Raising Lazarus

LUKE — LESSON 19

Scriptures for this lesson are taken from Luke 19, John 11, and John 12.

As Jesus’ ministry on earth was coming to a close, the events that would bring about His crucifixion began to happen. We will study in Luke 19 the story of Zacchaeus and then move to the gospel of John to cover events that are not included in Luke’s gospel.

[Luke 19:1-10] (1) Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. (2) A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. (3) He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. (4) So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. (5) When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (6) So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. (7) All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” (8) But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (9) Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. (10) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

We are told that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. That means that he had other tax collectors working under him. He was responsible to Rome for collecting taxes over a larger general area and other workers would collect taxes from a smaller area and give the money to Zacchaeus to turn in to the Roman superior. Tax collectors were required to collect a certain amount of money from an area. Any money collected over what was required they could keep. They often were greedy and collected much more than required, robbing the people. For this reason they were hated by the people.

Jericho was a city where many of the temple priests lived. When Jesus came through on the Jericho road and chose to eat with a tax collector the people were amazed and very upset. Zacchaeus was a small man, but he wanted to see Jesus badly enough to climb up in a tree. He wanted what Jesus had to offer, he wanted the salvation that Jesus offered. When the crowd objected to Jesus going with Zacchaeus, Jesus reminded them that Zacchaeus too was a son of Abraham, and because of his willingness to give of his money to be a follower of Christ, he had put the Lord first and could receive salvation. Jesus reminded the crowd and us that He came to save the lost, the sinner, not the righteous. Of course the Jewish religious leaders considered themselves to be righteous.

For about the first eight months of His public ministry, Jesus preached and ministered to the people on the east side of the Jordan River. The area was highly populated with many Roman cities. The area was ruled by Herod so the Religious leaders in Jerusalem had no control. Jesus was on the east side of the Jordan waiting for the Passover. Now we will go into John chapter 11 to study the events that led to His crucifixion.

[John 11:1-3] (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.”

Lazarus was a man who lived in Bethany, a town about two miles from Jerusalem. He had two sisters, Martha and Mary who lived with him. He seemed to be a fairly rich man and Jesus and His followers frequently stayed at his home when they were in the Jerusalem area. Tradition holds that Lazarus was about thirty years old at this time. In John chapter 12 the story is told where Mary poured expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet and wiped it with her hair.

[John 12:1-3] (1) Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. (2) Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. (3) Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

This event occurred about three weeks after the passage in John chapter 11 just above. Remember that these scriptures were written sometime after they occurred so John made a reference to Mary’s act here in chapter 12 when he was describing the events about Lazarus’ death and resurrection in chapter 11.

[John 11:4-16] (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) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Martha and Mary knew where Jesus was so when Lazarus became very ill they sent word to Jesus. In verse 4, Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus’ sickness would not end in death but that He, God’s son would be glorified because of it. Jesus waited two more days and then told the disciples that they would go back to Judea into the territory were the Jewish Priests had control. The disciples reminded Jesus that the Jews tried to stone Jesus not long ago. Then Jesus made this cryptic statement: “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.”

He used daylight and the idea that one can walk safely because he can see where he is going but in the dark it is not safe. I believe that Jesus is trying to get them to understand that He is the light. If they are with Him they will be safe. Then Jesus told them that Lazarus was asleep so they then reasoned that Lazarus would wake up and there was no need for them to go. Jesus explained clearly that Lazarus was now dead and that they must go. So Thomas told that others that they would go with Jesus and they would all die there. It is obvious that the disciples had no idea that Jesus would be crucified at Passover which was coming in about three weeks. But Jesus knew that the events that would take place in Bethany would bring about His death on the cross.

