Jesus Raises Lazarus
Today I want to continue looking at the Gospel lesson (John 11:1-45) for this Sunday, March 9, 2008 (Year A in the lectionary). I wrote about the John 11:1-27 in this entry. Today I begin with John 11:28.
Martha is direct and to the point. Mary is demonstrative and feeling. Both have faith, but they show it differently. When Martha told Mary that Jesus was waiting for her, she went to him, followed by many of the mourners who thought she was going to the tomb. Mary falls at his feet and says that Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had been present. Interestingly she falls short of her sister’s affirmation in verse 22; “even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you” (ESV). Nevertheless, Mary’s emotional display moves Jesus: “he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (ESV).
Robertson on this verse...
He groaned in the spirit (ενεβριμησατο τω πνευματ). First aorist middle indicative of εμβριμαομα, old verb (from εν, and βριμη, strength) to snort with anger like a horse. It occurs in the LXX (Da 11:30) for violent displeasure. The notion of indignation is present in the other examples of the word in the N.T. (Mr 1:43; 14:5; Mt 9:30). So it seems best to see that sense here and in verse 38. The presence of these Jews, the grief of Mary, Christ’s own concern, the problem of the raising of Lazarus—all greatly agitated the spirit of Jesus (locative case τω πνευματ). He struggled for self-control.
Was troubled (εταραξεν εαυτον). First aorist active indicative of ταρασσω, old verb to disturb, to agitate, with the reflexive pronoun, “he agitated himself” (not passive voice, not middle). “His sympathy with the weeping sister and the wailing crowd caused this deep emotion” (Dods). Some indignation at the loud wailing would only add to the agitation of Jesus.
As a believer, Jesus is not only loved by Jesus as God loves us all, but he loves her as a dear friend — as a dear sister. He is disturbed and moved by the depths of her grief. He knows her pain and suffers with her. Asking to be taken to the grave he then experiences the grief of such loss for himself. Some translations simply state “Jesus wept” (vs. 35).
I have always found this to be one of the most moving narratives in the New Testament. Another is the realization Peter has when he has denied knowing Jesus for the third time when the cock crows. We are told that he runs and weeps bitterly.
61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:61-63, ESV
But where Peter’s weeping is from his realization of his own failure and part in Jesus’ eventual death, Jesus weeps from his identification with Martha and Mary at their loss. It is his loss as well. Even though he knows that the separation is but for a moment, he experiences the loss as part of his humanity. He is no God who cannot understand our own sense of loss, or disappointment, or even failure.
Nearby observers confuse this compassion and sympathy on the part of Jesus with an inability to act. Here is the man who gave sight to a man born blind (vs. 37). Could he not bring life back to his friend? Even the prophets of old were known to do that!
Moved again, Jesus orders the stone rolled away from the tomb (vs. 39). Ever the practical one, Martha warns that there must surely be a stench. Her concern is interesting. On the one hand she believes that Jesus can do something about her brother’s death — she has verbalized it (vs. 22), but she has yet to truly appropriate the belief by faith. How often do we fail to make the same distinctions in our lives? We believe something even to the point of being able to express it — and yet, we fail to truly appropriate it to the exclusions of all doubts.
Jesus reminds Martha of their conversation (vs. 40) and tells her she is about to witness God’s glory. Jesus commands his dear friend Lazarus to come out of the tomb (vs.43) and he does (vs. 44). Jesus restores Lazarus to life. It is a resuscitation, not a resurrection. Lazarus will again die. The point of the event was not that a grieving man bring his friend to life for his grieving sisters. No, the point was for Martha to see the glory of God. She did, and she believed. Not only that, but many of those present believed as well (vs 45).
The Glory of God
Martha and Mary knew the capabilities of Jesus, yet they never asked him to restore their brother to life. That Jesus did so was for a higher purpose: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory” (John 1:14, ESV). He turns water into wine, not simply to save a wedding, but that his disciples might see the glory of God, his glory, and believe in him (John 2:11). In what we call the High Priestly Prayer (chapter 17), Jesus prays, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:5, ESV). Witnessing this glory is to provide unity among the faithful: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one” (John 17:22, ESV). Indeed, the author of the Gospel tells us these things have been written down so that we to may believe.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
(John 20:30-31, ESV)
The Power to Loose
One more thing before we leave Lazarus. Jesus commands that those nearby unbind Lazarus (vs. 44). Literally, to loose him (λυσατε αυτον). I find this verse to be evocative of those passages in Matthew where Jesus gives the authority to loose and bind. Here is Robertson’s note on Matthew 16:19.
The Keys of the kingdom (τας κλειδας της βασιλειας). Here again we have the figure of a building with keys to open from the outside. The question is raised at once if Jesus does not here mean the same thing by “kingdom” that he did by “church” in verse 18. In Re 1:18; 3:7 Christ the Risen Lord has “the keys of death and of Hades.” He has also “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” which he here hands over to Peter as “gatekeeper” or “steward” (οικονομος) provided we do not understand it as a special and peculiar prerogative belonging to Peter. The same power here given to Peter belongs to every disciple of Jesus in all the ages. Advocates of papal supremacy insist on the primacy of Peter here and the power of Peter to pass on this supposed sovereignty to others. But this is all quite beside the mark. We shall soon see the disciples actually disputing again (Mt 18:1) as to which of them is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven as they will again (20:21) and even on the night before Christ’s death. Clearly neither Peter nor the rest understood Jesus to say here that Peter was to have supreme authority. What is added shows that Peter held the keys precisely as every preacher and teacher does. To “bind” (δησηις) in rabbinical language is to forbid, to “loose” (λυσηις) is to permit. Peter would be like a rabbi who passes on many points. Rabbis of the school of Hillel “loosed” many things that the school of Schammai “bound.” The teaching of Jesus is the standard for Peter and for all preachers of Christ. Note the future perfect indicative (εστα δεδεμενον, εστα λελυμενον), a state of completion. All this assumes, of course, that Peter’s use of the keys will be in accord with the teaching and mind of Christ. The binding and loosing is repeated by Jesus to all the disciples (18:18). Later after the Resurrection Christ will use this same language to all the disciples (Joh 20:23), showing that it was not a special prerogative of Peter. He is simply first among equals, primus inter pares, because on this occasion he was spokesman for the faith of all. It is a violent leap in logic to claim power to forgive sins, to pronounce absolution, by reason of the technical rabbinical language that Jesus employed about binding and loosing. Every preacher uses the keys of the kingdom when he proclaims the terms of salvation in Christ. The proclamation of these terms when accepted by faith in Christ has the sanction and approval of God the Father. The more personal we make these great words the nearer we come to the mind of Christ. The more ecclesiastical we make them the further we drift away from him.
But, does Robertson go far enough? The keys belong to the whole Church of Jesus Christ — laity as well as clergy. We all have the great privilege (and tremendous responsibility) to announce the Gospel and to proclaim the forgiveness of sins. The authority to loose seems clear. It belongs to all of us, collectively as the Body of Christ. We use it, we implement it, not only collectively, but individually in our daily ministrations to our neighbor.
So, what about the authority to bind? Here is the difficulty. It certainly belongs only to the Body of Christ as does the authority to loose. But, what does it entail and how is it implemented? That, I believe, must be another topic for another day, but, your comments are welcome.
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