1.
The Shepherd leaving 99 sheep to find
the one that went astray. Luke 15:4-6
2.
The woman who searches for the lost
coin and rejoices when it is found. Luke 15:8-9
Luke 15:10 “Likewise I say to you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
20 "And he arose and came to his father. But
when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell
on his neck and kissed him.
21 "And the son said to him, ‘Father, I
have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your
son.’
23b-verse 24 “let
us eat and be merry;
24 ‘for this my son was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Contrasted with the Pharisees (the separated ones) who held sinners in contempt and looked down on them. In order to fully understand this burden for lost souls, we need to know what / who it is to which they are lost. This burden for the lost is highlighted when considering eternal life in Christ compared to the second death – Hell. For that reason Jesus speaks to an alleged sign of God’s approval – worldly wealth.
Example:
Sadie Mae Glutz of the Manson family – a demon-possessed murderer, fornicator guilty
of gross sexual perversion and a drug addict.
The saved, born-again daughter of Almighty God, Susan
Denise Atkins –
truly a lost lamb that Jesus found & transformed into His holy saint.
This story (not identified by Jesus as a parable) gives us an insight into hell unlike anywhere else in Scripture.
19
"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared
sumptuously every day.
20 "But there was a certain beggar named
Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21 "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which
fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 "So it was that the beggar died, and was
carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up
his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 "Then he cried and said, ‘Father
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water
and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
25 "But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that
in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now
he is comforted and you are tormented.
26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you
there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor
can those from there pass to us.’
27 "Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore,
father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
28 ‘for I have five brothers, that he may
testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
29 "Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses
and the prophets; let them hear them.’
30 "And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but
if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31 "But he said to him, ‘If they do not
hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the
dead.’"
Strong’s
07585 sheoul sheh-ole’ or lav sh@ol sheh-ole’
AV-grave 31,
hell 31, pit 3; 65
1) sheol,
underworld, grave, hell, pit
1a) the
underworld, Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead
1b1) place
of no return, 1b2) without praise of God , 1b3) wicked sent there for punishment, 1b4)
righteous not abandoned to it , 1b5) of the place of exile (fig), 1b6) of extreme
degradation in sin
Hades is Greek and was a pagan concept of a nether world. There was no other word similar in meaning to the Hebrew Sheoul.
Sample
Scripture: Isaiah 5:14 “Therefore
hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure:
and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoices, shall descend
into it.”
Speaking of
Satan: Isaiah 14:15 Yet you shall be
brought down to
hell, to the sides of the Pit.
Ø
Genesis 35:20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her
grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s
grave unto this day.
Ø
Spoken of Josiah, righteous king of
Judah.
2 Chronicles 34:28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and
thou shalt be gathered to thy
grave in peace,…”
a.
06913 qeber keh’-ber
AV-grave 35, sepulchre 25, buryingplace 6; 67 1) grave, sepulchre, tomb
b. 06605
pathach
paw-thakh’
AV-open 107, loose 13, grave 7, wide 3, engrave 2,
put off 2, out 2,
appear 1, drawn 1, break forth 1, set forth 1, misc
4; 144
1)to open 1a) (Qal) to open 1b) (Niphal) to be
opened, be let
loose, be thrown open
1c) (Piel) 1c1) to free 1c2) to loosen
1c3) to open, open oneself 1d) (Hithpael) to loose
oneself
2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but
cast them down to
hell, and delivered them into chains of
darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5020 tartarow tartaroo tar-tar-o’-o from
Tartaros (the deepest abyss of Hell); AV-cast down to hell 1; 1 the name of the subterranean region, doleful and
dark, regarded by the ancient Greeks as the abode of the wicked dead, where they suffer
punishment for their evil deeds; it answers to Gehenna of the Jews
to thrust
down to Tartarus, to hold captive in Tartarus
Gehenna (originally Ge bene Hinnom; i.e., "the valley of the sons of Hinnom"), a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem, where the idolatrous Jews offered their children in sacrifice to Molech #2Ch 28:3 33:6 #Jer 7:31 19:2-6 This valley afterwards became the common receptacle for all the refuse of the city. Here the dead bodies of animals and of criminals, and all kinds of filth, were cast and consumed by fire kept always burning. It thus in process of time became the image of the place of everlasting destruction. In this sense it is used by our Lord in #Mt 5:22,29,30 10:28 18:9 23:15,33 #Mr 9:43,45,47 Lu 12:5 In these passages, and also in #Jas 3:6 the word is uniformly rendered "hell, " the Revised Version placing "Gehenna" in the margin.
