GOD’S WILL AND THE GLORY OF GOD 
Describe any awe-inspiring experience that surprised your or took your breath away.
When we view a beautiful sunrise or sunset we marvel at the beauty of creation and glorify the Creator who made it. We bring glory to God when we obey His Will. Different world religions offer wrong perceptions of how God works in the world. Some see His acts as capricious and seemingly on a whim. Others view God as distant and uncaring. Many think our God is the same as theirs- which is very wrong and causes much concern. But the Bible reveals the true nature of God: the all-powerful God who acts in holiness and love on a personal level. Jesus also showed us the death of Lazarus that God always works for His glory. Reminder: one of the real reasons we were created and exist is to glorify God daily.
Read John 11:1-4
Lazarus, of Bethany – John, who seldom relates anything but what the other evangelists have omitted, does not tell us what gave rise to that familiar acquaintance and friendship that subsisted between our Lord and this family. It is surprising that the other evangelists have omitted so remarkable an account as this is, in which some of the finest traits in our Lord’s character are exhibited. The conjecture of Grotius has a good deal of weight. He thinks that the other three evangelists wrote their histories during the life of Lazarus; and that they did not mention him for fear of exciting the malice of the Jews against him. And indeed we find, from John 12:10, that they sought to put Lazarus to death also, that our Lord might not have one monument of his power and goodness remaining in the land. Probably both Lazarus and his sisters were dead before John wrote. Bethany was situated at the foot of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem. Several have observed that “there is a large gap in John’s history of Christ in this place. What is mentioned in the preceding chapter passed at the feast of the dedication, John 10:22, about the middle of our December. This miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead seems to have been wrought but a little before the following The Passover, in the end of March or April. This seems to be close to the time at which Jesus was crucified, as may be gathered from verses 54 and 55 of this chapter, and from John 12:9.” John has, therefore, according to the commentary’s calculation, omitted to mention the several miracles which our Lord wrought for above three months after the things mentioned in the preceding chapter. This entire chapter deals with the resurrection of Lazarus.
The town of Mary – The place where she lived. At that place also lived Simon the leper Matthew 26:6, and there our Lord spent considerable part of his time when he was in Judea. It was that Mary which anointed – There is much disagreement between learned men relative to the two anointings of our Lord, and the persons who performed these acts. The various conjectures concerning these points the reader will find in the notes on Matthew 26:7, etc., but particularly at the end of that chapter. Why should Bethany be called the town of Martha and Mary, and not of Lazarus? The reason appears to be,, that Martha and Mary had been well known by that anointing of our Lord, which is mentioned Luke 7:37; but the name of Lazarus had not been mentioned till now. So, there being no transaction by which he could properly be brought into view. Therefore that the anointing, should have its full force, thus thinking seems to have been the reason of that familiarity which subsisted between our Lord and this family; and, on this ground, they could confidently send for our Lord when Lazarus fell sick. This seems a very reasonable conjecture; and it is very likely that the familiarity arose out of the anointing.
He whom thou loves is sick – Nothing could be more simple, nor more modest, than this prayer: they do not say, Come and heal him: or, Command the disease to depart even where thou art, and it will obey thee: – they content themselves with simply stating the case, and using an indirect but a most forcible argument, to induce our Lord to show forth his power and goodness: – He is sick, and thou loves him; therefore thou canst neither abandon him, not us. They believed that he had power to heal him John 11:21, though they did not then seem to suppose that he could raise him if he died. Perhaps there were two reasons why they sent for him; one, because they supposed he would be desirous of seeing his friend; the other, because they supposed he could restore him. In sickness we should implore the aid and presence of Jesus. He only can restore us and our friends; he only can perform for us the office of a friend when all other friends fail; and he only can cheer us with the hope of a blessed resurrection.]
This sickness is not unto death – The word “death” here is equivalent to remaining under death, Romans 6:23. “The wages of sin is death” – permanent or unchanging death, opposed to eternal life. Jesus evidently did not intend to deny that he would die. The words which he immediately adds show that he would expire, and that he would raise him up to show forth the power and glory of God. Compare John 11:11. Those words cannot be understood on any other supposition than that he expected to raise him up. The Savior often used expressions similar to this to fix the attention on what he was about to say in explanation. The sense may be thus expressed: “His sickness is not fatal. It is not designed for his death, but to furnish an opportunity for a signal display of the glory of God, and to furnish a standing proof of the truth of religion. It is intended to exhibit the power of the Son of God, and to be a proof at once of the truth of his mission; of his friendship for this family; of his mild, tender, special love as a man; of his power and glory as the Messiah; and of the great doctrine that the dead will rise.
Read John 11:38-43
During a good portion of my lifetime, science has been used to oppose the Bible and the Christian faith. In thousands of classrooms across our country, professors and teachers have asked their students, “Does anyone here believe in the Bible?” or “Is anyone here a Christian?” There is an all-too-often story of a little girl who was in such a class in a secular university, and one of a very few (if, indeed, there were any others as so many are against the Bible) who raised her hand, acknowledging her belief in the Bible and her faith in Jesus Christ. The professor responded by sneering at her as though she was ill-informed and ignorant, or, at best, naive.
