THIS WORLD IS NOT MY HOME (JOHN 11:1-7)
Here's what researchers in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, in which more than 1,400 people from age 20 to 90 have been tracked since its inception in 1958, have observed:
(1) Cardiovascular System: Heart muscle thickens and blood vessels stiffen with age, reducing the amount of oxygen available to the brain and body. Breathing capacity declines by as much as 40 percent between 20 and 70 years of age.
(2) Brain and Nervous System: Some nerve cell structure is lost, along with some function of individual nerve cells. Most severe decline in mental function is a result of diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia, not normal aging.
(3) Kidneys, Bladder and Urinary Systems: Kidneys lose efficiency at clearing waste from the blood.
(4) Bones and joints: Bone density diminishes on average beginning at age 35, with an accelerated rate of loss in menopausal women.
(5) Muscles: Between the ages of 30 and 70, muscle mass declines more than 20 percent in men and women, in the absence of regular exercise.
(6) Eyes: By age 40, the lens begins to stiffen, resulting in difficulty focusing on near objects. Cloudy areas on the lens will become cataracts in more than half of people by the age of 80, according to the National Eye Institute.
(7) Ears: Two types of hearing loss that commonly occur with advancing age are presbycusis, which tends to run in families, and tinnitus, a ringing or hissing in the ears that can also be a sign of other problems, like high blood pressure. Hearing declines with age more rapidly in men than in women.
http://longevity.about.com/od/whyweage/a/Understanding-The-Aging-Process.htm
One of the most interesting differences between the gospel of John and the Synoptics is the centrality of Jerusalem. In the Gospel of John Jesus went to Jerusalem as early as chapter 2 (John 2:13), in contrast to chapter 11 in Mark (Mark 11:1) and chapter 13 in Luke (Luke 17:11) and chapter 20 in Matthew (Matt 20:17). It was, however, not a surprise because of the closeness of Jesus with the siblings of Martha and her sister and Lazarus (John 11:5) of Bethany, which was less than two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18). The lives of the three siblings are featured more in John than the other three gospels. For example, Lazarus the sibling never appeared in the Synoptics. The death and resurrection of Lazarus was the scene of the last recorded miracle (semeion) in John (John 12:18).
What hope do you have in health or sickness, in life or in death? How does the Bible view sickness and death? Is longevity in life your only hope and the only way out?
Behold the Glory of God
1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. 7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." 8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." (John 11:1-8)
A hardworking little boy by the name of Theocrite sang the words "Praise God" like no one else. His praises not only kept him in good spirits, but it also brought joy to others, and praise from God. One day, a monk passing by heard him, and suggested: "I am sure God has heard you, but what if you were the Pope of Rome, singing God's praises in St. Peters Church at Easter time in Rome?"
Theocrite thought that would be a tremendous achievement if he had the opportunity to do so. So the angel Gabriel who heard him, granted it, and he became the next Pope of Rome. Immediately God said, "How is it I do not hear the voice of Theocrite singing at his work?"
The angel, knowing this, became a boy and took Theocrite's place, but he could do everything except one thing -- sing praises to God. God said wistfully, "I hear a voice of praise, but not the way Theocrite sang it. I miss my little human praise."
The angel then took off his disguise, went to Rome, found Theocrite, the new Pope of Rome, and said to him: "I took you from your work and made you the Pope of Rome, but I was mistaken. You could be a great Pope, but no one could fill your shoes, match your spirit, and take your voice of praise. (The Moral Compass 717-78, William J. Bennett)
Aging, illness and death are the lot of life, part and parcel of fallen man. In Christ, however, faith overcomes fate. Sick (v 1) is also translated as invalid (John 5:7) or weak (Acts 20:35). The first insight into sickness is that Jesus sees it as a way to glorify God (v 4). The verb "glorify" dominates John's gospel more than any book in the New Testament book, by a sharp margin of 23 times to the next nearest of nine times in 2 Corinthians. The first purpose (hina + subjunctive) in the passage is in verse 4, that the Son of God may be "glorified." In "sickness" or "no strength," God's glory shines brightest. Significantly, the phrase "the glory of God" (vv 4, 40) is found only in this chapter out of all four gospels. The verb "glorify" means exalt and elevate God to his entitled and eminent position. He gets all the acclaim, applause, acclaim, admiration and adoration. It means to admit and acknowledge all the credit due Him and His name.
