Jesus had a special relationship with a family of Bethany, a brother and his two sisters, who were Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. As it is written, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." (John 11: 5) This family was dear to the heart of the Lord.
Lazarus became ill, and his sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." Yet Jesus, even after hearing this news, tarried for two days; and even before He arrived in Bethany, He said to His disciples, "Lazarus is dead." When the Lord reached the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth", and Lazarus came forth and lived again.
As students of the Bible, one of our weaknesses is the power of assumption:
First: In the 11th chapter of the Gospel of John, the writer uses the phrase, he whom thou lovest, and we can assume that the writer, John, was writing about himself.
Secondly: While Christ was on the cross, Jesus said to the disciple "whom he loved...Behold thy mother!" And to his mother, He said, "Woman, behold thy son!" And again, we can easily assume that John was writing about himself.
Thirdly: On the morning of the resurrection of Jesus (after hearing from Mary Magdalene that the tomb was empty) Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved ran to the tomb. And again we can assume that John was writing about himself, but it was Lazarus running to the tomb and not John.
Now, let us return to the Passover Feast (or Last Supper) on the night before Jesus was crucified.
Jesus had the twelve disciples, but the Lord also had many disciples. Here, we can easily assume that the Last Supper was a special time for Jesus and only the Twelve. Yet, this meal could have also included several unnamed disciples: just because they are not named does not mean that they were not there.
For when Jesus announced that one would betray Him, it is written, "Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? " (John 13: 23-25)
It would have been uncharacteristic for John or for any of the writers of the New Testament to speak of themselves with phrases such as whom Jesus loved or he whom thou lovest. For John, this would have been like setting himself on a pedestal as if Jesus loved him more than the others.
Remember, that on the day of the crucifixion of the Lord, all of the disciples fled because of fear. That leaves the disciple Lazarus at the cross of Jesus because Lazarus had no fear. Because Lazarus had died once, and Jesus raised him from the dead, Lazarus also knew that if the enemies would kill him again that Jesus would also raise him from the dead again!
Beyond this, the home of Lazarus and his two sisters was large enough for Mary, the mother of the Lord.
Also consider the fact that Mary had other sons: James, Joses, Simon, and Jude. Why did Jesus not tell one of His half-brothers to Behold thy mother!? Could it have been because they were not there?
Moreover, please consider the fact that John became one of the Twelve Apostles and that the Lord had an assignment for John that did not include taking care of His mother, Mary, but that Lazarus would be Mary's caretaker and not John.
Perhaps one lesson we can glean from Lazarus is this: he had been resurrected from the dead, and, as Lazarus was beholding the face of the Son of God on the cross, he also knew that Jesus would arise from death and live again! So that we, when we die knowing Christ, can also believe that when the Lord resurrects us from death, we also shall behold the face of Son of God as King of kings and Lord of lords!
In summary, the first 46 verses of the 11th chapter of the Gospel of John are devoted to the story of Lazarus. Other than Christ, does any other person in the Four Gospels receive as much attention as Lazarus?
Amen.
Lazarus became ill, and his sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." Yet Jesus, even after hearing this news, tarried for two days; and even before He arrived in Bethany, He said to His disciples, "Lazarus is dead." When the Lord reached the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth", and Lazarus came forth and lived again.
As students of the Bible, one of our weaknesses is the power of assumption:
First: In the 11th chapter of the Gospel of John, the writer uses the phrase, he whom thou lovest, and we can assume that the writer, John, was writing about himself.
Secondly: While Christ was on the cross, Jesus said to the disciple "whom he loved...Behold thy mother!" And to his mother, He said, "Woman, behold thy son!" And again, we can easily assume that John was writing about himself.
Thirdly: On the morning of the resurrection of Jesus (after hearing from Mary Magdalene that the tomb was empty) Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved ran to the tomb. And again we can assume that John was writing about himself, but it was Lazarus running to the tomb and not John.
Now, let us return to the Passover Feast (or Last Supper) on the night before Jesus was crucified.
Jesus had the twelve disciples, but the Lord also had many disciples. Here, we can easily assume that the Last Supper was a special time for Jesus and only the Twelve. Yet, this meal could have also included several unnamed disciples: just because they are not named does not mean that they were not there.
For when Jesus announced that one would betray Him, it is written, "Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? " (John 13: 23-25)
It would have been uncharacteristic for John or for any of the writers of the New Testament to speak of themselves with phrases such as whom Jesus loved or he whom thou lovest. For John, this would have been like setting himself on a pedestal as if Jesus loved him more than the others.
Remember, that on the day of the crucifixion of the Lord, all of the disciples fled because of fear. That leaves the disciple Lazarus at the cross of Jesus because Lazarus had no fear. Because Lazarus had died once, and Jesus raised him from the dead, Lazarus also knew that if the enemies would kill him again that Jesus would also raise him from the dead again!
Beyond this, the home of Lazarus and his two sisters was large enough for Mary, the mother of the Lord.
Also consider the fact that Mary had other sons: James, Joses, Simon, and Jude. Why did Jesus not tell one of His half-brothers to Behold thy mother!? Could it have been because they were not there?
Moreover, please consider the fact that John became one of the Twelve Apostles and that the Lord had an assignment for John that did not include taking care of His mother, Mary, but that Lazarus would be Mary's caretaker and not John.
Perhaps one lesson we can glean from Lazarus is this: he had been resurrected from the dead, and, as Lazarus was beholding the face of the Son of God on the cross, he also knew that Jesus would arise from death and live again! So that we, when we die knowing Christ, can also believe that when the Lord resurrects us from death, we also shall behold the face of Son of God as King of kings and Lord of lords!
In summary, the first 46 verses of the 11th chapter of the Gospel of John are devoted to the story of Lazarus. Other than Christ, does any other person in the Four Gospels receive as much attention as Lazarus?
Amen.
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