And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
After giving thanks to the Father, Jesus broke the stillness with a loud, clear and authoritative call for Lazarus to come out, and its power reached into the tomb where he had lain dead four days and begun to decay. At that word he was instantly restored to life and health and full consciousness, and rose and tried to walk though still bound hand and foot with grave-clothes and with a napkin about his face, until he was loosed and set free. It stands as the greatest and crowning miracle, giving compelling and unmistakable proof of His divinity, Sonship, Messiahship and divine mission as sent by the Father. By that command He displayed infinite authority over death, the grave and corruption, and in sympathy restored the buried brother to Mary and Martha as God's gift. Many who saw believed and glorified God, while the priests and rulers who had rejected lesser light were only hardened and plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus, showing that added evidence will not convince those who refuse the light already given.
Call and Tomb Setting
After thanks offered to the Father, the hush was broken by a loud, clear, penetrating, authoritative call, Lazarus, come forth, a voice that reaches the dead. The command was spoken with a loud voice that summoned from the tomb and awakened the dead.
Lazarus had lain four days in the tomb, until decay had begun and human help could do no more, and his body had so changed that friends recoiled from looking on it. Yet at the word life immediately returned, and he was instantly restored to life and health and strength and full consciousness. The life-giving voice called back one dead long enough for the body to decay.
He obeyed at once and rose, though bound hand and foot with grave-clothes and with a napkin about his face. He tried to walk though held back by the winding-sheet, which led to the order to loose him and let him go.
Lazarus of Bethany was among the most steadfast disciples, strong in faith from the first meeting, deep in love, and greatly beloved, and Bethany was where rest had often been found at his house. Christ was bound to that family by peculiarly tender associations, His heart knit to them by a strong bond of affection, and for one of that family this work was wrought, while He blesses all who seek His help and loves all the human family. Six days before the Passover, on the way from Jericho to Jerusalem for the feast, rest was taken in Bethany at a supper where the risen Lazarus sat at the table, with Simon healed of leprosy on one side and Lazarus on the other, while Martha served and Mary listened to every word.
The raising was done in the full light of day before a crowd of many witnesses, and was established as real. Its news spread widely, it drew many to Bethany to see Lazarus and hear Jesus, and it drew a large enthusiastic crowd to where Jesus was staying. It was the greatest, most wonderful, last, most astonishing, and crowning miracle, the crowning manifestation of God's power offered as proof that God sent His Son into the world for the salvation of the human race.
Power and Person Revealed
As He spoke the call, His divinity shone through His humanity, revealing the glory of God in a loud, clear voice that reaches the dead. The raising was done in the full light of day before a crowd of many witnesses, displaying divine power beyond human power. It gave compelling, decisive, unmistakable proof of His divinity, Sonship, Messiahship and divine mission, that the Father sent Him and was revealed through His works, sufficient to convince any mind under reason and enlightened conscience and to overcome prejudice. It was the final and crowning evidence offered to the Jews that God sent His Son to bring salvation. No artifice could explain it away.
By a word of command He displayed infinite power and authority over death, the grave and corruption, summoning the dead forth, breaking the slumbers of the dead, and bringing them from corruption to life and health. A few words brought a dead body back to life, overturning the claim that resurrection was impossible, and its effect could not be undone by denial. This display of divine power terrified His enemies because it threatened their plans and could expose them to danger. It demonstrated His power to do what human effort cannot, giving hope that He can act mightily in answer to prayer.
He wept at the grave, moved by the grief of mourners, and in sympathy restored the buried brother to Mary and Martha and to the family. They received the restored one with joyful thanks as God's gift. It was Mary's beloved and much-loved brother raised from the dead, and the act filled Mary's heart with gratitude to Jesus and helped prompt her costly gift and offering.
The work revealed His character as Savior and Lifegiver whose power to save is for the whole world. In raising Lazarus He knew He would pay the ransom for that life on the cross, with every rescue bringing Him nearer to humiliation and death, and He would taste death for every person. The same One who raised the dead by His word offered Himself on the cross as the last sacrifice for humanity, bearing sin and enduring its judgment. This raising of the dead by mighty power broke Satan's power and hold over the suffering, and those restored glorified God and the display brought glory to God.
His authority over the dead displays the glory and majesty of God and makes Him a sure present help and sure source of help in every time of need.
Witness and Opposition Response
Many who heard and saw the raising believed in Jesus and glorified God, for Lazarus came forth as a living witness testifying that Christ is the Son of God. The miracle was Christ's crowning miracle and crowning manifestation of God's power offered as proof that God sent His Son for salvation, a public demonstration of divine power over death and the grave. Lazarus had been dead four days with his body beginning to decay and change, yet by a life-giving voice he was restored to life and health and strength, and later joined the crowd escorting Jesus toward Jerusalem and guiding the animal He rode. His death and burial before Jesus arrived served God's plan, and the public witness drew many to believe.
