resistance hindered the work. The people had to remove the stone before He performed the miracle.