(REFLECTIONS ON John 11:1-44)

Up to this point, in the Gospel of John, we have seen Jesus talk about being born again, not by the flesh, but of water and the Spirit, which shows that in Jesus there is no boundary between the physical world and the spiritual world.

We have seen Jesus crossing cultural boundaries, with His conversation with the Samaritan woman by the well. We have also seen Jesus crossing distance by healing the royal official’s son without even being in close proximity to him. What can Jesus not do?

In today’s Scripture, we see Jesus crossing from death to life, and saying for the only time in the Gospels, “I am the resurrection and the life.” In Jesus, all boundaries are broken down, because when we are united to Christ, and through Christ to God, and we are one with Him. Not even death can take its hold on us, but “I am the resurrection and the life.”

We read that a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany. However, this was not just a certain man, it is the one whom Jesus loved, and it is the one that Jesus said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

Jesus already showed that distance could not stop Him, so He could have healed Lazarus without going to him, however, just like the blind man healed of His blindness, the resurrection of Lazarus was for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it, because as Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

That is why Jesus, seemingly on purpose, stayed two days longer in the place where He was, so that it would be clear to all that Lazarus was dead, and being dead could lead to the resurrection.

14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”

Lazarus was dead in the tomb for four days, there was no mistake, he was dead, and all hope was gone. In fact we find Mary and other Jews weeping, because they were weeping for the dead. Jesus was deeply moved in spirit, but Scripture also says that He was troubled.

Jesus was troubled because of the reality of death and the brokenness of the world. While Mary and the Jew’s tears were out of the hopelessness of death, Jesus’ tears as He wept was out of compassion for such a hopeless world.

It is then that we are reminded of the blind man in John 9, for the Jews were asking, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?” Yes, just as John 9 was for the glory of God, so too Lazarus’ death and resurrection was for the glory of God.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” in Him there are no boundaries, and so when Lazarus came out alive, Jesus said, “Unbind him, and let him go.” There are no boundaries in the Lord, yet we bound Him, bind our faith, and bind ourselves all the time.

Let us believe in the resurrection and the life, and be free, not bound by our own despair, hopelessness, and impossibilities.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: John 11