The raising of Lazarus is more about the glory of the Son than the greatness of the signs. God's glory is magnified in this passage by examining the 3 W's -- who, when and where; or the people, the timing and the location. The WHO - Jesus and the three siblings of Martha, Mary and Lazarus had a great loving relationship. Lazarus, in particular, was the characterized as "the one you love" (v 3). Jesus truly loved (phileo) Lazarus. His love (vv 3, 36) for Lazarus is attested to twice in the chapter, each time introduced by the Greek exclamation "behold," as translated by KJV: "Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick" (v 3) and "Behold how he loved him!" (John 11:36). Fascinatingly, two verbs for love -- phileo and agapao -- describe Jesus' love for Lazarus, including the second (agapao) that includes the family (v 5). The second (agapao) in verse 5 occurs as many as 33 times in John, more than any New Testament book. The Bible tells us that neither death nor life will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:38-39).
Second -- the WHEN, Jesus did an unusual thing with his time hearing of Lazarus' death. He remained (KJV) or stayed there two days. Where did Jesus go, what was he doing and why did he delay? Readers have to understand that to delay is not the same as to decline, to postpone is not the same as to procrastinate. The delay served to highlight the magnitude of the miracle through the sound, sight and smell in the episode. For sound, there was sobbing from Mary and many Jews (v 33). For sight, the scene of tomb, cave and stone (v 38) were as grave as any. For smell, the stink of bad odor was overwhelming, for Lazarus has been there four days (v 39).
Third, WHERE was Jesus? He was across Jordan to coincide with the last mention of the city in the Bible. What Jesus did across Jordan was important while what Lazarus faced in Jerusalem was urgent. Jesus was converting souls and changing lives across Jordan (John 10:40), where many believed in him (John 10:42). This was Jesus' last visit and the last mention of Syria because the Jews in Jerusalem (John 10:22) were determined to stone him in the last chapter (John 10:31).
Befriend the God of Love
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." 12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." 17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. (John 11:11-18)
28 And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. 32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 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?" 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. (John 11:28-38)
I heard a story about a man who invited his neighbor to attend church with him. On the way home, the neighbor said, "I noticed you have a new preacher." "Yes," said his friend, "We fired the old one. He was always telling us unless we repented, we were going to hell." "But," the neighbor replied, "your new preacher said the very same thing this morning." "True," was the reply, "but our old preacher acted like he was happy about the situation. When our new preacher says this, it seems to break his heart."
Death is a serious, sensitive and sober subject in any culture. I once made the mistake of giving the Last Supper figurine to an 80 year-old man at his home for dinner. He was understandably aghast and offended. In the apartment complex where I live, the numbers 4, 14, 24 and 13 are missing from the elevator buttons.
Death as a subject is not going away and gets the most attention in John 11. The verb "die" occurs nine times in John 11 (vv 16, 21, 25, 26, 32, 37, 50 51), more than any chapter in the New Testament, and altogether a record-breaking 29 times in John, more than the three gospels of Matthew (5 times), Mark (8 times) and Luke (13 times) added together. But death met its match for the first time in Jesus. It was not much of a match because Jesus even gave death a four days advantage. The topic of "death" recurs nine times in the chapter, the verb "live" is mentioned 19 times, overshadowing, overpowering and outshining death by more than two to one margin. "Live" occurs more in John than the Matthew (6 times), Mark (3 times) and Luke (8 times) added together. Eternal life is mentioned 17 times in John, more than any gospel. While death is prominent and powerful for a short while in life, life is promising and permanent for the long haul in Jesus.
