Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.עָזְרֵ֤נוּ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י יִשְׁעֵ֗נוּ עַל־דְּבַ֥ר כְּבֹֽוד־שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וְהַצִּילֵ֥נוּ וְכַפֵּ֥ר עַל־֝חַטֹּאתֵ֗ינוּ לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
Psalm 79:9 – NASB, Masoretic Text
Where does my help come from?
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 KJV
Each year as the festival crowds approached Jerusalem, weary and faithful Jews making the pilgrimage would pause to rest in places nearby before their walking ascent up the hill leading to the Temple.
Bethany would have been one of these places – a town where Jesus would stay with a good friend and later perform a sign the He IS the Messiah of Israel.
John 11:
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany…
John’s Gospel begins by mentioning the village along with details of Mary and Martha which do not happen until later, but of course have already happened by the time John writes his Good News to the churches and unbelievers.
Although we have just read of a story from the festival of Hanukkah where Jesus may have also stayed over at Bethany (we cannot be certain), I remind us that John’s Gospel is not strictly chronoligical.
The importance here relates to the characters – the real people of this family living in the village of Bethany outside Jerusalem. And what we are about to witness is not only a miracle and sign of Jesus, but the human love of true friends of this family by the Lord.
A messenger asks Jesus to help a friend
3 So the sisters sent a messenger to tell Yeshua, “Lord, your close friend is sick.”
These friends knew where to find Jesus, where He was preaching.
Jesus most likely had already been in this part of Judea, but departed for Samaria and other distant places as was His custom traveling from town to town preaching the Good News.
4 When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
John gives us an important background to their friendship without providing specific details of where Jesus was teaching, but he tells us something important about this family in Jesus’ earthly relationships.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
John 11:5
It is the same description John uses so often to describe the Incarnate Lord Jesus – ἀγαπάω – agapaō – ‘of persons to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly.
Christians are to love the world in this same way Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus. For John uses this same word to describe how God ‘loved’ humans made in his image.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NASB – agapaō
Yet the messenger might have thought Jesus’s response to be somewhat dismissive. “This sickness is not to end in death…”
6 Yet, when Yeshua heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. Then, after the two days, Yeshua said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
What do we fear?
Even in the unexpected crisis of these last days what does man fear most?
Death!
It was the death of their brother Mary and Martha feared. And the Apostles also fear capture and death due to several previous attempts by Jerusalem’s religious officials to kill their friend Jesus. The Disciples fear death even though Jesus had demonstrated His power over nature time and time again.
8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, not long ago the Jews wanted to stone you to death. Do you really want to go back there?”
9 Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day don’t stumble, because they see the light of this world. However, those who walk at night stumble because they have no light in themselves.”
Jesus again assures His own Apostles that He is the Light of the world and reminds that Jerusalem’s leaders have no light of God in their actions.
Lazarus
… and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.”
Of course the Apostles continue in their regular banter questioning the Lord as to His motives. Yet before we proceed to Jesus’ sign, let’s take a closer look at His friend Lazarus.
Λάζαρον –
Λάζαρος
Lazaros – Lazarus = “whom God helps” (a form of the Hebrew name Eleazar)
Jesus also tells a parable of another man, Lazarus, a poor beggar who died and God helped.
אֶלְעָזָר
el·ä·zär’ – same meaning in Hebrew was the name of Aaron’s son, also a Levite Priest, as well as several others in this Bible.
Clearly, if Jesus is going to help Lazarus it is God who helps the man close to death.
Lazarus is dead
Jesus has not spelled it out in His first mention to the Apostles as they attempt to convince the Lord not to return to Judea.
12 Then the disciples said to him,
“Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well.”
(The Disciples certainly do not care to risk returning to Bethany near Jerusalem.)
14 Then Yeshua told them plainly,
“Lazarus has died, but I’m glad that I wasn’t there so that you can grow in faith. Let’s go to Lazarus.”
How does Jesus know these things?
Can a mere man know such truths?
Of course the Disciples had witnessed such knowledge possible only from God before. Yet like us, they lack faith that Jesus can take authority over the situation as it involves their mortal lives.
16 Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to the rest of the disciples,
“Let’s go so that we, too, can die with Yeshua.”
Isn’t that how we feel when confronted by death?
How will Jesus help us, we ask ourselves?
Can the Son of Man HELP a man already dead?
That’s the question lurking in the back of our minds when we pray to God.
Can God help me even though I am dead? Will the Lord keep me from death?
Jesus returns to Bethany and eventually Jerusalem to answer the immediate questions of Lazarus’ death, the soon-to-be asked questions about the Disciples’ deaths due to following Jesus and most importantly our eternal questions about death appointed to each mortal man and our only hope of resurrection to the Light of eternal life.
To be continued, God-willing...
