John 11

I've been reading through the Gospel of John lately, and although I've read it many times before, I'm just now realizing how different it is from the other gospels. It's like the other three writers were intent on writing the biographical facts of Jesus' life, but then John wrote an essay to expound upon the meaning of Jesus' life. Picture it this way. We read Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Then, we come to John and plead with him: "John, what does it all mean?!!?"

John takes up his pen to respond and starts with these words. He doesn't begin with the details of Christ's birth or with the events that inaugurated his public ministry. Instead, he interprets the entire meaning of who and what Jesus is:

"In the beginning, there was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory--the glory as of the only begotten of the Father--full of grace and truth."

What an awesome and profound explanation!

Anyway, I read Chapter 11 today, concerning the death and resuscitation of Lazarus. I've been taken by how John's description of Jesus is so different from the others' in that John has more insight into what Jesus was thinking and feeling. He also describes with much greater detail the arguments between the Pharisees and Jesus. In the account of Lazarus, we find a rare description of the heart of our Lord.

Notice that in verse 3, we find that Jesus "loved" Lazarus. The Greek word for love here is PHILEO, indicating brotherly, friendship love. In verse 5, we find that Jesus "loved" Martha and Mary, but here the word is AGAPE, which describes what some call "virtue love". AGAPE is love of the will; it does not depend upon emotion or the attractiveness of the object, but rather upon the virtue of the subject.

It's interesting that Jesus deliberately waits long enough for Lazarus to die. This is another demonstration of God's way of dealing with us. He allows us to experience impossible situations in which no solutions are available. Then, in the middle of the impossible crisis, He moves. Pretty cool, and a real test of faith.

In verses 23 through 26, Jesus advises Martha that her brother will live again through faith in Christ. I believe that this teaching has nothing to do with the fact that He was about to revive Lazarus. Rather, He was teaching her the doctrine of resurrection. What He said would have been true whether He raised Lazarus or not. The fact that He did simply indicated that He had the authority to expostulate on death and life.

The resuscitation (not resurrection!) of Lazarus caused an intensification of the religious opposition to Jesus. At this dramatic moment, the high priest Caiaphas prophetically proclaims that "It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." What an awesome and ironic thing to say! From the mouth of a devilish man comes a beautiful, divine truth.

I also think it's cool when Jesus told the people standing there as Lazarus staggers out of the cave in grave clothes, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." What a perfect description of salvation in Christ!