Sheoul will go into the
Lake of Fire when Jesus returns
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death.
7 “But the heavens and the earth which are now
preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition
of ungodly men.”
10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief
in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements
will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned
up.”
Rev
22:14-15 "
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of
life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
But
outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and
whoever loves and practices a lie.”
The Jews
believe there are three gates of hell:
1.
Jerusalem
Isa 31:9 “9 He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear,
And his princes shall be afraid of the banner," Says the LORD, Whose fire is in Zion
And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.”
2.
The floor of the sea
Jonah 2:2 “And said, I
cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of
hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.” KJV
3.
The desert
“Now it came to pass, as he
finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them
up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and
all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they
perished from among the congregation.” NKJV
The Resurrection and the Life
(John 11:1-53)
Introduction
Liberal
scholars make much of this fact, citing the absence of this miracle in the synoptic
gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) as evidence that there really was no such miracle at all.
Shepard summarizes the orthodox position when he writes, “There is no real ground for
questioning the literal exactness of the evangelical record. The objection raised, that
this miracle is not mentioned by the synoptic gospels, is offset by the fact that neither
did John mention the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9:22,26) nor that of the
widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:11-17). The fact is, John gives special emphasis in his
gospel to the ministry of Jerusalem and Judea, while the Synoptics emphasize more the
Galilean ministry. Furthermore, the dramatic vividness of details, the remarkable
delineation of personalities, and the numerous minute touches in the historic record,
leave no room for doubt, that an eye witness wrote it. He made use of it to show forth the
divine personality of the Saviour. This sign is tied up indissolubly with the whole
argument of the fourth gospel. He who questions it will also doubt the divinity of Jesus
and His resurrection from the dead.” J. W. Shepard, The Christ of the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1939), p. 432.
John 11:1-7
11:1 Now a certain man was
sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary
who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother
Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he
whom You love is sick." 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not
unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through
it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he
was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. NKJV
Verse 2 is called a “prolepsis” – a rhetorical figure consisting in the anticipation of a future event. From the Synoptics Christians of John’s day already knew about Martha & Mary from Luke 10:38-42. Therefore John’s reference in John 11:2 to Mary’s anointing of Jesus in John 12:2 is clearly understandable.
From the
last verses of John chapter 10, we would conclude that Jesus was in Perea, approximately
20 miles from the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus when word reached the Master that
Lazarus was gravely ill (John 11:3). As we piece together the details of the account it
would seem that even at the time word reached the Savior Lazarus had already passed away.
In the urgent message sent to the Master, there was evident a confidence and faith in
Him as both Savior and Friend. He was simply informed of the situation. No
suggestion was made as to the course of action He should take. They knew Jesus would
do what was best. (Much different attitude than some of us have in our prayers).
What Jesus
actually did was a complete surprise, for we would have expected Him to heal (or raise)
Lazarus from a distance (cp. Matthew 8:5-13). At the very least, we would have expected
Him to immediately go to Bethany. But instead He purposed to stay where He was for two
days (verse 6). The disciples would hardly question the decision of Jesus, assuming it a
matter of common sense. Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem (verse 13), and the Jews
had already attempted to put Jesus to death there (John 8:59; 10:39).
However concern for personal safety was
not the issue at all to Jesus. The reason for our Lord’s delay was due to the divine
purpose for Lazarus’ death.
“But when Jesus heard it, He said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified in it.’” (John 11:4).
The
immediate outcome of God’s will for Lazarus was for him to die (verse 14), but the
ultimate goal was for him to live (verse 23). It is for this reason that the Master spoke
of his temporary condition of death as sleep, for he would soon be awakened.
God’s
purpose in the death of Lazarus was to glorify His Son (verse 4). Although there were
other times that Jesus raised men from the dead, this was done after Lazarus had been dead
for four days. While others had been raised from death in more out of the way places (cf.
Matthew 9:22-26; Luke 7:11-17), this took place at the very heart of Judea, only two miles
from Jerusalem. This was the high-water mark of the miracles of our Lord. In the raising
of Lazarus, Jesus was shown to be the ‘resurrection and the life’ (verse 25). No
greater evidence of His person can be found in all of the Gospel accounts.
How can
man’s death be for the glory of God?
Ø
First of all, death reveals God to be
holy and just, a God Who cannot overlook sin, but Who must punish sin. He is a God Who
deals decisively with sin. Centuries ago God told Adam concerning the forbidden fruit,
“But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die”.