[John 11:17-37] (17) On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. (18) Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, (19) and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. (20) When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. (21) “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (22) But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” (23) Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” (24) Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (25) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; (26) and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (27) “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (28) After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” (29) When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. (30) Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. (32) When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (33) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. (34) “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. (35) Jesus wept. (36) Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” (37) But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

It was about a two day journey from where Jesus was on the east side of the Jordan River to Bethany so Lazarus had been dead 4 days and was already in the tomb. The Jews did not practice embalming like the Egyptians did so they buried their dead very quickly. They also had professional mourners who would come and moan and cry and wail at a funeral. There were many people there, friends and relatives as well as the professional mourners who had come from Bethany and Jerusalem for Lazarus’ funeral and to comfort the two sisters. When Martha was told that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. She spoke to Jesus telling Him that she knew if He had been there He could have saved Lazarus, but she also knew that God would give Him whatever He asked for. This sounds like she believed that Jesus could bring Lazarus back from the dead. But then Jesus reminded her that Lazarus would rise again at the resurrection in the last days and that He was the resurrection and the life, He had control over life and death. Martha then went to tell Mary that Jesus had arrived and was asking for her. Some of the Jewish visitors followed Mary thinking she was going to the tomb to mourn and they would go along to comfort her. When Mary got to Jesus she said the same thing that Martha had said, “If you had been here my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw Mary and the others with her crying about Lazarus, Jesus was deeply moved. Then when they showed Him where Lazarus was buried, He wept. The question Is, why did Jesus weep? He knew that He would raise Lazarus in just a few minutes and Mary and Martha’s tears would turn to joy. Jesus had waited until Lazarus was dead to come there because He knew that the raising of Lazarus would bring about His crucifixion at the Passover that was coming shortly. This was God’s timing and God’s will. I think partly Jesus wept because these people were His friends and they were suffering from grief. And remember that the 12 Apostles were there with Jesus. But mainly I think that Jesus wept because these people He knew so well and they knew Him had so little understanding and faith about who He was and why He had come to earth. What His mission and purpose was. These were His closest friends, He loved them and they had heard His message, witnessed His miracles but they still did not understand. I believe that is why He wept.

[John 11:38-44] (38) Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. (39) “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” (40) Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (41) So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. (42) 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.” (43) When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (44) 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.”

It is obvious now that Martha did not believe that Jesus was going to bring Lazarus back to life because when Jesus told the men to roll away the stone covering the entrance to the tomb, she told Jesus that the body would have a bad odor after 4 days. Jesus then told them that they should remove the stone and they would see the glory of God. After the stone was rolled away, Jesus called out to God to hear His plea, and then He said that He was audibly asking for the benefit of those listening so that they would believe that He, Jesus, was the Son of God. Then Jesus called to Lazarus and told him to come out of the tomb. When Lazarus came back to life and walked out of the tomb, he was still wrapped in the linen strips of cloth that they wrapped around a dead body and put perfumes and spices in the burial wrappings. The people who had gathered to mourn for Lazarus saw the Glory of God. Witnessing this miracle convinced the people that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. This had been Jesus’ purpose in waiting until Lazarus was dead before he came to Bethany.

[John 11:45-57] (45) Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. (46) But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. (47) Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. (48) If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” (49) Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! (50) You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” (51) He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, (52) and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. (53) So from that day on they plotted to take his life. (54) Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. (55) When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. (56) They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” (57) But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

As already stated many people from Jerusalem were in Bethany and saw Lazarus come out of the grave. A large number of those people believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Some of the witnesses went to the Jewish Religious leaders telling them what Jesus had done. Members of the Sanhedrin expressed their fear that if Jesus was not stopped then the Romans would no longer allow them to rule in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin was allowed by the Romans to rule except they could not give a death sentence. Only Rome could do that. They were obviously not concerned whether Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, only what they stood to lose. Then Caiaphas who was the High Priest and the son-in-law of Annas prophetically said that it was better to have Jesus killed than for them to lose control and power over the nation. The wheels were set in motion then for Jesus to be killed at the Passover.

Lessons from Luke 19 and John 11:

1. Jesus came for the lost and they should be our mission today.

2. Everything works on God’s time table.

3. Take all things to the Lord. Nothing is too big and nothing is too small.

4. We should be more concerned with our heavenly wealth than our worldly wealth and power.

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