2.5 The Resurrection of Lazarus
Jesus’ Power Over Death and the Revelation of His Divinity

The raising of Lazarus in John 11 is one of the most profound stories in the Gospel of John, revealing both sorrow and hope. The death of Lazarus brings sadness and despair into the lives of his family and friends. The lament of the sisters, that Lazarus would still be alive if Jesus had come in time, reflects their deep disappointment (John 11:21, 32). Jesus’ own tears also show that He understands the pain of loss (John 11:35).

However, Jesus’ apparent delay served a much higher purpose. Jesus knew from the start that Lazarus would die, but He used this occasion to reveal a deeper truth: His power over life and death. By raising Lazarus, Jesus demonstrated that He is not merely a prophet or healer but the Creator and Lord of life itself. Martha, Lazarus’ sister, confirms this realization when she acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God (John 11:27).

Significance for Faith: Jesus’ statement in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life,” is central to the Christian understanding of life and death. It reveals that death does not have the final word and that faith in Jesus extends beyond physical death. Jesus’ power over death points to His divine nature and gives believers hope for eternal life. This story shows us that God works even in seemingly hopeless situations, and His delays do not mean He has forgotten us—they mean He is planning something greater that will reveal His glory.

In daily life, this means that during times of suffering and loss, we are reminded that Jesus is our deepest hope. Even when we don’t understand the reasons for God’s delays, we can trust that He always has the power to bring life and renewal, even in the most hopeless moments.

Read John 11:38–44. What did Jesus do to substantiate His claim?

The raising of Lazarus in John 11 is a powerful narrative that highlights both the deep emotions of human grief and the transformative hope through Jesus Christ. The story begins with the sadness over the death of a beloved friend and the despair of the family. Martha and Mary express their disappointment that Jesus did not arrive in time to heal Lazarus. Their words, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32), reflect a common human experience: the question of “Why?” in moments of loss and need.

Jesus’ own tears (John 11:35) reveal His humanity and His empathy for the pain we experience through death. However, beneath this grief, Jesus reveals His true mission: He shows that He has power over death. Jesus’ delayed arrival, which might initially be seen as negligence, served a greater purpose in revealing the profound divine truth that He is the Creator of life. By raising Lazarus, He demonstrates His divine authority over both life and death.

Significance for Faith: Jesus’ statement, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), forms the heart of the Christian faith. It points to the fact that physical death is not the end and that Jesus has the power to grant life that transcends death. This revelation gives believers hope for eternal life and the assurance that Jesus possesses a deeper, life-giving power in the midst of grief and loss.

Application in Daily Life: In our daily lives, this story teaches us that God’s ways do not always align with our expectations, but He always has a greater plan that surpasses our current understanding. In moments of suffering, loss, or delay, we should remember that Jesus is our ultimate hope. Even if we do not always understand the reason for God’s delays, we can trust that He wants to reveal a greater glory—a glory that allows us to look beyond the earthly and grants us new hope.

The raising of Lazarus is a powerful testament that God’s plan always brings life and renewal, even in the darkest moments of our lives.

Connection to Our Daily Life and Faith:

1. God’s Timing and Trust in Him: We often experience delays or feel that God is not intervening in difficult situations. The story of Lazarus shows us that God’s delays are not due to negligence or indifference but are always part of a greater plan to reveal His glory. In our daily lives, this teaches us to practice patience and trust that God has not forgotten us, even when His answers to our prayers do not come immediately.

2. Jesus as Our Ultimate Hope: Jesus explains in John 11:25 that He is the resurrection and the life, which means that He has power not only over physical death but also over our current situations of suffering and need. In our daily lives, this means that Jesus should be our first resort—not only for our eternal hope but also in every difficult situation we face. He can bring life into every seemingly hopeless situation.

3. Grief and Compassion: Jesus’ own tears in John 11:35 remind us that He understands our human emotions and shares in our suffering. In times of grief and loss, we can be assured that Jesus is near and understands our pain. This realization can bring us comfort and strength during times of sorrow.

4. Trusting in God’s Power Over Death: The raising of Lazarus shows that death does not have the final word. For us, this means that faith in Jesus not only gives us hope for eternal life but also empowers us to view physical death differently. Death is not the end but a transition into eternal communion with God.

5. Growth in Faith Through Crisis: Martha and Mary had to go through the crisis of their brother’s death to deepen their understanding of Jesus’ true power and divine nature. Likewise, in our own lives, crises and difficult times can help us strengthen our faith and understand more about God’s nature and plan for us. These challenges can be a way to deepen our relationship with God and renew our faith.

