John 11:36-44 New International Version
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Come out of the Grave: Stepping into Resurrection Life
John 11: 36-44
To understand resurrection, we have to understand what death means.
Before this part of the passage, we see Jesus cried when he saw where Lazarus had been buried Jesus knew at this time he was dead.
John 11:34-35 ESV
[34] And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” [35] Jesus wept.
In fact, we see he was moved by others who were grieving
John 11:33 ESV
[33] When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.
And yet, we see a confidence in Jesus that he can raise him.
John 11:21-23 ESV
[21] 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 from God, God will give you.” [23] Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha replies that she believes Lazarus will rise again at the Resurrection. She did not understand that Jesus meant now. The reality was that Lazarus was dead. You could see and smell that he was dead.
John 11:24-27 ESV
[24] Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” [25] Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, [26] and everyone who 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 coming into the world.”
Despite her words, she could truly believe this.
John 11:39-40 ESV
[39] Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” [40] Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
We are like Martha. We say that we believe, and we honestly do, but the reality of our situation at that moment challenges our beliefs and we limit our beliefs due to human wisdom and circumstances.
Jesus makes a request but starts with gratitude that God has answered His prayer. Jesus' prayer was God's plan to conquer death.
John 11:41 ESV
[41] So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
Jesus then commands others to remove the grave clothes from Lazarus.
John 11:44 ESV
[44] The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Only Jesus can unbind us from death. Lazarus could not remove the grave clothes himself. Jesus commanded this and it was done by others as Jesus commanded.
Jesus does not bring us back to life. He gives us a true life. However, do we really believe Jesus.
Martha is like us. She says she believes Jesus and the Resurrection, and yet, she could not believe it was for that very moment.
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