“LAZARUS”
Noel K. Anderson
First Presbyterian Church of Upland
Text: John 11: 1-44 NRSV
miracle matters
Ultimately, only one thing matters above all else.
After Jesus knows Lazarus has died, he waits before going to Bethany. When he arrives, he gets the same words from both Mary and Martha: “If you had been here, he wouldn’t have died!” The scene is very sad. It’s as though Superman shows up only after the bus that teetered on the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge has fallen and sunk to the bottom of the bay.
Jesus has consoling words that don’t seem to help much. Verses 23-24:
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “[big sigh] I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
It’s like a pastor saying to a widow: “You will see each other again.” [Big sigh] “Yeah, I know—when I join him in heaven. Thanks anyway, pastor.”
But in today’s text, that is all just the setup. “I AM the resurrection and the life,” says Jesus. He then does what no one and nothing in the universe could do: he raises Lazarus from death.
Could there be any more important miracle?
Forget healings or promises of anti-aging; this is anti-death.
This one miracle defies the greatest power in the universe, for the universe itself runs by the power of entropy—loss of heat and order—in short, death.
The Old Testament Patriarchs all lie in their graves, as do all the prophets, all the saints, and all of our forefathers and foremothers. If any one person—even one—could bring someone back from death four days later—someone already undergoing decomposition in a tomb—that would be the most remarkable thing in the history of the cosmos. I mean, actually back from death—not returned from a coma or cold unconsciousness, but back from a four-day brain death—that would be the biggest thing imaginable; again, a demonstration of a power running contrary to the central mechanism of the entire universe.
If Jesus had done this thing—and only this one thing—would the world remember him for it? I mean, aside from healings, teachings, and his own resurrection, would he not still be the most amazing person ever to have lived. Without a doubt—absolutely yes! No one and nothing else even come close. For even if the world and all the people of the world lived in perfect peace and harmony, a million years of science and technological research with unlimited resources could not accomplish this. Why? Because we live as part of this cosmos—this universe—and we are naturally bound to its rules and limitations. Because we are part of nature, we have no power to rise above nature.
The cosmos is vast, and unless we were to find a way to encompass its boundaries and reverse its main engine—its chief rule and prime directive—we could not bring pure life out of death. We don’t have life within us to give in that way; we only have the life we’re given.
Anyone who could do that—give life when the universe commands death—would be the greatest miracle-worker imaginable. Even if it happens only once, he would have demonstrated an otherworldly power that threatens everything we know about everything.
Would Jesus be remembered for raising Lazarus from death if nothing else? Probably not.
Although doing so reveals him as a power above and beyond death and therefore a greater power than that of the whole universe, it would not have been remembered—in fact, within a week of its occurrence, it would have been doubted. For second to the power of death, doubt reigns the known world and the heart of humankind.
doubts ultd.
Would Jesus have been remembered for just this?
Freshly fed and re-dressed, Lazarus himself steps fifty yards out of his own neighborhood and tells whoever will listen, “I was dead! I died. I was four days in the tomb a freshly-rotting corpse, and this Jesus gave me new life so that, as you see me now, I am a walking miracle. I am proof that Jesus is the Son of God!
The response: “Yeah, riiiiight—that’s a new one!”
In a week, all the family, friends, neighbors, and mourners who were there—the eyewitnesses—already have fresh calcification of doubts coating their memory of the experience.
“Do you think Lazarus was really dead? They’re all friends of Jesus. Could they have cooked this up to support him? You know, Martha loves to host a party, and Mary’s always been a bit of a basket case—I’m just saying they could have wrapped up Lazarus and put him in the tomb for a few days. You know, hid some food and water in there—who knows? Pop him out a few days later, and everyone says, ‘Ooh! Jesus is the Son of God—this proves it!’”
I don’t know those ancients talked that way, but I know people have spoken that way ever since. Doubt reigns in the human heart. The unthinkable—the super-natural—has no storage space in the human mind. We cannot process the unthinkable. Remembering a miracle is like trying to remember a strange dream because it doesn’t fit into our ordinary experience. Every experience of the extraordinary is doubtable because we can only contain it in minds and intelligence patterned by everyday things. Whatever does not fit that regular pattern of experience gets placed in a brain bin labeled “doubtful.”
So no, Jesus would not have been remembered for this miracle. He would have been utterly forgotten by all except Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and a handful of other eyewitnesses.
Faith & gullibility
Take care over what you believe
Essentially, we are all doubters. I know I am.
I am fascinated by belief. I always have been. Since childhood, the interplay between doubt and belief has been one of my preoccupations. I’m just wired that way. Being the youngest of four children, I was a constant target—the rube, the pigeon, the gullible victim. It was terribly important for me to find my way between reliable and unreliable information and learn whom and what to trust.
My sisters: “Open your mouth and close your eyes and I’ll give you something to make you grow wise.” Did anyone else play that game? My sisters were normally nice—it was usually candy—but I learned very quickly never to play that game with my brother. Enough said.
What we believe and what we trust go hand-in-hand.
We all want to be faithful, but no one wants to be gullible.
To be wise is to know the difference between believing just anything and what merits our belief and trust.
Should we believe everything? No, that is a recipe for foolishness.
Some may say, “But Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, ‘Love believes all things!’ Shouldn’t we be more believing?”
Perhaps, but some things are more important than others when it comes to what we believe.
Beliefs are cheap
People will believe most anything
What beliefs matter? Are some things more necessary to believe than others? Most definitely.
I loved reading about spiritual warfare in junior high—angels and demons flapping around our heads, influencing every action. I also read lots of end-time prophecy stuff—Hal Lindsey's Late Great Planet Earth sort of thing. I read it and believed in all of it. I read endlessly about UFOs, Near-Death Experiences, and conspiracy theories through high school. All of these deal with that fascinating interplay between doubt and belief. How do people come to believe? What makes Christians' beliefs different from conspiracy groups or UFO abductees?
