John 11 - Lazarus

I absolutely love this story about Lazarus being raised to life again by Jesus.  When I called, I was trying to comment that Jesus weeping could have been from many things (a question to ask him when we see him!) that:

1. He was grieving for what Mary and Martha had just gone through.
2. He was grieving for what Lazarus went through.
3. He was grieving for what He was going to go through (his own death).
4. He was grieving for what His disciples would go through with his own death.
5. He was grieving for those who did not understand this event.
6. He was grieving for those who would never understand this event (the Pharisees).
7. He was grieving for Lazarus that he would have to die again someday.
8. He was grieving for Lazarus for the ramification of his resurrection (that the Pharisees would now want to kill Lazarus).
9. He was overwhelmed with emotion of how many people would come to Him because Lazarus’ resurrection.
10. He was just overwhelmed with emotion for the moment and the people around Him.
11. He was grieving that He waited, to give his Father Glory, but that it was costly.

I could keep going with what Jesus might be weeping about… it doesn’t matter, and it was left undisclosed.  The Son of God Movie got this wrong… Jesus didn’t need to kiss him, or touch him… he called to him from outside to him to come out!  To enter the tomb would have made Jesus ceremonially unclean, giving the Pharisees cause to accuse Him.  Unlike Samson, who dipped his hand into the dead carcass of the lion and got honey and gave the riddle “Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet.” What was their answer?  “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?”    

Jesus did the same, but the eater is death itself, and what we can get our teeth into is that fact that we are NOT going to be left to decay and that is sweeter than the best honey!  And our relationship with Jesus, when we “eat of his flesh and drink of his blood” are our symbols of hope.  Those in attendance of Samson’s wedding were wrong.  What is sweeter than honey? Our salvation, our relationship with Jesus!

What is stronger than a lion?  Death, but Jesus is stronger still!  Just as Samson dipped his hand in the lion carcass, Jesus’ (God’s) spirit brought Lazarus back to life, and pulled him out of the Tomb, just like God will do a few days later with Jesus!

 
I wonder if the wraps that bound Lazarus still smelled of decaying flesh?  Or would he not smell, like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego coming from the fiery furnace?
 
I love this story!  Here the Pharisees were plotting to kill Jesus because of miraculous signs, and many were going to Jerusalem to purify themselves for Passover… but not the Pharisees… this was a time to clean out the entire house, to make sure no leavening was in the house… yet the Pharisees were not doing this, but standing in the Temple wondering if Jesus would come to the feast at all!