The priests and rulers saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears, yet those who had rejected all lesser light and lesser evidence were only enraged by this greater evidence. Their hatred grew deadlier because of the strength of the evidence, filling them with greater malice, hatred, jealousy and murderous intent, so that they watched for every opportunity to destroy Jesus and were already murderers in heart. They determined to rid the world of Jesus and His works, sealed their determination to destroy Him, plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus, tried to distort the facts, spread false reports, and turn people away. Those who reported the miracle to the rulers renewed the Pharisees' hatred and jealousy, and rejection of such mighty evidence is Satanic unbelief that no power in heaven nor upon earth can remove.
Even mighty miracles could not force hearts blinded by prejudice and hatred to accept Him, for they rejected the light despite the evidence of His works. Added evidence piled upon evidence will not convince those who refuse the light already given in Moses and the prophets and in the law, for they harden their hearts against all proof. Lazarus rose from the dead and bore his testimony before them, but they rejected the evidence and steeled their hearts against the evidence of their own eyes and ears, vindicating Christ's words that if men hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. The act gave unquestionable proof sufficient to convince any mind under the control of reason and enlightened conscience, which no artifice could explain away, yet to those under Satanic unbelief it only intensified opposition.
Because the rulers had witnessed Jesus calling Lazarus out of the tomb and knew He had power to bring the dead to life and power over death, they feared He Himself would rise from the dead. They feared another display of that power would expose their plans, defeat their purpose to condemn Him, and put their lives at risk, and during His trial before Herod they feared He would work another miracle. The remembered miracle of raising one dead four days held Pilate back from condemning Jesus without first hearing and examining the charges against Him. The miracle was undeniable and compelling evidence of Messiahship to Nicodemus, who had watched Jesus' life and works with intense interest. Together with healing the sick, controlling satanic agencies, stilling the waters, and walking on the waves, it proved to the disciples that He possessed power over nature, disease, demons, and death, and led them to believe He had power to set up His kingdom, quell opposition, and lift minds to heavenly things when He claimed all power in heaven and earth.
Sealing the priests' determination to rid the world of Jesus and His wonderful works, because those works were fast destroying their own influence with the people, could not stop miracles being done in His name nor the truth He taught from being proclaimed. His death would not end the miracles done in His name, as the later healing in Jesus' name gave convincing proof. News of the crowning miracle and the apostles' preaching excited Jerusalem, showing the doctrine He had taught continued to spread.
Death and Future Resurrection
The call that brought Lazarus from the grave restored him to mortal life, not to immortal life. Like the son of the widow of Nain and the ruler's daughter Jairus' daughter, he remained after his raising subject to death and decay. This differs from those who came forth at Christ's own resurrection, who were raised to everlasting life nevermore to see death or sorrow.
He was raised to bear testimony to Christ's divine power and to declare that Christ was the Son of God, and his life showed that power. Yet he had no experience of death to recount and told nothing of the unseen while dead. This is because the dead know nothing and their love and hatred have perished.
A few words from Christ brought a dead body back to life and overturned the Sadducees' claim that resurrection was impossible. The miracle displayed Christ's power over death. Its effect could not be undone by denying it or by spreading false reports.
Jesus raised the dead by the power of His word, and His life-giving word carries divine power and gives life. That authority to summon the dead from their graves, as when He called Lazarus to come forth, belongs to the same Saviour who prayed for those He came to save. His word remains a source of power and life for His followers to rely on when His visible presence is withdrawn. His voice that called Lazarus from death reached the dying and brought them back to health and vigor.
The calling of Lazarus out of the tomb after he had been dead four days was an example of Christ's power to give the dead life. It demonstrated His power over death and to awaken the dead. It foreshadows the resurrection of the righteous dead. At His return His voice will pierce the tombs, and the dead in Christ will rise to glorious, immortal life to be with the Lord.
Human Cooperation and Application
Christ could have cleared every obstacle by divine power alone, yet He required human hands to roll the stone away before He called, and to loosen the grave bands after Lazarus came forth. Their work did not supply life but prepared the way for His work, while the power to give life belonged to Him alone as Prince of Life. At His command Lazarus obeyed the voice and returned to full consciousness.
The raising illustrates how Christ still calls those spiritually dead in death-like carnal security to live through His life-giving voice. Human faith and willing obedience must do what He asks and help prepare the way for His saving work. His life-giving work is thus joined with human cooperation, with people acting in faith while He alone imparts life.
His power to make the spiritually dead alive is hindered when people resist through doubt and unbelief, and that barrier must be removed by faith before He can work. The raising by a word shows His power to do what human effort cannot, giving hope that He can act mightily in answer to prayer. He performed mighty works during His ministry, and the same Christ works through His servants and is to be trusted still.
