17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.
19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.
21 Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."
28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."
32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
34 And He said, "Where have you laid him?"
They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."
35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"
37 And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"
38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone."
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."
40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."
43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"
44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."
Bishop J. C. Ryle wrote that there is a grand simplicity about this passage that is almost spoilt by human exposition. To comment on it, said Ryle, is like gilding gold or painting lilies. However, Bishop Ryle commented on it anyway and so shall I.
There are four movements or parts in Chapter 11.
1. The report of Lazarus being sick {1-16}.
2. The arrival of Jesus in Bethany {17-37}
3. The miracle itself {38-44}.
4 The reaction to the miracle {45-57}.
We studied {1-16} last time and in this message we will look at:
2. The arrival of Jesus in Bethany {17-37}
3. The miracle itself {38-44}.
The arrival of Jesus in Bethany {17-37}
(17-19) 17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
Jesus waited until Lazarus died. A man who is dead for four days is not in a swoon, he is very dead. Jesus will raise Lazarus as His final work set before the Jewish leaders.
John 10:37-39
37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."
Yet, in the face of irrefutable proof the leaders will reject Him.
Bethany is about two miles from Jerusalem so many of the Jewish leaders could be there. They were following Jesus seeking a way to get rid of Him.
The Jews used professional mourners at funerals to ensure that the deceased was properly mourned. In the case of Mary and Martha’s loss the comforters were probably sincere.
(20) Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.
There is a suggestion that Jesus had sent for Martha. (Cf. 30)
21 Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
Martha is an example of our faith. Sure but reserved. Based on truth but sometimes weak. Martha believed in Jesus.
She had probably been saying, “If only Jesus was here.”
Did Martha hint that Lazarus could be brought back? Had she heard that Jesus had said, “This sickness is not unto death.” Hope mingled with realism; Lazarus is dead, yet the Christ can ask for anything!
We cannot know for sure what Martha believed except for what she says and that is that Jesus is the Christ.
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
There is an insight into the understanding of the Jews about the end times and the resurrection of the body. Not much is written in the OT about end times and a resurrection of the body but there is enough. The Book of Job, Isaiah, and Daniel give us some examples.
Job 19:23-27
23 "Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
Isaiah 26:19
19 Your dead shall live;
Together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;
For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead.
Daniel 12:2-3
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
Daniel 12:13
"But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days."
Brother Karl asked me about the word “many” in Daniel 12:2. So I looked in some commentaries and I will give you what one commentary says, which is fairly consistent with the others.
[And many of them] The natural and obvious meaning of the word "many" rabiym (OT:7227) here is, that a large portion of the persons referred to would thus awake, but not all. So we should understand it if applied to other things, as in such expressions as these - "many of the people," "many of the houses in a city," "many of the trees in a forest," "many of the rivers in a country," etc.
In the Scriptures, however, it is undeniable that the word is sometimes used to denote the whole considered as constituted of many, as in Romans 5:15-16,19. In these passages no one can well doubt that the word many is used to denote all, considered as composed of the "many" that make up the human race, or the "many" offences that man has committed. So if it were to be used respecting those who were to come forth from the caves and fastnesses where they had been driven by persecution, or those who sleep in their graves, and who will come forth in a general resurrection, it might be used of them considered as the many, and it might be said "the many" or "the multitude" comes forth. (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
So “many” in Daniel 12:2 means all and that usage is not uncommon in Scripture. I will add that sometimes “all” does not mean everyone without exception.
Matthew 3:1-6
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.'"
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Jesus told Martha that her brother would raise from the dead but she does not understand that He means now! Lazarus is a figure of the resurrection promised to all believers.
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."
At some point in this exposition of John’s Gospel we will examine the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus the Christ.
Here Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
Notice that Jesus does not scold Martha even though what she said was a mild rebuke to Him.
What is Jesus teaching Martha?
