Jesus had a lot of friends, but some were especially close to him and he loved them dearly. The siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived in Bethany, on the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, just two miles from Jerusalem. They opened their home to Jesus whenever he came to town. Martha was an excellent hostess, Mary had a tender heart, and Lazarus was a dear friend.

So when the family needed help from Jesus, of course he went to them – but only after the Father told him to go.

The Death of Lazarus

This story seems to be full of contradictions. Jesus got a simple message from Mary and Martha: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” (John 11:3) and he told his disciples, “This sickness will not end in death. No it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) But he didn’t reply to the sisters who were anxiously awaiting word from him.

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’” John 11:5-7

It seems odd that Jesus didn’t go right away to see Lazarus, especially since he knew God was going to be glorified in this situation. Apparently the Father had not told him to go yet.

The disciples were glad when Jesus decided to stay where he was, and then alarmed two days later when he said they were going back to Judea. They remembered how the Jews had tried to stone Jesus the last time they were there. But Jesus knew now was the time to act.

“So then he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’

Then Thomas said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’” John 11:16

Jesus was probably two day’s journey from Bethany so there was no way for him to get to Mary and Martha before they buried Lazarus. Jesus had resurrected two other people, but it was always soon after they died. Lazarus was far-gone before Jesus came to Bethany, but Jesus didn’t worry about the conditions he was walking toward. He was under his Father’s guidance and that meant all would be well in the end.

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life

By the time Jesus arrived Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days and Martha and Mary wondered why he had delayed coming to them. They both said to him, “Lord, If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:21,32

Martha went on to say that she knew that even though Jesus hadn’t saved her brother from death, even now God would give him whatever he asked.

“Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’” John 11:23

Martha already knew that – but she was thinking of the final resurrection when all the dead will rise. Then Jesus made an extraordinary statement about himself.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’” John 11:25-27

Jesus Resurrects Lazarus

Jesus sent for Mary and when she saw him she fell at his feet weeping.

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked.

‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied.

Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’

But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’” John 11:33-37

Jesus wept because of the depth of sorrow he saw in the faces around him. Jesus was moved and sympathized so deeply with them that he too wept.

He asked the people to roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb. Then he brought his silent, internal dialogue with his Father into the open where others could hear it.

“Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’” John 11:41-42

Jesus spoke to Lazarus, “‘Lazarus, come out!’ the dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’” John 11:43-44

What a picture of fellowship and community around this resurrection! When people are saved from their sins they are often still in their “grave clothes.” Like Lazarus, people need their brothers and sisters to come alongside and assist them as they shed the old trappings of sin and death.

The Pharisees Plot Against Jesus

If ever there was a time for the Pharisees to accept Jesus as the Messiah, it should have been when they learned he had the power of life over death. What they saw instead was a threat to their balance of power with Rome. The Roman governors recognized the Pharisees, but they didn’t know Jesus. If the Pharisees lost control of the people to someone like him, it might look like an insurrection was underway. The Romans might destroy the Jewish temple and break up their nation.

The Pharisees had reason to worry because that, in fact, is exactly what happened in AD 70.

Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit was still speaking to the Jewish Ruling Council. Caiaphas, the high priest that year, prophesied that the death of one man would save the nation and all the scattered children of God. Taking this prophecy as a sign, the Pharisees began in earnest to plot how to take Jesus’ life.

Jesus knew it was not yet time for him to die, so he withdrew from Judea to a wilderness area north of Jerusalem for a while. The Passover celebration came and people looked forward to seeing Jesus in Jerusalem again. There were standing orders for his arrest and the Pharisees had spies everywhere watching for him.

Jesus Heals Ten Lepers

Eventually Jesus started his journey back to Jerusalem. As he walked along the border of Samaria and lower Galilee he was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance and shouted to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Luke 17:13

Jesus didn’t call them to him or touch them in any way. He simply told them to go and show themselves to the priest, and as they went on their way they were cleansed.

One of them was so overwhelmed with gratitude that he came back, threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. Jesus wondered why only one man had returned to praise God for his miracle, but he blessed the man and sent him on his way.

Jesus is Coming Again

The kingdom Jesus was building was nothing like any kingdom Israel had known before. There was no capitol city, no central location for worship, no priestly class and no earthly king. So the Pharisees wanted to know exactly what Jesus meant by “the kingdom of God”. He told them,

“‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom is in your midst.’” Luke 17:20

The kingdom of God could not be pinpointed because it was located in the hearts of the people who followed Jesus. Besides that, Jesus, the visible king of the kingdom of God, was going away and his invisible Spirit was coming in his place.

“[Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them.’” Luke 17:22-23

Jesus said he was going to come to the earth again and he promised his disciples they would know when it happened. His return will not be a secret because when he returns his glory will be so brilliant everyone will be blown away by it.

“‘For the Son of Man in his day will be like lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.’” Luke 17:24

In the past there were other acts of God that were foretold, but still seemed to catch people off guard – like the great flood in Noah’s time, or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. People were told to expect these things, but they weren’t ready when it happened.

Jesus’ audience now ranged from dedicated disciples who had said they were ready to lay down their lives for him, to evil-hearted Pharisees who plotted to take his life. In the coming days Jesus was going to produce an encyclopedia of information about the kingdom of God, but only those with ears to hear would receive what he had to say.