Chapter Eleven of the Gospel of Saint John is one of the most narrative story-telling in the Bible. There are so many words to describe the moments in detail that one feels as though they are there with the Jews, Disciples and Jesus.
They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” And Jesus wept.
When he had said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus come forth!” And at once he who had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with bandages, and his face was tied up with a cloth.
Chief priests and the Pharisees: “What are we doing? For this man is working many signs. If we let him alone as he is, all will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
But one of them, Caiphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; nor do you reflect that it is expedient for us that one man die for the people, instead of the whole nation perishing.”
So much splendid detail though yet there is some confusion and projected human nature (our type of human nature) onto Jesus.
Now Bethany was close to Jerusalem, some fifteen stadia distance… and stadia—an ancient Greek and Roman unit of length, the Athenian unit being equal to about 607 feet (185 meters)—that’s as close as 30 football fields!
Jesus therefore came and found him already four days in the tomb… the two days Jesus stayed in the same place plus a day of travel for messenger to come to Jesus and a day for Jesus to come to Lazarus?
It is our human nature to project our own perspective on others, usually in a limiting way to them and upon deeper reflection, us too
Martha to Jesus: “Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever thou shalt ask of God, God will give it to thee.”
Of course Jesus would only ask meaningful, important things of God and God would surely grant them to His Son. After all, God The Father, Jesus The Son, and The Holy Spirit are One and know each other more intimately than we could ever imagine.
Are they One God of different time periods? God, present in the Old Testament, at a time of lawlessness transforming into lawfulness through Moses? Jesus, present in the New Testament, transforming lawfulness into obedience to love? The Holy Spirit, of the Third Testament that is coming where all human beings in all countries come to understanding and prioritizing that we are spiritual beings living as a human being and not human beings living a spiritual life? Is there a revelation of the Holy Triumvirate to come?
We have to ask God, or better yet listen for God, yet Jesus is God so there is no need for him to do so or for us to project our own limitations on God or other human beings.
It seems as though it was God’s intention to set up one last big miracle, the precursor to Jesus’ resurrection and life-after-death. I am not God and don’t think like he does but this was the last straw, the tipping point with those in power.
There was fear, disguised as self-centeredness, of the chief priests and Pharisees:
Chief priests and the Pharisees: “What are we doing? For this man is working many signs. If we let him alone as he is, all will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
This is near the ‘beginning’ of Christ (His resurrection, His Church, and near the end of his human life).
Disciples: “Rabbi, just now the Jews were seeking to stone thee; and dost thou go there again?”
After the Lazarus miracle, Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but withdrew to the district near the desert, to a town called Ephrem; and there he stayed with his disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand; and many from the country went up to Jerusalem before the Passover, in order to purify themselves. And they were looking for Jesus. And as they stood in the temple they were saying to one another…
”What do you think, that Jesus is not coming to the feast?”
Jesus: “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if he walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
How do we turn on the light within each of us?
Day 96: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Lazarus Came Forth; How do we turn on the light within each of us?
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint John Chapter 11.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
Saint John, the disciple and Apostle whom Jesus loved, was the brother of James and the son of the fisherman Zebedee and Salome.
First a disciple of John the Baptist, he was called to follow Christ.
The purpose of his Gospel he states as follows: “these are written that you may believe the Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing you may have life in his name.”
John Chapter 11: Christ hears of Lazarus’ illness; Christ decides to go to Judea; Christ says that Lazarus is dead; Martha meets Christ; Martha’s faith; Mary’s faith; Jesus mourns for Lazarus; Lazarus restored to life; The Jews plot against Jesus; The words of Caiphas; Jesus withdraws to Ephrem; The last Passover.
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his fee dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. The sisters therefore sent to him, saying “Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick.”
Jesus: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that through it the Son of God may be glorified.”
Jesus remained two more days in the same place.
Jesus to his disciples: “Let us go to Judea.”
Disciples: “Rabbi, just now the Jews were seeking to stone thee; and dost thou go there again?”
Jesus: “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if he walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
Jesus: “Lazarus, our friend, sleeps. But I go that I may wake him from sleep.”
Disciples: “Lord if he sleeps, he will be safe,”
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought he was speaking of the repose of sleep.
Repose—Noun: the state of reposing or being at rest; rest; sleep; verb: to lie dead:
His body will repose in the chapel for two days.
Jesus: “Lazarus is dead; and I rejoice on your account that I was not there, that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Thomas, the Twin: “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Jesus therefore came and found him already four days in the tomb.
??? Two days Jesus stayed in the same place plus a day of travel for messenger to and Jesus from where he was???
Now Bethany was close to Jerusalem, some fifteen stadia distance…
Stadia—an ancient Greek and Roman unit of length, the Athenian unit being equal to about 607 feet (185 meters)—that’s close 30 football fields!
Martha to Jesus: “Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever thou shalt ask of God, God will give it to thee.”
Jesus to Martha: “Thy brother shall rise.”
Martha: “I know that he will rise at the resurrection, on the last day.”
Jesus to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even if he die, shall live; and whoever lives and believes in me, shall never die. Dost thou believe this?”
Martha: “Yes Lord, I believe that you art the Christ, the Son of God, who hast come into the world.”
Martha to Mary: “The Master is here and calls thee.”
As soon as she heard this, Mary rose up quickly and came to Jesus… they followed her, saying “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell at his feet, and said to him, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died,”
When, therefore, Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he groaned in spirit and was troubled, and said “Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” And Jesus wept.
Jews: “See how much he loved him.”
Some of the Jews: “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that this man should not die?”
Jesus: “Take away the stone.”
Martha: “Lord, by this time he is already decayed, for he is dead four days.”
Jesus: “Have I not told thee that if thou believe thou shalt behold the glory of God?”
Jesus: “Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me. Yes, I knew that thou always hearest me: but because of the people who stand round, I spoke, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”
When he had said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus come forth!”
And at once he who had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with bandages, and his face was tied up with a cloth.
Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Many therefore of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what he did, believed in him.
Chief priests and the Pharisees: “What are we doing? For this man is working many signs. If we let him alone as he is, all will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
But one of them, Caiphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; nor do you reflect that it is expedient for us that one man die for the people, instead of the whole nation perishing.”
This, however, he said not of himself; but being high priest that year he prophesized that Jesus was to die for the nation. And not only for the nation, but that he might gather into one the children of God who were scattered abroad. So from this day forth their plan was to put Jesus to death.
Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but withdrew to the district near the desert, to a town called Ephrem; and there he stayed with his disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand; and many from the country went up to Jerusalem before the Passover, in order to purify themselves. And they were looking for Jesus. And as they stood in the temple they were saying to one another,”What do you think, that he is not coming to the feast?”
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