Yes, there is the general resurrection at the last day, but Jesus is Himself the resurrection. Jesus had already said in chapter five that there is a spiritual resurrection of the spiritually dead and a physical resurrection of the physically dead.
John 5:24-30
24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
29 and come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
So in the words of Jesus to Martha there is instruction about the future life of the believer. Though he dies physically, he shall live forever with Christ who is Himself the resurrection.
Some time ago I came across a line of thought about our existence after physical death that I have incorporated recently into a couple of funeral messages. I believe these thoughts are appropriate at Lazarus’ funeral.
“Now I have mentioned eternal life or life after death. There are those who question whether or not there is a future life.
If this present life is all there is then, eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die. But if eternity lies beyond this life then the question of life after death becomes the most serious matter of all.
When we stand by the open grave of a loved one, or when the doctor has warned us that we should do well to put our affairs in order, as the summons may come at any moment; when it has become clear that close at hand, “the shadow of death sits and waits for us,” then in these moments of intense reality, we can not be satisfied with the temporary and passing things of this life and we ask in grim earnest Job’s straight question: “If a man dies shall he live again?” [Job 14:14]
What is Christ’s answer to that pregnant question?
Jesus’ answer is clear and positive. He paints no fancy pictures of a heavenly city with gates of pearl and streets of gold. To the curious that hunger for information about the forms and manners of the life beyond He is perfectly silent.
But to the deeper hunger for life after death He is most reassuring. He is as positive on this subject as on any other.
His words are few, but they are quite clear and absolutely unwavering. While we halt and hesitate and, and falter and tremble, before the mystery of death, He above our doubting, He stands in the light, Jesus is certain. Surely this means much!”
What can be more decisive than such words as these?
“He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”; “in My Father’s house are many places of rest. If it were not so I would have told you.” [John 14:2]
The believer in Jesus Christ has the assurance of Jesus’ own resurrection that Jesus is the One sent by God the Father to be the Savior of sinners.
[These thoughts were borrowed from a sermon by Walter F. Adeney, “Truth in Jesus”.]
You have been taught that the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the proof that Jesus is the anointed, the Christ. All the sermons in the Book of Acts have the theme of this foundational truth for the believer.
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15 gives us the connection between the resurrection of Christ and the promise to all who believe in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up — if in fact the dead do not rise.
16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
Do you believe this?"
Jesus asked Martha, “Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Jesus does not ask Martha how did she feel. She was grieving and did not feel well at all. But feelings do not control what we really believe.
And Martha gave an excellent answer. How would you answer Jesus?
What do you believe?
I might summarize my belief and say, “Lord Jesus you are the Creator and sustainer of all that is not God. The Gospel is grounded in the OT Scriptures that promise a deliverer and redeemer; a near kinsman who will bear the sins of many. In your infinite mercy through your Holy Spirit you have taught me that I have sinned against God and deserve nothing but your holy wrath. But you have taken my sin on yourself and given me your own righteousness. And so, Lord Jesus, I believe that you shed Your precious blood for me. I believe ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’ ”
“Do you believe this?”
28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.
Why call Mary secretly? Perhaps to keep the crowd from knowing that Jesus was there and to give Mary time to be alone with Jesus. Jesus’ business was at the cemetery not at the house of mourning.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."
The Jews follow Mary. It was God’s purpose that the people are at the tomb.
32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
Mary falls at His feet. You always find this Mary at His feet.
33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
34 And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."
There are some interesting difficulties with the word translated, “He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.” Or “deeply moved.”
The word translated “groaned” here only occurs three other times in the NT and the translations in those passages do not seem to fit this situation. In Matthew 9:30 and Mark 1:43 the word is translated “strictly charged” in the context of the one who was healed was not to tell anyone. In Mark 14:5 the word is translated “murmured” where there was a complaint about the costly ointment being “wasted” on Jesus.