After giving thanks to the Father, Jesus broke the stillness with a loud, clear and authoritative call for Lazarus to come out, and its power reached into the tomb where he had lain dead four days and begun to decay. At that word he was instantly restored to life and health and full consciousness, and rose and tried to walk though still bound hand and foot with grave-clothes and with a napkin about his face, until he was loosed and set free. It stands as the greatest and crowning miracle, giving compelling and unmistakable proof of His divinity, Sonship, Messiahship and divine mission as sent by the Father. By that command He displayed infinite authority over death, the grave and corruption, and in sympathy restored the buried brother to Mary and Martha as God's gift. Many who saw believed and glorified God, while the priests and rulers who had rejected lesser light were only hardened and plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus, showing that added evidence will not convince those who refuse the light already given.
Call and Tomb Setting
After thanks offered to the Father, the hush was broken by a loud, clear, penetrating, authoritative call, Lazarus, come forth, a voice that reaches the dead. The command was spoken with a loud voice that summoned from the tomb and awakened the dead.
Lazarus had lain four days in the tomb, until decay had begun and human help could do no more, and his body had so changed that friends recoiled from looking on it. Yet at the word life immediately returned, and he was instantly restored to life and health and strength and full consciousness. The life-giving voice called back one dead long enough for the body to decay.
He obeyed at once and rose, though bound hand and foot with grave-clothes and with a napkin about his face. He tried to walk though held back by the winding-sheet, which led to the order to loose him and let him go.
Lazarus of Bethany was among the most steadfast disciples, strong in faith from the first meeting, deep in love, and greatly beloved, and Bethany was where rest had often been found at his house. Christ was bound to that family by peculiarly tender associations, His heart knit to them by a strong bond of affection, and for one of that family this work was wrought, while He blesses all who seek His help and loves all the human family. Six days before the Passover, on the way from Jericho to Jerusalem for the feast, rest was taken in Bethany at a supper where the risen Lazarus sat at the table, with Simon healed of leprosy on one side and Lazarus on the other, while Martha served and Mary listened to every word.
The raising was done in the full light of day before a crowd of many witnesses, and was established as real. Its news spread widely, it drew many to Bethany to see Lazarus and hear Jesus, and it drew a large enthusiastic crowd to where Jesus was staying. It was the greatest, most wonderful, last, most astonishing, and crowning miracle, the crowning manifestation of God's power offered as proof that God sent His Son into the world for the salvation of the human race.
Power and Person Revealed
As He spoke the call, His divinity shone through His humanity, revealing the glory of God in a loud, clear voice that reaches the dead. The raising was done in the full light of day before a crowd of many witnesses, displaying divine power beyond human power. It gave compelling, decisive, unmistakable proof of His divinity, Sonship, Messiahship and divine mission, that the Father sent Him and was revealed through His works, sufficient to convince any mind under reason and enlightened conscience and to overcome prejudice. It was the final and crowning evidence offered to the Jews that God sent His Son to bring salvation. No artifice could explain it away.
By a word of command He displayed infinite power and authority over death, the grave and corruption, summoning the dead forth, breaking the slumbers of the dead, and bringing them from corruption to life and health. A few words brought a dead body back to life, overturning the claim that resurrection was impossible, and its effect could not be undone by denial. This display of divine power terrified His enemies because it threatened their plans and could expose them to danger. It demonstrated His power to do what human effort cannot, giving hope that He can act mightily in answer to prayer.
He wept at the grave, moved by the grief of mourners, and in sympathy restored the buried brother to Mary and Martha and to the family. They received the restored one with joyful thanks as God's gift. It was Mary's beloved and much-loved brother raised from the dead, and the act filled Mary's heart with gratitude to Jesus and helped prompt her costly gift and offering.
The work revealed His character as Savior and Lifegiver whose power to save is for the whole world. In raising Lazarus He knew He would pay the ransom for that life on the cross, with every rescue bringing Him nearer to humiliation and death, and He would taste death for every person. The same One who raised the dead by His word offered Himself on the cross as the last sacrifice for humanity, bearing sin and enduring its judgment. This raising of the dead by mighty power broke Satan's power and hold over the suffering, and those restored glorified God and the display brought glory to God.
His authority over the dead displays the glory and majesty of God and makes Him a sure present help and sure source of help in every time of need.
Witness and Opposition Response
Many who heard and saw the raising believed in Jesus and glorified God, for Lazarus came forth as a living witness testifying that Christ is the Son of God. The miracle was Christ's crowning miracle and crowning manifestation of God's power offered as proof that God sent His Son for salvation, a public demonstration of divine power over death and the grave. Lazarus had been dead four days with his body beginning to decay and change, yet by a life-giving voice he was restored to life and health and strength, and later joined the crowd escorting Jesus toward Jerusalem and guiding the animal He rode. His death and burial before Jesus arrived served God's plan, and the public witness drew many to believe.