For too many years now, unbelieving scholars and teachers have been scoffing at Christians and their faith, hoping to shame us into silence. They wish to convince themselves and others that faith is “believing in what isn’t real or true.” Is our faith ill-founded? Does our faith hang by an intellectual thread? Is faith required because there is too little evidence to support the claims of the Bible? Not at all! In this Scripture, I am going to suggest something absolutely amazing, at least in the light of those scholars who are also scoffers. I am going to suggest that faith in Jesus Christ is the only reasonable response to biblical revelation. I will further say that it is unbelief that is unbelievable, and that faith in Jesus Christ is the only “reasonable” response to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In our text, Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave with a prayer and a shout. Providentially, a crowd is present at the grave sight, not only to witness this miracle, but to participate in it. As a result of this amazing miracle, many of those who are there come to a faith in Jesus and the Messiah. Some do not, and these folks report what has happened to the Jewish religious leaders, who set in motion a plan to arrest and kill Jesus. By their own words, these leaders of Israel reveal that their unbelief is not due to a lack of evidence, but stems from their desire to protect their own selfish interests. Let us look carefully at this amazing event and its aftermath to learn the lessons God has for us in this text
Serious opposition to Jesus in Jerusalem begins in chapter 5, when Jesus heals the paralytic on a Sabbath, instructing him to take up his bed and walk, and defending His actions by claiming to be God. Jesus retreats to Galilee in chapter 6, where He feeds the 5,000 and teaches that He is the “bread of life.” In chapter 7, Jesus returns to Jerusalem once again for the Feast of Tabernacles. The issue of the healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath is once again raised (see 7:23), and soon the Pharisees and chief priests send out the temple police to arrest Jesus. They return, but without the Master. These men explain that they did not arrest Jesus because they have never heard anyone teach as He does (7:45-46). In chapter 8, Jesus claims to be the “light of the world” (8:12), and then in chapter 9, He undergirds His claim by giving sight to a man born blind. When Jesus claims to be the good Shepherd in chapter 10, He clearly implies that the Jewish religious leaders are “thieves and robbers,” who abuse the sheep. The Jewish religious leaders react by seeking to kill Him, but they fail, once again. Jesus therefore leaves Judea once again, establishing His base of operations at the Jordan River, where John the Baptist formerly carried on his ministry (10:40-42). It is the life-threatening illness of Lazarus which results in a desperate message from Martha and Mary, urging Jesus to come back to the little village of Bethany, just a stone’s throw from Jerusalem. Jesus deliberately delays His journey to Bethany until Lazarus dies. When He finally arrives near the home of the two sisters He loves, Lazarus has already been buried for four days. Both sisters are perplexed by our Lord’s delay, but both nevertheless reaffirm their faith in Him. By the end of verse 37, Jesus has just arrived at the tomb where Lazarus is buried. It is here that we take a few lessons from Jesus.
During a good portion of my lifetime, science has been used to oppose the Bible and the Christian faith. In thousands of classrooms across our country, professors and teachers have asked their students, “Does anyone here believe in the Bible?” or “Is anyone here a Christian?” My daughter was in such a class in a secular university, and one of a very few (if, indeed, there were any others) who raised her hand, acknowledging her belief in the Bible and her faith in Jesus Christ. The professor responded by sneering at her as though she was ill-informed and ignorant, or, at best, naive. For too many years now, unbelieving scholars and teachers have been scoffing at Christians and their faith, hoping to shame us into silence. They wish to convince themselves and others that faith is “believing in what isn’t real or true.” Is our faith ill-founded? Does our faith hang by an intellectual thread? Is faith required because there is too little evidence to support the claims of the Bible? Not at all!
In this message, I am going to suggest something absolutely amazing, at least in the light of those scholars who are also scoffers. I am going to suggest that faith in Jesus Christ is the only reasonable response to biblical revelation. I will further say that it is unbelief that is unbelievable, and that faith in Jesus Christ is the only “reasonable” response to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In our text, Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave with a prayer and a shout. Providentially, a crowd is present at the grave sight, not only to witness this miracle, but to participate in it. As a result of this amazing miracle, many of those who are there come to a faith in Jesus and the Messiah. Some do not, and these folks report what has happened to the Jewish religious leaders, who set in motion a plan to arrest and kill Jesus. By their own words, these leaders of Israel reveal that their unbelief is not due to a lack of evidence, but stems from their desire to protect their own selfish interests. Let us look carefully at this amazing event and its aftermath to learn the lessons God has for us in this text.