(Genesis 2:17).
Paul wrote,
‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). Contrary to popular opinion, death
does not make God look bad. It shows how offensive sin is in God’s sight. It reveals
God’s holiness and justice in dealing with it so severely. The fact that every man
will die reveals that God is absolutely consistent and unwavering in His judgment on sin.
Ø
Second, death brings glory to God in
that it is the ‘last enemy’ over which our Lord Jesus Christ will prevail, and
in so doing He will manifest Himself as Lord of all (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28).
Ø
Third, I would suggest that death is
designed to bring glory to God through the victorious testimony of His saints in the face
of death. The world dreads and avoids every suggestion of it. Psalm
116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is
the death of his saints. The Christian does not delight in it, for it is an ugly
reminder of sin, but he does not dread it. Instead, he considers it a defeated enemy.
Death to the Christian is a necessary step in entering into the presence of the living God
(cf. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; Philippians 1:19-24; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8). Matt 16:25 “For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it.
Ø
a reference to the choice Paul probably
had:
b. Acts 14:19-20 “Then
Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned
Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead."
c.
Phil 1:22b-24 “But if I live on in the flesh, this will
mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed
between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you."
Those who
stand solidly on the truth of the sovereignty of God sometimes tend to depreciate the love
of God. Those who emphasize the Love of God tend to de-emphasize His Holiness and
uncompromising Righteousness.
John 11:7-14
7 Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." 12 Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. NKJV
The real
concern of the disciples was not distress over the death of Lazarus (for they did not
yet comprehend that he had died (verse 13), but over the possibility, better yet, the
probability, of their own if they went with Jesus into Judea. After the two days had
passed, Jesus announced to His disciples that they
were going to Judea. To them, this was suicide (verse 8). At this point of fear for the
future over what seemed certain death, Jesus laid down another principle for Christians
of any generation concerning danger in the service of the Master:
“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him’” (John 11:9-10).
Jesus had
already been shown to be the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). If the light of the
world is in us (as He surely is when we are engaged in His service), then there is no
danger of harm or injury outside of God’s will. Men only stumble in the absence of
the light. The disciples need not fear physical harm for the light of the world is with
them. The principle then boils down to this: “THERE IS NO PERIL IN THE PERFORMANCE OF
GOD-GIVEN DUTY, ONLY IN ITS NEGLECT.”
Our Lord
Jesus went on to explain to His disciples that Lazarus was physically dead, and that this
death was, in part, for the strengthening of their own faith.
John 11:15-16
15 And I am glad for your
sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." 16
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go,
that we may die with Him."
NKJV
The
disciples did not fully comprehend what our Lord had said, but as
Thomas expressed as their
spokesman, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (John 11:16). Whenever we
hear the name of the Apostle Thomas, we think of his doubting the Resurrection of our
Lord. We should remember his words here as well. Thomas, speaking for the Apostles,
clearly indicates that
They
would rather die with Him than live without Him. These men were not so much afraid to die
for the Savior as they were uncertain as to how they could live for Him. The fact that
Thomas served as spokesman may indicate that Peter was not present with them at the time.
John 11:17-37
17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."
28 And when she had said
these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The
Teacher has come and is calling for you." 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose
quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place
where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her,
when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is
going to the tomb to weep there." 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw
Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my
brother would not have died." 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw
her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was
troubled. 34
And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and
see."
35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews
said, "See how He loved him!" 37 And some of them said, "Could not this
Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" NKJV
(1) Comfort in the
presence of Jesus. More than any other factor, it was the absence of Jesus at the time of
the death of Lazarus which plagued Mary and Martha. No doubt, the thought expressed by
both sisters to our Lord had been repeated to each other often during the absence of the
Master: “Lord, if only you had been here …” (John 11:21,32).
The mere
presence of Jesus was sufficient to calm the troubled hearts of these two who grieved over
the death of their brother, Lazarus. It was in His physical presence that He
manifested His deep concern and sympathy over the suffering of those who are His own.
Jesus wept (verse 35) and was deeply moved in His spirit (verses 33, 38). When our
Lord was deeply moved with the pains and sorrows of His children, it was not merely as
man, but as God. Compassion is a divine attribute, more so than a human one. God is
deeply touched with our sufferings. It was not the ugliness of sin which brought our Lord
to tears, nor was it the awareness of His coming death or the hypocrisy of those who stood
by, rather Jesus was deeply moved by the sorrow of those He loved (cf. verse 33).
