Lazarus is Dead

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ²Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. ³So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” ⁴But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” ⁵Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was... ¹¹After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” ¹²The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” ¹³Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” John 11:1-6; 11-15

We know very little about Jesus' life prior to his public ministry. The gospel of Matthew and Luke share his birth story and a few details from childhood and that is basically it. The story of Lazarus in John's gospel hints at strong friendship between Jesus and Lazarus, as well as Mary and Martha. When Lazarus is ill on his deathbed, Mary sends word to Jesus. She knows he can cure Lazarus, but she also knows how much Jesus loves and cares for him. This is why Jesus' response is so befuddling. Rather than go immediately to Bethany (as most would for a friend or loved one) he waits two days, during which Lazarus dies. While it is tempting to jump to the conclusion of the story when everything works out in the end, it is important to dwell with this text.


Jesus tells the disciples that Lazarus' illness will not lead to death, but will be for God's glory. He then tells the disciples that Lazarus is not merely sleeping but is dead. These two, seemingly contradictory, sentiments encompass the core of Jesus ministry. In Christ, death is not the end of the story. Death is defeated on the cross and Lazarus' death will be sign of promise revealed on the cross. As the chronology of John's gospel makes clear, it will be only a few days after Lazarus' death that Jesus will die on the cross. Both Jesus and Lazarus are dying, but death will not be the last word. We no longer have to fear death for it is swallowed up in the victory of Christ's resurrection. Thanks be to God!


Prayer: Lord, help me believe in communion of saints and the resurrection. Help me trust that through Christ death has been defeated and I have nothing to fear, in Jesus' name, AMEN.