In Jesus there is no fear of death because He has conquered death. In Him is love eternal and life everlasting. Jesus offered another view of death not as departing but of dozing. It is not the exit door, but a snooze button. Death is a permanent state, but sleep is the preferential treatment. It was Jesus and not Paul (1 Cor 15:51) who was the first to view death as sleep (v 11) and, more crucially, He was present to wake him out of sleep -- the second "hina" subjunctive or purpose clause of the passage. The verb "wake him" (exupnizo) is literally "out (of)" (ex) a person from "sleep" (hupnos). To unbelievers death is a dead end, but to believers it is a dream start. To the unsaved death means the expiration of time and the extinction of life, but to the saved it is to escape the present and enjoy life everlasting. To non-Christians death is to exit present existence, but to Christians it is to enter God's presence. To the unsaved death is dreaded, but to believers death is defeated, the Devil's power destroyed (Heb 2:14) and we are delivered (2 Cor 1:10) because Christ conquered death (Rom 6:9), not cheated death, in his resurrection. Instead of death, now we have life and immortality (2 Tim 1:10). Death is the great unknown to unbelievers, but a beauty sleep to believers. It is not the strangulation of life but the suspension of life. Death is "see you no more" but sleep is "see you again." Death is the final chapter, but sleep is the next chapter. Death is the termination of life, but sleep makes it a terminal, a transfer or a transit. Death is a full stop and a question mark, sleep is a comma and an exclamation point. Sleep is a nap, a siesta, a rest. Death is shutting down the system, sleep is closing the eyes. Sleep means tranquility, not terror; peace and not panic; a break and not a breakdown. Death is not fearful to Jesus; it is a way to glorify God. Jesus knows because he predicted in the next chapter that the hour of his own death has come for the Son of Man to be glorified (John 12:23).
On the other hand Jesus is not unaffected, untouched or unmoved by death. He was grievous and gutted at the loss of life, as represented by his three dominant feelings. There is more "deeply moved/groaned" (v 33) in this chapter than any chapter in the Bible, and Jesus is the main person behind it (John 11:33, 38). Dictionary.com says a groan is a brief, strong, deep-throated sound emitted involuntarily under pressure of pain or suffering. Vocabulary.com define a groan as a sound of pain or disapproval that doesn't consist of words, usually after homework is assigned or bad jokes are told. Some liken a groan to a valve release, others to hitting a nerve.
The verb "troubled" (v 33) in John thrice refers to John 5:4, 7 where a 38-year-old lame man waited for the movement of the pool waters. So groan is the sound and trouble is the stirring. "Groan" is the sound emitted from within and "troubled" is sensation encountered on the outside. There is more trouble in John than any book in the Bible, occurring ten times in John in contrast to the next highest three times in Acts (Acts 15:24, Acts 17:8, 13). In John it refers to Jesus more than anyone in the Bible, starting from chapter 11. Besides being troubled at the weeping of Mary and the Jews (v 32), he was troubled in the next chapter that the hour of His glorification in his death had come (John 12:27), and the following chapter that Judas was going to betray Him (John 13:21).
Finally, the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept (dakruo) in verse 35, the only weeping of its kind in the Bible. The usual word for "crying" (klaio) exhibited by Mary and the Jews in verse 32 is loud, but this is a softer version but with more volume. The noun form (dakru) is in the plural and is associated with a child's father who cried with "tears" to Jesus (Mark 9:24) and a woman who washed Jesus's feet with "tears" (Luke 7:38) in the Gospels. The champ, nevertheless, is Paul, who is especially good with tears (Acts 20:19, 31, 2 Cor 2:4, 2 Tim 1:4). Jesus wept because He made himself into a human and a being, because He loved and missed his friends and because He is identified and involved with others.
Believe the Giver of Life
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha answered, "I know 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 will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (John 11:20-27)
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 believed, you would 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." 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. (John 11:39-45)
A German, whose wife was ill at the Seney Hospital, Brooklyn, called the first evening she was there and inquired how she was getting along. He was told that she was improving.
Next day he called again, and was told she was still improving. This went on for some time, each day the report being that his wife was improving.
Finally one day he called and said:
"How is my wife?"
"She's dead."
He went out and met a friend, and the friend said:
"Well, how is your wife?"
"She's dead"
"Ooh! How terrible! What did she die of?"
"Improvements!" (More Toasts, Gertrude Stein)
The last and ultimate purpose of Jesus' miracle and John's gospel is for the people beloved by Him to believe in Him - so that you may believe (v 15, 42).
