Jesus is a Friend of Believers
How did Jesus meet this family? How did he come to be such close friends with them? They were not what we would consider a typical family: a brother and two sisters. They lived in Bethany, nearby Jerusalem. Perhaps, Jesus met them on one of his early trips to Jerusalem and they invited Jesus and his disciples to stay with them. Such a display of generous and radical hospitality must have made an impression on Jesus.
I imagine that as Jesus made his trips to Jerusalem for religious feast days and observances that this home in Bethany became the place of their lodging. All those evenings together allowed Jesus to know and grow close to this family of three: Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.
It was in Bethany that Jesus ate in the home of Simon (Matthew 26:1-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50). It was here that Jesus ascended to heaven after his resurrection (Luke 24:50-51). Bethany was separated from Jerusalem by the Mount of Olives which was the location of the Garden of Gethsemane.
Lazarus becomes a paradigm for all of us as believers in this chapter of John’s Gospel account of Christ’s ministry. When Jesus tells the Parable of the Rich Man who dies, the poor man is given the name of Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Perhaps it is in recognition of his great friendship with Lazarus that he does this. After all, I do not believe he has provided a proper name for any other character of his parables. Certainly, that is significant.
Jesus announces that “our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep” (verse 11). I find it significant that Jesus refers to Lazarus as a friend. So are all believers friends of Christ.
The text uses a form of the word Φιλεω (phileo) as well as αγαπαω (agapao) to describe Jesus relationship with Lazarus. It is significant that Jesus not only had that selfless, giving love for Lazarus that he has for all people, but he also loves Lazarus as a friend. Both verbs are used to describe the relationship of God, the Father, to the Son. Yes, God is love. Yes, God has demonstrated his love for us in sending the Son. But, those who are believers are adopted as God's children. We become brothers and sisters of Christ who loves us a brothers and sisters. Just as Jesus love Lazarus, Martha, and Mary as brothers and sisters, so does he love all who trust in him and walk in the light.
Friends of Jesus Walk in the Light
As we have see in the account of Jesus and the Man Born Blind, when Jesus talks about light and darkness he has a deeper spiritual meaning in mind. In these verses, Jesus is building on a discussion of light and darkness that we have seen taking place in the Gospel of John since the opening prologue...
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.
9 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. 12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:1-5, 9-13 (WEB)
Commenting on this verse from this week’s lesson, Robertson says that we have the capacity for light, but are not the source of light (Robertson, note on John 11:10). Jesus calls himself the Light of the World. He also calls us the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We are like moons that reflect the sun‘s light onto the dark side of the earth. We are to place our light on a stand where it will give light to all (Matthew 5:15), so that other‘s may see our good works (Matthew 5:16), prepared beforehand for us (Galatians 2:10) that God may be glorified (Matthew 5:16).
Jesus is the Lord of Life and Death
Jesus refers to Lazarus’ death as sleep. It is not final. It is not spiritually fatal. Again, Jesus relies on a pun with both a physical and a spiritual meaning: asleep.
Death does not break the bond we have in Christ, as the Apostle Paul writes...
”For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 (WEB)
Or as Paul wrote in this week‘s Epistle Lesson, “But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11, WEB).
Here Jesus demonstrates that he is the Lord of life and death. Lazarus’ death was for a purpose — to demonstrate the glory of God. We saw a similar statement when Jesus was talking about the man who had been born blind. Contrary to prevailing attitudes, the man‘s blindness had nothing to do with his sin or his parent‘s sin — it was to demonstrate the glory of God.
It is Martha who goes out to greet Jesus, and not Mary. I have always liked that about this story. Martha often gets a bad rap when compared to her sister who “chose the better portion” (Luke 10:42). Here it is Martha who demonstrates her faith by going out to Jesus and making the incredible affirmation: “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 from God, God will give you” (John 11:22-23, ESV). Jesus tells her that Lazarus will rise. Martha responds that she believes in the resurrection and that her brother will rise on the day of resurrection. Jesus then tells her: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, ESV). Martha responds: “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (verse 26, ESV).
Resources
Robertson, A. T., Word Pictures in the New Testament, Electronic Files, The Bible Foundation, Public Domain.
Henry, Matthew. Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible, Electronic Files Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Public Domain.
Masterman, E. W. G. “Olives, Mount of”, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE), Public Domain. 1844-1913.
Masterman, E. W. G. “Bethany”, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE), Public Domain. 1844-1913.
Trever, G. H. “Lazarus”, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE), Public Domain. 1844-1913.
0 comments:
Post a Comment