The priests and rulers saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears, yet those who had rejected all lesser light and lesser evidence were only enraged by this greater evidence. Their hatred grew deadlier because of the strength of the evidence, filling them with greater malice, hatred, jealousy and murderous intent, so that they watched for every opportunity to destroy Jesus and were already murderers in heart. They determined to rid the world of Jesus and His works, sealed their determination to destroy Him, plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus, tried to distort the facts, spread false reports, and turn people away. Those who reported the miracle to the rulers renewed the Pharisees' hatred and jealousy, and rejection of such mighty evidence is Satanic unbelief that no power in heaven nor upon earth can remove.
Even mighty miracles could not force hearts blinded by prejudice and hatred to accept Him, for they rejected the light despite the evidence of His works. Added evidence piled upon evidence will not convince those who refuse the light already given in Moses and the prophets and in the law, for they harden their hearts against all proof. Lazarus rose from the dead and bore his testimony before them, but they rejected the evidence and steeled their hearts against the evidence of their own eyes and ears, vindicating Christ's words that if men hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. The act gave unquestionable proof sufficient to convince any mind under the control of reason and enlightened conscience, which no artifice could explain away, yet to those under Satanic unbelief it only intensified opposition.
Because the rulers had witnessed Jesus calling Lazarus out of the tomb and knew He had power to bring the dead to life and power over death, they feared He Himself would rise from the dead. They feared another display of that power would expose their plans, defeat their purpose to condemn Him, and put their lives at risk, and during His trial before Herod they feared He would work another miracle. The remembered miracle of raising one dead four days held Pilate back from condemning Jesus without first hearing and examining the charges against Him. The miracle was undeniable and compelling evidence of Messiahship to Nicodemus, who had watched Jesus' life and works with intense interest. Together with healing the sick, controlling satanic agencies, stilling the waters, and walking on the waves, it proved to the disciples that He possessed power over nature, disease, demons, and death, and led them to believe He had power to set up His kingdom, quell opposition, and lift minds to heavenly things when He claimed all power in heaven and earth.
Sealing the priests' determination to rid the world of Jesus and His wonderful works, because those works were fast destroying their own influence with the people, could not stop miracles being done in His name nor the truth He taught from being proclaimed. His death would not end the miracles done in His name, as the later healing in Jesus' name gave convincing proof. News of the crowning miracle and the apostles' preaching excited Jerusalem, showing the doctrine He had taught continued to spread.
Death and Future Resurrection
The call that brought Lazarus from the grave restored him to mortal life, not to immortal life. Like the son of the widow of Nain and the ruler's daughter Jairus' daughter, he remained after his raising subject to death and decay. This differs from those who came forth at Christ's own resurrection, who were raised to everlasting life nevermore to see death or sorrow.
He was raised to bear testimony to Christ's divine power and to declare that Christ was the Son of God, and his life showed that power. Yet he had no experience of death to recount and told nothing of the unseen while dead. This is because the dead know nothing and their love and hatred have perished.
A few words from Christ brought a dead body back to life and overturned the Sadducees' claim that resurrection was impossible. The miracle displayed Christ's power over death. Its effect could not be undone by denying it or by spreading false reports.
Jesus raised the dead by the power of His word, and His life-giving word carries divine power and gives life. That authority to summon the dead from their graves, as when He called Lazarus to come forth, belongs to the same Saviour who prayed for those He came to save. His word remains a source of power and life for His followers to rely on when His visible presence is withdrawn. His voice that called Lazarus from death reached the dying and brought them back to health and vigor.
The calling of Lazarus out of the tomb after he had been dead four days was an example of Christ's power to give the dead life. It demonstrated His power over death and to awaken the dead. It foreshadows the resurrection of the righteous dead. At His return His voice will pierce the tombs, and the dead in Christ will rise to glorious, immortal life to be with the Lord.
Human Cooperation and Application
Christ could have cleared every obstacle by divine power alone, yet He required human hands to roll the stone away before He called, and to loosen the grave bands after Lazarus came forth. Their work did not supply life but prepared the way for His work, while the power to give life belonged to Him alone as Prince of Life. At His command Lazarus obeyed the voice and returned to full consciousness.
The raising illustrates how Christ still calls those spiritually dead in death-like carnal security to live through His life-giving voice. Human faith and willing obedience must do what He asks and help prepare the way for His saving work. His life-giving work is thus joined with human cooperation, with people acting in faith while He alone imparts life.
His power to make the spiritually dead alive is hindered when people resist through doubt and unbelief, and that barrier must be removed by faith before He can work. The raising by a word shows His power to do what human effort cannot, giving hope that He can act mightily in answer to prayer. He performed mighty works during His ministry, and the same Christ works through His servants and is to be trusted still.