Serious opposition to Jesus in Jerusalem begins in chapter 5, when Jesus heals the paralytic on a Sabbath, instructing him to take up his bed and walk, and defending His actions by claiming to be God. Jesus retreats to Galilee in chapter 6, where He feeds the 5,000 and teaches that He is the “bread of life.” In chapter 7, Jesus returns to Jerusalem once again for the Feast of Tabernacles. The issue of the healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath is once again raised (see 7:23), and soon the Pharisees and chief priests send out the temple police to arrest Jesus. They return, but without the Master. These men explain that they did not arrest Jesus because they have never heard anyone teach as He does (7:45-46). When Jesus claims to be the good Shepherd in chapter 10, He clearly implies that the Jewish religious leaders are “thieves and robbers,” who abuse the sheep. It is the life-threatening illness of Lazarus which results in a desperate message from Martha and Mary, urging Jesus to come back to the little village of Bethany, just a stone’s throw from Jerusalem. Jesus deliberately delays His journey to Bethany until Lazarus dies. When He finally arrives near the home of the two sisters He loves, Lazarus has already been buried for four days. Both sisters are perplexed by our Lord’s delay, but both nevertheless reaffirm their faith in Him. By the end of verse 37, Jesus has just arrived at the tomb where Lazarus is buried. It is here that we take up the account.
Jesus, intensely moved again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. 42 I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.” Twice already, John has written of our Lord’s deep emotional response to the death of Lazarus, and more specifically, in response to the sorrow of Mary and those gathered there with her at the tomb of Lazarus. A sob erupts from Jesus, trembling as He continues to sob inwardly (verse 33). As He draws near the tomb where the body of His friend lies, Jesus bursts out in tears (verse 35). Now, in verse 38, John tells us that Jesus is “intensely moved again.” Jesus is truly touched with compassion as He enters into the grief of those gathered there to mourn the death of Lazarus.
Lazarus is buried in a cave, with a stone covering the opening. This sounds strikingly similar to the burial sight of our Lord (e.g. Matthew 27:60). The raising of Lazarus almost looks like a dress rehearsal for the resurrection of our Lord in the near future. Jesus orders the stone to be rolled away. We can’t be sure who Jesus orders to move the stone, or who actually does move it. It could be the disciples, of course, but it may just as well be others, such as some of those who have come to mourn with Mary. I am inclined to think that Jesus deliberately employs those other than His disciples to remove the stone. Doing this would seem to require some measure of faith on their part. Such personal involvement in this process makes these participants even better witnesses to the miracle which is about to occur.
It is Martha, however, who objects to our Lord’s instruction to remove the stone. She protests that too much time has passed. The body will certainly smell very bad, she explains. But beyond this, it just seems to reopen a very painful wound. It seems quite obvious that Martha is not expecting Jesus to perform any miracle here, and certainly not the raising of one who has been dead for several days. Earlier, Jesus assures her that if she believes, she will see the glory of God (verse 40). By calling this to her attention once again, Jesus is seeking to stretch her faith. Martha relents, and the stone is removed.
Our Lord then lifts His eyes to heaven and begins to pray to His heavenly Father. This is one of the few times in the Gospels that a public prayer of our Lord is recorded. Earlier He warned about the misuse of public prayers, which are only for show (Matthew 6:5). But Jesus consistently claims that He does His Father’s work, and that He works with God (see John 5:17, 19-23, 30, 37, 43). Martha has just testified that she believes whatever Jesus asks of the Father, He will give to Him (11:22). Our Lord’s prayer is intended to demonstrate that the miraculous raising of Lazarus is something that the Father does through the Son. It is a public testimony to the fact that the Father hears the Son, demonstrating His power and glory through Him. Jesus does not pray this prayer for His own benefit, but for the benefit of the crowd looking on (11:41-42). His prayer does not specifically petition the Father to raise Lazarus. Jesus does thank His Father because He hears His prayers. Our Lord’s petition here is that men might believe that He has been sent from the Father, and we know that this prayer was answered (see verse 45).
Having prayed in this manner, Jesus now cries out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (verse 43). It has quite often been observed that if Jesus had not specified “Lazarus,” every dead body in the region would have arisen from the dead. In shouting with a loud voice, Jesus reveals His confidence that the Father will hear Him, and that Lazarus will rise from the dead.
Read John 11:44-45
“Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him and let him go.” Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what He did believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. (John 11:43-46) All quibbles about how Lazarus might have been able to walk while still wrapped in the grave-clothes are on the same level of questions of how the dead in their tombs shall rise in judgment with all that weight upon them. It is not stated that Lazarus “walked out,” but that he “came forth.” The fiat of a divine commandment brought Lazarus out of the grave even if both of his legs were bound together, and not separately in the manner of the Egyptians. The separate binding of Lazarus’ legs has been supposed by some commentators in their gratuitous efforts to help the Lord (!) get Lazarus out after raising him FROM THE DEAD! Loose him, and let him go … Lazarus was still bound and could not “go” unless released. See under John 11:39.
Whatever similarities exist between Lazarus’ resurrection and the resurrection of all men at the last day, there is one great difference. Lazarus did not rise “through the tomb” as Jesus did but came forth out of it horizontally to the same life he had before, still cumbered with mortality, still subject to all conditions of earthly life. The holy record makes no concession to human curiosity. Enough for all men to know that the deed here recorded was an actual historical event, memorialized in the name of the village where it occurred, reported by those who saw it as a FACT, acted upon by the highest court in the Hebrew nation as an EVENT impossible of denial, and judged by them as so powerful a wonder that they decided to slay Jesus to keep everyone on earth from believing on him! This points to the glorious display of power and love that God has shown forth in Jesus. The truth of what Jesus did makes salvation possible for all who repent and believe in Jesus.