11:17-37 The resurrection and the life

March 23, 2021

Read John 11:17-37

All the previous signs lead on to discussion and explanation but not so with the raising of Lazarus. Instead, its meaning is stated before it takes place by another “I am” saying (25-26). Martha had hurried to meet Jesus (17-20). Despite her disappointment, she still believed in him (21-24), even recognising him as “the Christ, the Son of God” (27), but she didn’t know yet that believers have “life in his name” (20:31). This sign and this “I am” saying (25-26) are therefore the climax of all that has gone before, a declaration that resurrection and life can be found in Jesus.

This sign and this saying illustrate 5:24-25 where Jesus says he is the Son of God who brings the life of the future age into the believer’s present experience. Though there will be a day of resurrection when Jesus will raise the dead to life (24; 5:28-29; 6:39-40), even now those who are spiritually dead can hear his voice and live (5:25; 11:43-44). Physical death will still happen (25), just as it did for Lazarus, but those who believe in Jesus can never truly die (26) because they already have eternal life and have crossed over from death to life (5:24).

Jesus then sent for Mary (28-31) whose grief was even more intense (32-33). This caused Jesus to be “deeply moved” (33; the Greek word indicates anger), so that he himself burst into tears (35). This emotion was not one of grief, for Lazarus was about to be raised, but of intense anger with death itself, and with Satan, the one who holds the power of death and who thus keeps people in slavery to the fear of it (Heb.2:14-15). Jesus had come into the world to bring life and so the enemy of death had to be confronted (1 Cor.15:20-26).