(2Cor 7:10
on Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow)
This brings
us to the basis of comfort in the presence of death, and that is the promise of our Lord
when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life;
For us, this
promise is forever guaranteed when our Lord Himself rose triumphant from the grave. If
death & the grave could not hold Jesus, neither can it stand between Him and us. Our
hope of life beyond the grave is grounded on His promise, and His promise is certain
because of His power over death and the grave (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12ff.).
“The
four days had been sad and trying ones for the bereaved sisters. They had probably fasted
the day of burial and had eaten nothing since (as was customary) but an occasional egg or
some lentils. The funeral procession had probably been very depressing with its dirge of
music and the friends in mourning, who ‘wept as those who had no hope.’ These
were followed in the procession by the two sisters, neighbors, and relatives. At the tomb
the men had chanted the ninetieth Psalm and circled the bier seven times. How they wished
for their great Friend, Jesus, in those weary dragging hours, and cast many an anxious
look down the Jericho road. In their desolate home they sat on the floor heavily veiled,
with unsandalled feet, surrounded by the mourning friends, with their rent clothes and
dust-covered heads.” J. W. Shepard, The Christ
of the Gospels, p. 436. The Jews believed that the spirit of the dead stayed near the
corpse for three days and departed in the 4th day.
John 11:38-44
38 Then Jesus, again
groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus
said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to
Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." 40
Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the
glory of God?"
According
to the Talmud, it was forbidden to open a grave after the stone was placed upon it.
Besides other dangers, they were apprehensive of legal impurity by contact with the dead.
Hence they avoided coming nearer a grave than six feet.” Brown, The Four Gospels, p. 419.
41 Then they took away the
stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,
"Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me,
but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You
sent Me." 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" 44 And he who had died came
out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus
said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."
The loud
voice of Jesus at the grave of Lazarus is in contrast to the whisperings and mutterings of
the magical healers (cf. Isaiah 8:19 “And when they shall say to
you, Seek to the mediums and to wizards who peep and mutter; should not a people seek to
their God, than for the living to the dead?). Also, we should take note that if
Jesus had not specified Lazarus as the one who should come forth, every corpse within the
sound of His voice should have come forth from their graves. No one ever died in
Jesus’ presence. If there was a dead man that Jesus comes upon, that dead man will
rise.
Rev 1:17-18
"I am the First and the
Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And
I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” NKJV
The most
amazing feature of this miracle is its brevity and simplicity. Nowhere is there to be
found any of the embellishments of other spurious writings from this age. Jesus simply
ordered the stone to be removed, and with a loud voice, ordered Lazarus to come forth.
Even after four days in the tomb, when all hope of recovery was gone, Lazarus came forth.
This miracle
was performed as a sign. Our Lord’s prayer was primarily for the benefit of those who
stood by. What was important was the response of men to the miracle which had taken place.
Culmination in the Condemnation of
Christ to Death
(11:45-53)
For some,
yes many, of the Jews, this miracle compelled them to acknowledge Jesus to be their
Messiah, just as Martha had previously affirmed (verse 45, cf. vs. 27). The raising of
Lazarus was a sign that, to them, could not be ignored. As a result, many came to faith in
Christ.
To those who
chose to disbelieve, this miracle was not a matter which could be ignored either. When
word quickly reached the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem (verse 46), they called a meeting of
the Sanhedrin to decide what should be done. They had to acknowledge it was a miracle.
They even granted that it was a sign (verse 47). But they stubbornly refused to come to
the conclusion this sign demanded. Although they refused to believe, the masses seemed to
be turning to Him as Messiah.
John 11:45-53
45 Then many of the Jews who
had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 46 But some of them
went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 47 Then the chief priests
and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this Man works
many signs. 48 If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and
the Romans will come and take
away both our place and nation." 49 And one of them,
Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, 50 nor
do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and
not that the whole nation should perish." 51 Now this he did not say on his own
authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the
nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the
children of God who were scattered abroad. 53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put
Him to death.
If there
was ever any doubt as to the real reason why the Jewish leaders refused to acknowledge
Jesus as the Messiah, verse 48 spells it out in the clearest terms: “If we let Him go
on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our
place and our nation.” Money and power, these were what the Jewish leaders refused to
cast at the feet of Jesus. His kingdom was not the kind for which they had hoped. They
desired their own position in the present regime far more than what He seemed to offer
them. They, as do all who are part of ‘the establishment,’ want the status quo.
