Imperishable Inheritance

What a beautiful story demonstrating the Hypostatic Union of Christ and the greatest metaphor for salvation in the Bible. In the passage I am about to examine, we see Christ weep (v. 35), show mercy (v. 11, 25-26), compassion (v. 5), love (v. 5, 36), fearlessness (v. 7-10), reproof (v. 9-10), anguish (v. 33), and all the while maintaining the praise and glory of The Father (v. 15, 25-26, 40-42) and demonstrating the process of salvation.

As unrepentant, unregenerated sinners we are 'dead' to the things of God (Romans 3:10-12). God could've easily passed over all us to demonstrate his just nature (Romans 9:22-24), but He did not.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
1 John 3:14

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26

We now will look at the story of Lazarus.

But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
John 11:4

From this account (v. 4), we can safely deduce that the divine purpose and decree of salvation for fallen man is solely for the glorification of the Triune Creator of the universe.

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him."
John 11:5-11

Christ demonstrates his fearlessness over human threat when He returns to Judea solely out of his compassion and love for Lazarus. This is also seen as the metaphoric love that Christ had for us to come, in the flesh, despite the torture and persecution He knew He would endure (John 16:28). By stating 'If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world (v. 10)' it is an affirmation that Christ's time to continue performing miracles had not yet finished (the day).

The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
John 11:12-15

Christ again has to clear up His words to His disciples, because they did not understand that Christ mean, by saying 'sleep,' that his death is only temporary. And this is as it is with our death, temporary. He also speaks how Lazarus' death is glorifying to Himself. Let us never think that death is of any injustice.

Verse 16 demonstrates the loyalty of Thomas in that he was ready (although he later doubts), and rallied the disciples, to go with Christ to Judea and 'die with him [Christ],' because there was immense danger for Christ to go near Jerusalem. Verses 17-19 tell us the place of the account (Bethany), and that many were gathered to mourn the death of Lazarus.

So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
John 11:20-23

Verse 21 expresses her grief by exclaiming at Jesus that Lazarus would not have died if He were there, because 'whatever you ask from God, God will give you.' But what does Jesus do? He affirms who He is.

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."
John 11:23-28

Martha misconstrues what Jesus was saying by: 'Your brother will rise again' into thinking Jesus was speaking of his spiritual resurrection on the last day. What does Jesus say: 'I am the resurrection and the life [not mutually exclusive] … everyone who believes in me shall never die.' Christ affirms the importance of faith in this process of salvation (regeneration).

And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see."
John 11:29-34

And what does Mary do after hearing from Martha? Questions Him the same as Martha did. We should see this as a representation of how we continually question Christ despite His perseverance for us. Let us stop accusing God of what we lose or what we don't have but for what we do have.

Jesus was 'deeply moved' and 'greatly troubled' at watching others suffer. Let us remember he was moved and troubled even after seeing Martha accuse and seemingly deny His will.

Jesus wept.
John 11:35

What an incredible verse! This verse affirms the humanity all the while His divine purpose through this chapter. Let us remember that Jesus is moved for all of us. Not just elect vs. reprobate, or sinners vs. righteous people, but all in creation. We know God does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:32), so let us ponder the incomprehensible love of God for His Creation.

So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
John 11:36-38

Verse 38, rendered in the KJV, says: 'Jesus therefore groaning in himself…' We can deduce that Jesus was full of love, compassion, but at the same time anger for the Jews around Him.

Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me."
John 11:39-42

Jesus demonstrates that Martha contradicted herself by professing her belief in v. 27. The ultimate purpose behind this event is for others to believe, and we see this literally demonstrated in His prayer to the Father. He also affirms His desire and will to glorify the Father.

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
John 11:43-44

Here is we were we truly see the command and authority of Christ Jesus we he commands: 'Lazarus, come out.' Jesus does not say: 'Lazarus, please come out,' He commands for him to come out. Here were see 'the man who had died came out…' Verses 45 and 46 close out the story effectively by demonstrating the sufficiency of God's grace, and yet in spite of His work'many are still dead to the truth (that is to say that God leaves some dead to the truth). From this we see the ultimate metaphor for salvation by Christ.

This passage metaphors salvation on this extent: we as fallen creatures (Romans 5:17) are dead to the things of God (Jeremiah 4:22, Romans 3:10-12), and this is metaphorically described through the literal death of Lazarus. God has the mercy, grace, compassion, and love to intercede on unworthy sinners. God, through the atoning work of His Son, and the efficacious work of His Spirit saves, and we see God's decree of salvation through his son by the command to call Lazarus out of death.

Christ came on Lazarus' behalf, not the other way around; Christ makes the initiative towards us in salvation as well. We are in constant rebellion to God, yet He intercedes for us.

'Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.'