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Educator's Forum >
Theological Briefs > Raising of Lazarus
Raising
of Lazarus
John 11: 1-57
"This is John’s
greatest miracle in the earthly life of Jesus up until the resurrection,
and this is also the act which propels Jesus to Jerusalem and to the cross.
It is the passage with the shortest verse in the Bible (vs. 35), "Jesus
wept" (Greek), "Jesus began to weep" (NRSV). Both faith
and anger are expressed here when Martha is extremely vocal in her calling
Jesus to task. "
"We encounter
another I am saying here, "I am the resurrection and the life"
(11:25) It must be kept in mind that this is a resuscitation of Lazarus,
distinctly different from the resurrection Jesus which it foreshadows.
The resurrected Jesus is a glorified body, whereas Lazarus will die again."
"Where this passage
ends at vs. 57, it is clear that it is the choice of the people to believe
or not to believe. There are those who come and see and believe; and there
are others who come and see and tattle to the high priests. Even when
seeing such a magnificent act of glory there must be faith to believe
in it. "
"This is the
Jus of cryptic phrases and "don’t touch me" at the scene
of the resurrection. And yet, this Jesus as one untouched by the world
suddenly is now the one weeping and showing real humanity. The contract
here is amazing. The glory theme could hold it together."
"Contemporaneity
arises again in the fact that there is no other place where Jesus is directly
criticized by the people who love him. We can think of hospital situations
where there is criticism of God for suffering. Why does God allow this
to happen? Martha asks Jesus why he didn’t come sooner and Jesus
gives his answer (vv. 20-24), but Martha fires back at him again, "I
know all that." Could her reply e a demand as if to say, "but
why didn’t you come?" She demands an answer from God. Do Martha’s
prayers and weeping prompt Jesus to act?"
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