The Raising of Lazarus: Miracle, Faith, and Theology

Introduction: The Most Dramatic of Miracles

Of all the miracles ascribed to Jesus Christ in the New Testament, the raising of Lazarus from the dead is clearly the most inspiring and miraculous. For Christians, all of the promises prescribed by God are fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Lazarus, for it represents "the final and definitive action by God for the sake of the human race and illustrates His divine power in what we have come to recognize as reality" (Fuller 87). The raising of Lazarus also represents the culmination of New Testament theology and symbolizes the ultimate transformation of all things connected to the divinity of Jesus Christ.

For Christians, whether of the Catholic faith, Greek Orthodox, or some other Eastern sect, the resurrection of Lazarus as a miracle proves that God's love for mankind is all-inclusive — meaning that, like Lazarus, all believers will someday conquer death by being risen and transformed.

The Narrative of Lazarus in the Gospel of John

In order to fully understand the miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead, the tale itself must first be explored. When news reached Jesus that his friend Lazarus was desperately ill, he was on the eastern side of the Jordan River, a few miles from Jerusalem, where his enemies had threatened to kill him. Two days later, he declared his intention to return to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, which was only about two miles from Jerusalem.

At first, Jesus's disciples were quite alarmed and reminded him that just a short time before, some Jews had tried to stone him. But Jesus replied, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep" (John 11:11). According to John, the disciples thought that Jesus meant Lazarus was actually sleeping, but in reality he was referring to the fact that Lazarus was dead. Exactly how he knew this can only be explained by supernatural means.

At Bethany, Jesus discovered that Lazarus had not only died but had already been laid to rest in his tomb. As soon as Martha, the sister of Lazarus, heard that Jesus had arrived, she ran out to meet him with tears in her eyes and said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (11:21), and added, "But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee" (John 11:22). Jesus reassured her that her brother would return from the dead — "Thy brother shall rise again" (11:23) — and that anyone who had faith in God's power would never die.

Deeply moved by these words, Martha confessed her faith, then hurried off to tell her sister Mary that Jesus had come. Immediately, Mary rushed to see Jesus and threw herself at his feet, weeping. This act apparently greatly distressed Jesus, who then asked where Lazarus had been laid to rest. He was taken to the tomb, a cave with a large stone rolled in front of the opening. When Jesus ordered the stone to be removed, Martha reminded him that Lazarus had been buried for four days, meaning the tomb would be filled with the odor of decay. Jesus replied, "Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (11:40).

The stone was then rolled away. Jesus, looking skyward, thanked God for answering his prayer and shouted, "Lazarus, come forth" (11:43). As the onlookers watched, the figure of Lazarus, bound head to foot in white burial clothes, slowly emerged from the darkness of the tomb: "And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin." Jesus then said, "Loose him, and let him go" (11:44).

With that, the account from the Gospel of John on the resurrection of Lazarus ends. Afterwards, John mentions that many of the Jews who had witnessed this miracle believed in Jesus; however, others went to the Pharisees to inform them of what had happened. Fearing that Jesus might create a popular uprising that the Romans would quickly suppress, the Pharisees held a meeting, and the high priest Caiaphas announced, "Ye know nothing at all; nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not" (11:49–50).

Theological Significance of the Resurrection

As Robert H. Fuller points out, "the raising of Lazarus from the dead is one of the most dramatic acts Jesus ever performed" (156). Although the Gospel of Luke relates that Jesus restored life to the son of the widow of Nain, and the Gospel of Mark records the raising of the daughter of Jairus, these acts were performed soon after the deaths of the individuals involved. Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus raised him, but according to Jewish belief, "a dead person's spirit hovers over his or her body for three days before departing, which indicates that the Gospel of John may be mistaken" (Keller 167).

The Gospel of John also relates that Jesus revealed the significance of Lazarus's death when he said, "This sickness will not end in death, but it is for God's glory so that through it the Son of God may be glorified" (Keller 178). It appears, therefore, that Jesus "intended all along to show the glory of God through a public demonstration of his power over the dead, yet the death of Lazarus and his coming back from the dead foreshadowed Jesus's own fate on the cross and his subsequent resurrection" (Fuller 140).

Perhaps most important of all, the story of Lazarus gives meaningful context to one of Jesus's most direct and theologically significant statements, uttered while speaking to Martha, who insisted that had he arrived earlier, her brother would not have died. She went on to state her belief that Lazarus would be resurrected on the last day — namely, the final day of judgment.

When Jesus did not contradict the traditional doctrine that Martha expressed, he made it abundantly clear that eternal life is possible not after death in the distant future, but through him, in the present. He said, "I am the Resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." Therefore, "to anyone who heard this statement and still doubted its validity, the physical resurrection of Lazarus symbolizes the ultimate proof" (Keller 213).

Conclusion: What the Raising of Lazarus Means for Christians

The miracle associated with the raising of Lazarus from the dead as described in the Gospel of John holds several key elements for the true Christian. First, it confirms that Jesus Christ was indeed capable of performing miracles that not only helped his fellow people but also supported his divine nature as the one and only Son of God. Most importantly, the resurrection of Lazarus — and the eventual raising of Jesus Christ from the dead and his ascent into heaven — reinforces the faith of all believers that someday they too will follow in his footsteps, become one with God, conquer death, and live eternally, as Jesus himself had promised in the Gospels of the New Testament.

Bibliography

Fuller, Robert H. Interpreting Miracles: A Commentary. London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1976.

Keller, Ernst. Miracles in Dispute: A Continuing Debate. London: SCM Press, Ltd., 1969.

Lightfoot, Robert H. St. John's Gospel. UK: Oxford University Press, 1956.

The New Layman's Parallel Bible. New Testament. King James Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1981.