Conclusion: The story of Lazarus teaches us that God’s plan is greater than our current understanding. We can trust that He is working even in difficult times and delays to bring life, hope, and renewal. In our daily lives, we should always remember that Jesus is the ultimate source of life—not only in this life but also in the life to come.

Even when we don’t immediately understand God’s actions, we can trust that He has a greater plan that brings life and hope.

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/lesson-2-signs-of-divinity-2-5-the-resurrection-of-lazarus-themes-in-the-gospel-of-john-living-faith/

October 10, 2024

DAILY BIBLE READING – John Chapter 4

¹ When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

² (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

³ He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

⁴ And he must needs go through Samaria.

⁵ Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

⁶ Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

⁷ There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

⁸ (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

⁹ Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

¹¹ The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

¹² Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

¹³ Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

¹⁴ But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

¹⁵ The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

¹⁶ Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

¹⁷ The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

¹⁸ For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

¹⁹ The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

²⁰ Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

²¹ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

²² Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

²³ But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

²⁵ The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

²⁶ Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

²⁷ And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

²⁸ The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

²⁹ Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

³⁰ Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

³¹ In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

³² But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

³³ Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

³⁴ Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

³⁵ Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

³⁶ And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

³⁷ And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

³⁹ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

⁴¹ And many more believed because of his own word;

⁴² And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

⁴³ Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.

⁴⁴ For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

⁴⁵ Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

⁴⁶ So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

⁴⁷ When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

⁴⁸ Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

⁴⁹ The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

⁵⁰ Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

⁵¹ And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

⁵² Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

⁵³ So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

⁵⁴ This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

King James Version. Public Domain

 

Commentary

Introduction

John chapter 4 addresses two significant events in Jesus’ ministry: the conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well and the healing of the son of a royal official. Both stories illustrate the universal reach of Jesus’ message and His ability to inspire faith through deep spiritual understanding and miracles. Particularly noteworthy is the conversation with the Samaritan woman, as Jesus demonstrates that His message is not only for the Jews but for all people, regardless of social and ethnic barriers.

Commentary

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-42)

The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman begins with Jesus, weary from His journey, stopping at Jacob’s well in Samaria. When the woman comes to the well, Jesus asks her for water, which surprises her, as Jews typically did not associate with Samaritans (v. 9). This interaction transcends the social norms of the time and shows Jesus’ willingness to overcome barriers.

Jesus seizes the opportunity to introduce the concept of “living water” (v. 10), which symbolizes eternal life and the Holy Spirit. While the Samaritan woman initially thinks Jesus is referring to physical water, He leads her deeper into spiritual truths and reveals that the water He offers will never leave them thirsty again but will become a source of eternal life within them (v. 14).

The conversation unveils the woman’s personal history. Jesus discloses His knowledge of her five marriages and her current living situation (v. 18), prompting her to recognize Him as a prophet. The dialogue then shifts to the proper form of worship. Jesus explains that the time has come when true worshipers will worship God not at a specific location but in spirit and truth (v. 23-24). This statement breaks with the previous notion that worship was tied to geographic locations like the temple in Jerusalem.

Finally, Jesus reveals Himself to the woman as the promised Messiah (v. 26), which moves her to go into the city and tell others about Him. Many Samaritans believe in Jesus based on her testimony (v. 39), and even more after they have personally spoken with Him. This scene demonstrates that faith can arise not only through miracles but also through direct encounters with the truth of Jesus.

Healing of the Royal Official’s Son (John 4:43-54)

After two days in Samaria, Jesus returns to Galilee. There, a royal official asks Him to heal his dying son (v. 47). Jesus points out that people often believe only through signs and wonders (v. 48), but the official persists in his request. Jesus heals the son from afar, and the official believes Jesus’ word. When the official later learns that the healing occurred precisely at the moment Jesus spoke to him, he believes, along with his entire household (v. 53). This story illustrates faith that arises from trust in Jesus’ word, without the official having witnessed a visible miracle.

Summary

John chapter 4 demonstrates how Jesus breaks through social and religious barriers to proclaim His message of salvation and redemption. In His conversation with the Samaritan woman, He reveals Himself as the Messiah and speaks about true worship in spirit and truth. This encounter leads many Samaritans to believe in Jesus. The healing of the royal official’s son highlights the power of faith based solely on trust in Jesus’ word. Overall, the chapter shows that Jesus meets both spiritual and physical needs and that His salvation is available to all people.

 

 

 

Source: https://fulfilleddesire.net/10-10-2024-john-chapter-4-believe-his-prophets/