John 11:38-44

John 11:38-44

Therefore Jesus again comes into the tomb while indignant in Himself.  It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.  Jesus says, “Take away the stone.”  Martha, the sister of the one who has died, says to Him, “Lord, it already stinks, for it is the fourth day.”  Jesus says to her, “Did I not say to you that if you should believe you will see the glory of God?”  Therefore they took away the stone.  And Jesus raised up the eyes and said, “Father, I give thanks to you that you heard me.  And I had known that at all times you hear me.  But for the sake of the crowd that has stood around I spoke in order that they should believe that you sent me.”  And after saying these things He cried out by a great voice, “Lazarus, come out here.”  The one who has died came out having his feet and hands being bound by strips of cloth and his face had been wrapped around with a facecloth.  Jesus said to them, “Untie him and allow him to go away.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Here again we have the word “indignant,” and it is the same word that is used in John 11:33.  In the Greek, this word is actually derived from equestrian uses.  The word comes from that moment when a horse rears back its head, pricks its ears, and snorts.  I mean a true snort, not a simple clearing of the nose.  In horse terms, this is body language for anything from excitement to alarm.  Horses frequently snort when they are concerned.  As we heard yesterday, Jesus comes to the tomb of Lazarus alarmed and concerned.  He knows what’s about to happen to Lazarus.  He knows where that will ultimately lead for both Lazarus and Himself.

Has this study of Jesus being indignant altered how you perceive Jesus in these verses?  What level of depth have you uncovered here with respect to Jesus’ perspective?

Second Thought:

I love Jesus’ and Martha’s exchange here.  Martha is focused on the stench.  Four days of death is not pretty – especially in a day and age where refrigeration isn’t an option.  But Jesus is focused on God’s glory.  Notice, however, that there is a stipulation to seeing God’s glory.  The stipulation is belief.  This is a very deep point.  We all see God’s hand at work throughout all our lives.  Whether or not we recognize it is a matter of belief.  God is present; those who believe see Him and acknowledge His presence.  Those who do not believe do not acknowledge Him and therefore do not see His glory.

Where is God’s glory in your life?  When is it easy to see?  When is it difficult?

Third Thought:

As Jesus promises, God’s power is put on display.  Lazarus is raised form the dead.  What’s neat about this story is that there is a serious lack of fanfare.  What happens when Lazarus is raised?  Jesus says to the crowd, “Unbind him and let him go home.”  In other words, “Don’t mess with the man.”  It is like Jesus is trying to tell the crowd that there is something more significant upon which they can focus that Lazarus.  Among humans, who wouldn’t want to talk to Lazarus and get all of the details?  But we’d be missing the point.  This story isn’t about Lazarus.  As with every time God’s power is on display, the story is actually about God.

If you were there, how easy would it have been for you to focus upon Lazarus and not God?  How easy would it have been for you to want all the details from Lazarus that you could have failed to recognize God drawing you closer to Him?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 11:45-53