Let’s learn a couple of ways to examine a Bible passage: 1) solving dilemmas, and 2) finding the Good News. Let’s examine the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11:1-45.
What was the setting?
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” (John 11:1-3)
Good News
Was there Good News?
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.” (John 11:4)
Was Jesus’ delay a dilemma?
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” (John 11:5-7)
Was Jesus’ boldness in the face of danger a dilemma?
The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” (John 11:8)
Did Jesus previously explain doing His Father’s work while it was His day to do so?
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)
Was Jesus' willingness to bring light to a dark place a dilemma?
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 one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” (John 11:9-11)
Did the disciples also face a dilemma? Why did Jesus delay?
Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” (John 11:12-15)
Was Thomas facing a dilemma?
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16)
Is it a dilemma that Jesus waited? Does God often delay His answer to our prayers so that we too may believe?
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. (John 11:17 NKJV)
Was Martha’s dilemma a mix of doubt and faith? Is that common among us too?
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” (John 11:18-22)
How did Jesus reassure Martha? What was her dilemma about the resurrection?
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:23-24)
The Resurrection
What was the Good News? Did Jesus say He would only be the resurrection at His return or that He IS the resurrection? What does it mean that a believer shall never die? Is that a dilemma for us to understand?
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
What did Martha believe?
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:27)
What events transpired next?
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.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 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.” (John 11:28-31)
Did Mary have the same doubts as her sister? Do we doubt when God delays?
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.” (John 11:32)
What did Jesus do? Do real men weep, or is Jesus the most perfect example of manhood in human history?
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. (John 11:33-35)
How did people react?
Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:36-37)
How did Jesus react? What was Martha’s dilemma?
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 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.” (John 11:38-39)
Public Prayer
Why did Jesus pray in public here? Elsewhere He taught us to pray in private (Matthew 6:6). Did others disobey Jesus by praying publicly (Matthew 21:13; Acts 1:14; Acts 16:13; Acts 21:5; 1 Timothy 2:8)? Is the lesson not to pray publicly to glorify self, but that others may believe and to glorify God?
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 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. 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.” (John 11:40-42)
What was the Good News for those who were there?
Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:43-44)
What happened to their faith?
Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. (John 11:45)
A skeptical world just can’t hear the Good News, that whoever lives by believing in Jesus will never die. He boldly claimed, I AM the resurrection and the life. Let’s take off the grave clothes of doubt and fear, believe in Jesus Christ and live forever.
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
