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The Death of Lazarus
a.John 11:16 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin
We're already in Chapter 11 of John. Seems like we just started Matthew 1:1 a few weeks ago. This year has flown through. Can you believe it? It's almost Thanksgiving again.
OK... back to John.... Jesus got a message that someone He was apparently very close to was gravely ill.... on the brink of death. To visit His friend, He would have to go back to just a few miles from Jerusalem, where the Pharisees and company were ready to stone Him to death for besting them in their own arguments.
Jesus could have healed Lazarus from where He was. We have seen this when He healed the rich man's son. But He didn't.
In verse 11 Jesus says Lazarus is asleep which means that Jesus knew that he had died. Jesus knew this.... one of His disciples even said "If he's sleeping, he'll get better..... " paraphrased that might have been "If he's sleeping why would you bring a crowd around to wake him up? After all, the guy is seriously ill!" But Jesus knew this was a sign that even doubting Thomas needed to see for themselves to believe.
John 11:1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
a.John 11:16 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin
We're already in Chapter 11 of John. Seems like we just started Matthew 1:1 a few weeks ago. This year has flown through. Can you believe it? It's almost Thanksgiving again.
OK... back to John.... Jesus got a message that someone He was apparently very close to was gravely ill.... on the brink of death. To visit His friend, He would have to go back to just a few miles from Jerusalem, where the Pharisees and company were ready to stone Him to death for besting them in their own arguments.
Jesus could have healed Lazarus from where He was. We have seen this when He healed the rich man's son. But He didn't.
In verse 11 Jesus says Lazarus is asleep which means that Jesus knew that he had died. Jesus knew this.... one of His disciples even said "If he's sleeping, he'll get better..... " paraphrased that might have been "If he's sleeping why would you bring a crowd around to wake him up? After all, the guy is seriously ill!" But Jesus knew this was a sign that even doubting Thomas needed to see for themselves to believe.