They had power, influence, prestige. More than this, they had wealth. If Jesus were
heralded as Israel’s king, the Romans might view this as treason. The Jewish leaders
would be held accountable, and the whole establishment would be snatched from their hands.
This was too high a price for them to pay.
What all of
the Sanhedrin council members had been secretly thinking was now boldly expressed by
Caiaphas, the Sadducee who was the high priest: “You know nothing at all, nor do you
take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and
that the whole nation should not perish” (John 11:49b, 50).
But by
virtue of his official position as high priest, his words were meant to convey a much
deeper meaning. They were really a prophesy of the sacrificial death of Christ for the
sins of the world (verses 51,52). Even as the Old Testament prophets had foretold, God was
going to send His Messiah so that through His substitutionary death, men might be
reconciled to Himself.
Conclusion
Historical Interpretation
Historically,
so far as John’s gospel is concerned, the raising of Lazarus is the high point of our
Lord’s self-disclosure to men. This is without a doubt the greatest miracle of His
ministry. Humanly speaking, there was no hope of recovery, and yet at the point of
absolute helplessness and hopelessness, Jesus gave life to the dead. The spiritual parallel is
obvious, for all men are ‘dead in their trespasses and sins’ (Ephesians 2:1-3).
When we reach the point of utter despair and self-distrust we find that what we can never
do to merit eternal life God has provided as a free gift (Romans 3:20-25; Ephesians
2:8-10). Remember this the next time you pray for an unsaved friend or
relative. Your answer to prayer will be evident externally by the unsaved person’s
life getting darker and worse before the light of dawn.
Jesus’ salvation.
Rev 22:16 “I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you
these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the
bright and morning star.
(Explain
Venus arising in the 4th watch around 4pm lighting up the middle east as though
daylight. When the morning star goes down, the darkness is increased greatly before the
dawn.)
As this
miracle is the high point of Jesus self-revelation as the Messiah, the Son of God, so it
is also the high water mark of human resistance and rejection of the person of Christ. In
the face of the most irrefutable evidence the Jewish leaders chose to set aside the
evidence for the sake of expedience and to sentence Jesus to death. Once again, the
rejection of men was not based upon a lack of evidence, but upon moral decay and
willful rejection of the truth. Our Lord was not taken by surprise, for He said in
the gospel of Luke, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will
they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31)
.
This miracle
also anticipated the coming death of the Lord Jesus and guaranteed the fact that He would
rise from the dead, as He informed His disciples (cf. Matthew 16:21; 20:18-19). If Jesus had power over death and
the grave, then surely death could not hold Him in the grave.
THREE EXAMPLES OF
JESUS’ RAISING THE DEAD
SON OF THE WIDOW OF NAIN Luke 7:11-16
RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE’S DAUGHTER
. Mark 5:35-43
LAZARUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD JOHN 11: 21-45
Four other Situations
where the dead were raised miraculously:
1 Kings 17:20
Elijah
2 Kings 4:32
Elisha
Acts 9: 37-40
Peter
Acts 20: 9-12
Paul
(Only
other Scipture references to raising the dead – Elijah once 2Kings 17:22-23
Elisha once 2Kings 4:32-36 and once
restoring to life 2Kings 8:10-14 similar to Jesus restoring the son of the Ruler of the
Synagogue: Mark 5:35-43 Elisha had prayed for a double portion of God’s Spirit –
2Kings 2:9 which God answered.)
1st Anointing
by Mary:
John 11:1-2
11:1 Now a
certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It
was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair,
whose brother Lazarus was sick.
12:1 Then,
six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had
been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha
served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a
pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with
her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then one of His
disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, 5 Why was this
fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" 6 This he
said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box;
and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has
kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me
you do not have always."
2nd Anointing
6 And when
Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman
came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she
poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it,
they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been
sold for much and given to the poor." 10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to
them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11
For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring
this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13
Assuredly, I say to you,
wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be
told as a memorial to her."
also
Mark 14:1-9
14:1 After
two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests
and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 But
they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."
3 And being in
Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came
having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and
poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves,
and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more
than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply. 6
But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for
Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good;
but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to
anoint My body for burial. 9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in
the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."
Another
separate Anointing in tears and oil.
36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he said, "Teacher, say it." 41 There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."
44 Then He
turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house;
you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them
with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss
My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman
has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are
many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves
little." 48 And He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 And those who
sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives
sins?" 50 Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in
peace."