John 11-1-45.
The raising of Lazarus from the dead is the final miracle of Jesus’ public life, in John’s gospel. By it Jesus gives glory to God. With the mention of” glory” and “faith” (11,40) John links this last miracle of Jesus’ with his first one performed at Cana where “he let his glory be see and his disciples believed in him.” (2,11). For John all Jesus’ miracles show the power of God at work in him and are a gateway to faith for those who accept him.
We are told Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus, but he didn’t rush to their aid immediately on hearing of Lazarus’ illness. The disciples were pleased for his safety. Jesus tarries for their sake so that through this miracle they may believe in him.
On hearing of his arrival at Bethany Martha goes to meet him. Her greeting acknowledges his power with God, but like our Lady at the wedding at Cana she does not ask for a miracle. Jesus replies with a memorable “I am” statement. (There are7 “I am” statements in John’s gospel). He is the resurrection and the life. Belief in this truth will guarantee eternal life despite physical death.
Returning to Mary, Martha discreetly informs her that Jesus wishes to speak to her, and Mary leaves her home to meet him, followed by all those who had come to sympathise with them on their brother’s death.
At the sight of Mary’s tears and those of the Jews who accompanied her, Jesus sighs from the heart at the helplessness of the human condition in the face of death, the work of Satan and sin. He is still sighing as he reaches the tomb. At Jesus’ command to remove the stone Martha, always the practical one, warns Jesus that the body will smell (stink in the Greek text), because it has been in the tomb for four days. After four days, death was beyond doubt according to rabbinic thought of the time. Jesus ‘prayer is a thanksgiving to God but also a teaching for the bystanders to elicit faith. The loud cry of Jesus to the dead Lazarus would have startled but soon delighted the bystanders as they saw his body slowly emerging from the tomb.
The raising of Lazarus shows that Jesus is the resurrection and the life for those who believe. He is the life of God’s people and his love and power reach beyond the tomb.
The raising of Lazarus and the command to “Unbind and let him go free,” show Jesus is Lord of life and death, our friend, and the liberator from all that binds us, and giver of eternal life to those who believe in him.
This story shows the love and compassion of Jesus for his bereaved friends in the face of death and grief, and for all who grieve today, as well. For those who believe in him nothing is impossible. He has power over life and death and sin because he is the resurrection and the life, and in the last analysis that’s what matters.
The dying and rising of Lazarus is a symbolic reminder of the dying to sin and rising to new life which takes place in Baptism and when members of the Catechumenate/ RCIA enter into full communion with the Church at Easter.
Father Geoff O’Grady