I don't believe in UFOs—at least not in the way a large community of UFO enthusiasts does. I do believe in Jesus—that he is the Son of God. I believe in his miracles like the raising of Lazarus, his atoning death, resurrection, and ascension. To non-believers, I imagine that the Church and I look exactly like an older, more extensive version of the UFO community.
Both are more than individual beliefs—they are communities that gather to confirm those beliefs. They believe with and for one another as well. With support, their belief grows deeper, and they feel more conviction. Were so-called abductees truly taken into UFOs and experimented upon? I doubt it. But what makes the Church of Jesus Christ any different? What should we do when people point out the similarity?
"You've just found your tribe," they say, "You Christians all gather to reinforce your inherited beliefs. You sing songs, eat potlucks in your fellowship halls, and find support from one another—you really are just less-expensive country club—minus the golf, tennis, and pricey automobiles."
Is that what this is about? What makes us different from a convention of JFK assassination conspiracy enthusiasts? We have different beliefs, but otherwise, aren't we like them—an ongoing convention of "Jesus is alive" enthusiasts?
The answer is no because any resemblance is only skin deep.
Yes, I am sure there are people in churches who don't get it—who may not really believe in Christ but are there for the psychological support and the social connections. In other words, some may attend church merely for the warmth of the herd and to feel part of a tribe. For them, there is not much difference. They may as well be part of the Annual gatherings at Roswell or the JFK conventions in Dallas—if they're only in it for tribal belonging. When that's the case, the beliefs are cheap. They are secondary, expendable, and largely interchangeable. After all, the adherents are really there for the potlucks and fellowship, not the absolute Truth.
false beliefs
Not all who cry, “Lord, Lord!”
For the Church called together by Christ, the fellowship is not central, though some may wrongly say it is. The center is not to be a source of psychological comfort, though many say that as well. The center of Christianity is truth—and not a truth that only matters to the abducted, or one that exists to counter the popular narrative of journalists—but a truth that changes everything about the known universe. Jesus is beyond the power of death to hold. As powerful and ubiquitous as death appears to be, God is more powerful, more ever-present, and more overwhelming.
What is more, it doesn't really matter whether the Mafia or the CIA killed JFK. It will be a short paragraph in the history books five hundred years from now. And it doesn't really matter if aliens are secretly harvesting humans for experiments—it's kind of interesting, but even if true, those aliens will be dead in time as well. They will have to answer to the same laws of nature and death as the rest of us, so they're not that big a deal. But if Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, that matters to alien civilizations in galaxies billions of light-years away because death is necessarily their highest power as well—unless, of course, Jesus has been there, too.
There is a difference between necessary and unnecessary beliefs, and we need to know the difference.
What are we to think of the Christian "prophets" who promised us that Jesus would most definitely return by 1982? Are any of them still having books published? Really? We shouldn't be reading them. Talk about a conspiracy theory! What does the Bible say about false prophets?
Deuteronomy 18: 20:
But any prophet. . . who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.
That's a pretty harsh penalty for error, but it says that truth matters above all else. And it's too bad because I hear those "Prophecy in the News" potlucks serve some excellent tuna casserole. From the prophet Jeremiah:
See, therefore, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who steal my words from one another. See, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who use their own tongues and say, "Says the Lord." —Jeremiah 23: 30-31
Anyone can say they speak for the Lord, but if what they say is not true, their fruits have revealed them as false.
Here's from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount:
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits."
—Matthew 7: 15-16a
Scripture warns and instructs us to sift out the good messages from the bad. Not everyone who cloaks themselves in Christianity and outward godliness speaks the word of God. Christians: be faithful but do not be gullible.
From tribe to truth
Follow the voice that shouts your name
In verse 9, Jesus says:
“Are there not 12 hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of this world.”
We are not to believe just anything, especially not because the author wears a cross around his neck and you found his book in a Christian bookstore. It doesn’t matter how many people are gathered together in the magnificent worship center applauding his ideas. And although they may have the most excellent potlucks you ever imagined, that has no bearing on the truth.
“But all my friends are there—and my family!” someone says. We are right to respond, “So you are there for them?” Which is certainly not reason enough.
You may be in a dead place—a dark tomb, but a tomb with lots of people, great music, and a fabulous buffet—but unless the gospel is capital T TRUE, you’re just decomposing—stinking up the place—and seeking joy within the community of death. What are you doing there? Is the warmth of other cold corpses that satisfying? Aren’t you tired of being wrapped up in yourself and your endless service to your own needs? Wouldn’t life and light be so much better?
Jesus is calling. He shouts out YOUR name with a loud voice. Stand up, move toward his voice and the light. Be unbound and set free. Exit the tomb and never look back. †
Questions
- Why does the story of Lazarus appear in the midpoint of the gospel of John and why is it so important?
- What was Jesus’ response when he heard about his friend Lazarus?
- In what ways does Jesus surprise people and overturn their expectations?
- In what way has Jesus surprised you and overturned your expectations of what it means to follow him?
- What do you think Jesus meant in verses 9-10?
- What does Martha say to Jesus when he gets to Bethany?
- What are some of the “if only” do you have for Jesus?
- What do you think of Thomas’ response in verse 16?
- Why is Jesus’ response when seeing Mary and the mourners in verses 33-35 so important to this story?
- We are reminded of Jesus’s resurrection in the raising of Lazarus. How are these two events alike and how are they different?
- We see a deepening divide between Jesus and the Jewish rulers. Why are they afraid?
- What draws you to put your faith in Jesus and follow him?