Boice suggests the meaning is that Jesus was deeply moved in His spirit and an involuntary cry came from His heart. He literally snorted like a horse.
Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary:
embrimaomai (em-brim-ah'-om-ahee); from NT:1722 and brimaomai (to snort with anger); to have indignation on, i.e. (transitively) to blame, (intransitively) to sigh with chagrin, (specially) to sternly enjoin:
KJV - straitly charge, groan, murmur against.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Vine's Expository Dictionary:
GROAN, GROANING
1. embrimaomai NT:1666, from en, "in," and brime, "strength," is rendered "groaned" in John 11:33 (preferable to the RV marg., "He had indignation"); so in v. 38. The Lord was deeply moved doubtless with the combination of circumstances, present and in the immediate future. Indignation does not here seem to express His feelings.
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Barnes' Notes:
John 11:33
[He groaned in the spirit] The word rendered "groaned," here, commonly denotes to be angry or indignant, or to reprove severely, denoting violent agitation of mind. Here it also evidently denotes violent agitation-not from anger, but from grief. He saw the sorrow of others, and he was also moved with sympathy and love. The word "groan" usually, with us, denotes an expression of internal sorrow by a special sound. The word here, however, does not mean that utterance was given to the internal emotion, but that it was deep and agitating, though internal.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)
At best we can know that Jesus was deeply moved and in His pure humanity expressed Himself at the tomb of Lazarus whom He loved.
Isaiah 53:3, “A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
(35) Jesus wept.
There are only two places where it is recorded that Jesus wept. Here in John 11 and also in Luke 19 where He wept over the city of Jerusalem. In one instance He weeps for a single man. In the other He weeps for the inhabitants of the holy city.
Of all the indignities and insults that Jesus endured He did not weep. But when He confronts death and hardness of heart He weeps.
When I introduced Chapter 11, I said, “The account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is perhaps the clearest statement in Scripture of the humanity and deity of Jesus of Nazareth.”
Charles Spurgeon preached two sermons on this verse. Jesus wept.
The scheme of the inventors of chapters and verses make this the shortest verse in the Bible. Of course the Greek is not separated into verses from what is labeled verse 34.
“Jesus burst into tears.” This is the only place in NT where this verb is used.
The noun is used in Hebrews 5:7. But in 11:31, 33 a different Greek word is translated “weep.”
We see genuine humanity in the book that stresses the deity of Christ!
There are lessons about real manhood. Why do we teach little boys that they should not weep? Jesus is not ashamed to express His emotion of anguish over the death of the one He loved. Even as He knew that He would raise Lazarus from being dead four days, He weeps.
36 Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"
37 And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"
And so as we stand with Jesus before the tomb of Lazarus:
Some see the love for Lazarus expressed by Jesus. Others find fault with Him. To them, Lazarus is now beyond hope.
The miracle itself {38-44}
(38) Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
In the face of unbelief and criticism He felt the antagonism against himself and was deeply moved.
Hebrews 12:3
For consider Him who endured such hostility [contradiction] from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
(39) Jesus said, "Take away the stone."
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."
Men can move a stone; only God can raise the dead.
Martha’s faith seems to waiver.
(40,41a) 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.
Cf 4, 23, 25, 26 Stop thinking about the corpse and think of Me!
41b And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."
Jesus prays to His Father and our God.
43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"
44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."
Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, hither, out!”
And out walked the man who had been dead for four days described in detail. Loose him and handle him, this is no illusion.
This is the last of the seven miracles in John and it is the basis of the final rejection by the Jewish leaders of Jesus as the Christ. John is about to tell the story of the final week and the crucifixion.
The Lord willing the next time we will look at the various reactions to this final miracle. Many believed but the Sanhedrin was hardened.
The miracle caused great excitement among the Passover crowd.
This miracle strengthened the faith of Mary and Martha and the other disciples, except for Judas who had no genuine faith.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
Do you believe this?"
Amen
Sola Scriptura 
