Raising Lazarus, and what it means for us

Homily Lent 5, Yr. A 2011
This is one of the most dramatic moments in John’s gospel. Jesus goes into the tomb of his friend Lazarus. He shouts in a loud voice, Lazarus come out. Then Lazarus. Who had died four days ago and was wrapped in burial cloths in the tomb, comes out.

What a scene that must have been in the small village of Bethany, just outside Jerusalem.

Jesus had already turned water into wine, fed thousands with a few loaves and fishes, healed the sick, as well as teaching and preaching. Now he raised a dead man to life.

In the gospel of John, which is the only gospel to mention the rasing of Lazraus from the dead, this is the turning point in Christ’s ministry. It is the seventh and greatest sign in John’s Gospel.

From now on Jesus faces persecution, betrayal and death at the hands of the Jewish religious authorities and their Roman masters.

In raising Lazarus from the dead Jesus demonstrates, he has the power over life and death, a powerful message which ultimately leads to his own death and resurrection.

As this story begins Lazarus is ill. He’s the brother of Mary and Martha and they are among the followers of Jesus. So the two sisters send a message to Jesus to let him know their brother is ill and needs him.

But Jesus doesn’t drop what his is doing to come running. He lets nature run its course. And then he uses the death of Lazarus as an opportunity. “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

That seems perplexing. Or it certainly did to Mary and Martha. They were aware he had healed others. They had expected him to come heal their brother.

Now we should remember here this story is only in the Gospel of John. The author uses the raising of Lazarus as both a sign that Jesus is the Son of God, and the final provocation of the religious authorities which would lead Jesus to the cross.

On the cross Jesus would be glorified, using John’s language.

After the healing, the disciples urge Jesus not to return to Judea…to go back to Palestine where he would be safer. They say his opponents are just looking for an excuse to stone him to death.

Jesus responds to the with one of his more cryptic sayings: Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of the world. But those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them.”

The only way to understand this is to look at the whole story in John’s Gospel. Throughout the narrative Jesus is referred to, and refers to himself as the “light of the world.” Those who don’t believe in him are in darkness. This contrast between darkness and light is everywhere in John.

Before they leave to go to Lazarus, Jesus tells his disciples “he has fallen asleep. But I am going there to waken him. They can’t understand what he means when he says, “if he has fallen asleep he will be alright."

Then finally Jesus says “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.”

So the raising of Lazarus is a way to help them understand not only who Jesus is, but what power he has.

Martha comes out to meet Jesus when he finally arrives. In tears and distraught, she laments his absence. “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.”

Jesus responds with reassurance. “Your brother will rise again.|”

Martha doesn’t quite understands so she responds: “I know he will rise on the last day.”

At that time many Jews agreed with the teaching of the Pharisees which foresaw a resurrection on the last day.

But Jesus wasn’t talking about the end times. He was talking about the here and now.

And to spell it out we have one of those powerful “I am” statements which characterize John’s Gospel.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, though they die, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Martha replies: “Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

This encounter with Mary is not only an opportunity for Jesus to proclaim who he is, it is a chance to display his more human side, his compassion, his emotion. Mary and all her friends are weeping for their dead brother—four days in the tomb. Jesus shares their pain. The text says Jesus too began to weep.

We can surmise that Jesus was not only weeping for the loss of Lazarus, who he would raise from the dead, but for his followers, his countrymen who would abandon him as he went to Calvary.

It is one of the few times in John’s gospel Jesus shows such emotion. And the author also reports he was “greatly disturbed” as he left for the tomb.

What should we make of this remarkable story? We must remember it is not the same as the resurrection of Jesus. Lazarus is resuscitated after death. He goes on to avoid the Jewish authorities who want to kill him too.

When Christ rose from the dead, we believe it was not just a resuscitation, but Jesus in a new transformed body. He appeared and disappeared, and came through walls. Thomas was able to touch him. Yet he was not a ghost.

So the story of Lazarus is a key moment on the way to Calvary, but not a foretaste of Jesus rising from the dead.

Before Lazarus, Jesus could have been dismissed by the Jewish religious authorities as another healer, prophet and itinerant preacher who had a significant following.

After Lazarus he was a dangerous threat—a rival for religious leadership. Caiaphas, the chief priest, said on hearing of the miracle---“it is better to have one man die for the people rather than have the whole nation destroyed.”

Caiaphas and his fellow Jewish religious authorities felt threatened by Jesus. They misunderstood and feared him.

The story of the raising of Lazarus shows not only the Glory of God, but God’s love for and compassion for us. Jesus weeps for Lazarus.

And Jesus weeps for us as we struggle with the difficult things life sometimes brings us. But Jesus also rejoices with us as we find faith and joy in Him and in our neighbours who he has asked us to love and serve, as we would like to be loved and served.

About 1700 years ago, Gregory of Nansianzus, one of the fathers of the early church wrote this of Jesus in this story:

"He prays, but He hears prayer. He weeps, but He causes tears to cease. He asks where Lazarus was laid, for He was Man; but He raises Lazarus, for He was God."

Let us give thanks for the proclamation of the good news of the Gospel, and seek new life and renewal in our own lives through Jesus, our Saviour.