Jesus said He is the resurrection and the life (v 25). What does it mean? The resurrection and the life (v 25) is not a contrast of the future resurrection to the present living; it is here and now. While life refers to eternal life in John, Jesus is the great I AM, not the great I WILL. Resurrection and eternal life begins in the present and extends to the future; it is never in the past. In contrast to the "not" Martha expressed (v 21), Jesus used what Greek grammarians call "a subjunctive of emphatic negation" (not + never) in verse for the strongest way to negate something in Greek. Martha used a negative (ouk), but Jesus used a double negative (oume = ouk + me). The first is an absolute negative, the second is an absolute denial. It is not only never die, but never die to eternity. The phrase "to the eternity" (v 26) in Greek is omitted in most translations.
Martha's declaration of faith and life of faith is not given credit enough. She was unfairly portrayed through the ages as a grouchy complainer and not a good coworker, a workaholic and not a worshipper, all doing and no being. Here she confessed stunningly and straightforwardly that Jesus was Lord, Christ and Son of God (v 27). There are three "I believe" statements in the Gospels, two of them clear-cut from the father of a child and the man born blind (Mark 9:24, John 9:38), but Martha added another "I" (ego) to her "I believe" statement, not reflected in translations. Nobody declared Jesus Martha's way. That confession of faith was what Jesus wanted to draw out from the people he met on the way. This fulfills Jesus' purpose of delaying his trip in the first place. In my opinion, Martha's one verse confession of faith rivals Peter's confession of Christ (Matt 16:16, John 6:68). Jesus' I AM assertion of the resurrection and the life in the present (v 25) is contrasted with Martha's belief that it would happen on the last day (v 24). Resurrection therefore refers to hereafter and not thereafter, current and not coming, everyday living and not merely eternal life.
Mary's dramatic act of "falling at feet" (v 32), similar to Jairus' act in the Synoptics (Mark 5:22, Luke 8:41), draws attention to Mary's desperation, devotion and dependence at the same time. The designation of Lord (vv 32) occurs nine times in the chapter, the most in John. The disciples (v 12), the sisters collectively (v 3), then Martha thrice (vv 21, 27, 39) and Mary (v 32) individually, and finally the Jews (v 34) all called Jesus Lord. The Jesus part in Him was torn (groaned, was troubled and wept), but the Lord title in Him was triumphant.
Jesus' four imperatives are take away (v 39), come out (v 43), take off (v 44) and let go (v 44). There is a lot of faith and resistance in removing the stones because it would cause a big uproar and a big stink. "Come out" was addressed to Lazarus. Why? Augustine once remarked that if Jesus had not said Lazarus' name all would have come out from the graves. (Bible Knowledge Commentary). Take away (v 39), take off (v 44) and let go (v 44) were for the Jews to have a hands-on experience. The Gospel of John is evangelism with evidence. The purpose of the miracle is not to bedazzle or bewilder but to believe (v 45). The key word in the Gospel of John is the record-breaking word "believe" (pisteuo). The verb "believe" occurs 10 times in Matthew, 15 times in Mark, 9 times in Luke, but an astounding 100 times in John. Further, there is no room for the noun form "faith" (pistis) in John. What is to believe? It is all about acting on evidence, believing in Christ and committing your faith. Believe means having faith in Christ. It is more than knowing, it is doing His will. It is to receive the Lord, rely on Him and reflect Him. Believe in Christ is not mere conversion, but also confession to others and commitment in life. It is to lean on Him, learn from Him, listen to Him, live for Him and look like Him.
Many of the Jews believed in Him (v 45), which was incredible and inconceivable. The Jews appear five times in Matthew, six times in Mark and five times in Luke, but 70 times in John, so John is more Jewish than any Gospels. The phrase "many of the Jews" (John 11:19, 11:45, 12:11) makes its debut in the Bible, and they believed in Him (v 45) and God's glory was manifested, magnified and multiplied. The two-fold purpose of John in writing his gospel has always been for readers to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and to have life in his name by believing in Him (John 20:31)
Conclusion: Praise God, Jesus has rescued us from death (Heb 2:15 and reconciled us to God (Rom 5:10). Jesus has destroyed the power of the devil (Heb 2:14-15) and delivered us from the dominion of death (Rom 6:9). Now we are no longer servants of Satan but sons of God. Are you dead in your sins or delivered from God's wrath? Do you receive or reject the gift of eternal life as promised in the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord? Have you believed and befriended the Son of God who love you and gave his life for you on the cross (Gal 2:20)? Do you desire for the Lord's present glory and His permanent glory to be manifested in you?
