Jesus Raises Lazarus from the death. John 11
Seventh sign: Sleeping, Not Dead: The Christian Hope in Christ John 11
We all fear death, and when someone close to us dies, we think they are gone forever. It hurts to lose those who are close to us, and it is alright to mourn for our loved ones. As we mourn, there are some truths we should know: death is not the end of life. Those who have gone before us are only sleeping, and when Jesus returns again, we shall all be resurrected, and we will see our loved ones again.
Last year, December, I lost a close friend and pastor whom we worked together with in Masalani, the northern part of Kenya. His name was Pastor David Gafo, and we shared the same name and even the same birthday. Gafo had a heart problem, and finally, the Lord laid him to rest in December. At his funeral, many people gathered and mourned for him. He left behind his wife and two children.When I was at his funeral, I remember watching him lying in the coffin. To me, he was asleep. My last words to him were, “Goodbye, my friend. I will see you again very soon.” I knew he died in the Lord, and he had served faithfully as a pastor in a Muslim community. I believe that the Lord will raise him again when He returns. Some may question: “Why did God not heal Gafo? He was still young.” But I can confidently tell them that Gafo’s death was for the glory of God. Undoubtedly, God loved Gafo, and He took him at His own time. Gafo is just asleep, and he will be resurrected at the second return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Story of Lazarus
As we dive into the seventh and last miracle in the book of John, let us see what happens first. John 11 tells the story of Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha. When Lazarus became sick, the sisters sent word to Jesus, knowing His power to heal. Yet, Jesus delayed His coming for two days, saying that the sickness was not ultimately for death, but for the glory of God and that the Son of God might be glorified through it.By the time He arrived, Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days, and the situation appeared hopeless. Martha came out to meet Jesus, expressing both her sorrow and her faith in Him. It was to her that Jesus declared one of His greatest truths: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.
Mary also came weeping, and seeing her and the mourners, Jesus Himself was deeply moved and even wept—a powerful picture of His compassion and His sharing in human grief. When He came to the tomb, though Martha hesitated because of the stench, Jesus commanded that the stone be rolled away. After praying to the Father for the sake of the people watching, He called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came forth, still wrapped in grave clothes, which Jesus commanded to be removed.This miracle had a great impact. Many who saw it believed in Him, but others ran to report it to the Pharisees. The Jewish leaders, alarmed at His growing influence, feared that if all the people followed Him, the Romans would take away their temple and their nation. Caiaphas, the high priest, declared that it was better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to perish—unknowingly speaking a prophecy of Jesus’ substitutionary death. From that moment, the leaders made firm plans to kill Him.
Truths from the Raising of Lazarus
- Some people said if Jesus loved Lazarus, He would not have let him die. But Jesus knew well that Lazarus would die. He delayed in healing him so that the glory of God would be seen through him. Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus.
- Jesus wanted to raise Lazarus so that the Jews who were still doubting might believe He was truly the Messiah, the Son of God. This miracle was the ultimate sign to prove His claim as Messiah and God.
The “I Am” Statements
John records seven times when Jesus uses the phrase “I Am” (echoing God’s name in Exodus 3:14) to describe Himself:
- “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35)
- “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12)
- “I am the Door” (John 10:9)
- “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11)
- “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25)
- “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6)
- “I am the True Vine” (John 15:1)
This miracle was the ultimate sign proving that He was truly God in flesh (John 1:14). By raising Lazarus from the dead, He showed He is the giver of eternal life (John 3:16; John 6) and has power over death itself.
The Ultimate Sign
This miracle was the ultimate sign as proof that He was truly God in the flesh (John 1:14). He was dwelling with us. By raising Lazarus from the dead, He was proving that He is truly the One who gives eternal life (John 3:16, John 6). Also, He has power over death. Power over death means He is truly God, the giver of life, the One who has power to bring life from death. No one has ever done such miracles in the history of human beings. Even though some had been raised, and Jesus Himself raised others, giving life to someone who was as good as dead—Lazarus, who had already started rotting—was unique. Yet he came out of the tomb alive. But the good thing happened when some of the Jews believed in Him as the Son of God, though others went away and reported to the Pharisees.
This sign pointed to His own death and resurrection. If His claim was right, He was the I AM and the giver of life. Through His crucifixion and death, He proved that He was truly God and the Savior of the world. Jesus died and resurrected on the third day, proving His claim that He has power over death. He conquered death and defeated the power of death, which is the power of Satan. The power of Satan is sin, and sin works together with death. That is why the Bible says men die because they have sinned. Satan brought death to us in the Garden of Eden through Adam (Romans 5:12). The evidence that we have sinned is death. The power of sin is death (1 Corinthians 15:56). But Jesus’ resurrection meant that He had overcome death, and all who believe in Him will conquer death.
When Jesus says, “Even though you die, you will live,” He was speaking about two kinds of death:
- Physical death – when our spirit separates from our body (James 2:26). This happens to everyone.
- Second death – eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).
Believers will only experience physical death, but never the second death. That is the promise of Jesus.
Types of Death in the Bible
- Spiritual death – This is being separated from God. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were separated from God, and it happened in Genesis 3:8. Ephesians 2:1–3 explains that we were spiritually dead, meaning we were separated from God.
- Physical death – This is when our spirit separates from our body (James 2:26). It is the death that will happen to each one of us.
- Second death – This is eternal separation from God, being thrown into the lake of fire (hell) (Revelation 20:14). The second death will happen when Christ returns, resurrects us all, and those who never believed in Him will be condemned to hell, while those who believe in Him will be with Him forever and ever. The lake of fire is the second death.
When Jesus says, “Even though you die,” He means physical death. And when He says, “Whoever believes in Me will never die,” He means they will not experience the second death, which is being condemned forever and ever in the lake of fire.
Conclusion
Jesus, the I AM, Views Death as Sleep
Jesus, being the I AM, the Creator and the giver of life, views death as sleep. See how He views Lazarus’ death—He says Lazarus is just sleeping and that He will wake him up. Paul says when we die, we are just sleeping 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”
This is how we as Christians should view death. Death is not the end of life; that is how Satan wants us to believe. But death is the beginning of a new life, either in heaven or in hell.In reality, we do not die; only our body dies, but our spirit lives forever. Satan lies to us, saying: “Enjoy your life, life is too short, and when you die you will not enjoy yourself again here on earth.” But that is totally a lie, for he is the father of all lies.When you die, you will sleep, just as Jesus said. When He returns, He will resurrect both believers and unbelievers, and everyone will be judged according to his deeds. Those who believed in Jesus will be taken to heaven, and unbelievers will be condemned to hell. Death is just the beginning of another life.
The story of Lazarus reminds us that death is not the end, but only a doorway. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, and whoever believes in Him will live, even though they die. Just as He called Lazarus out of the tomb, one day He will call all of us who believe in Him to rise and live with Him forever.We may weep, just as Jesus wept, but we do not grieve as those without hope. Our loved ones who have died in Christ are only asleep, waiting for the trumpet call of God. On that day, the graves will open, and death will finally be swallowed up in victory.Let us, therefore, live with faith and courage. Let us hold firmly to Jesus, the only one who has conquered death. For in Him, we have the assurance of eternal life.
