The Raising of Lazarus

In terms of a miracle, this is a big one. It may have been the final straw as far as the Jewish leaders were concerned. There was a lot at stake here.

When you read the Gospel of John, chapter 11, you get a distinct impression of a first hand report, with commentary added later.

Two things stand out: Jesus was angry; and Jesus wept.

We don’t get that many glimpses into Jesus’ emotional state. If you take the Gospels at face value, Jesus hardly ever lost his cool (except when he overturned the temple merchants’ tables in his “Den of Thieves” moment). This one was different.

Why was Jesus Angry?

Some have speculated that he was upset by the lack of faith in Mary and Martha. But that doesn’t fit with the narrative. Some others have decided that he was angry with Death itself. But if he knew he was going to conquer it, why would he be angry?

No, I think the reason for his anger was the mourning Jerusalem crowd that had followed Mary out to meet him. He had wanted to have a private moment with her before he performed the miracle. He wanted to explain why he had delayed coming to her, after her brother had died. He didn’t get the chance.

Why did Jesus Weep?

The part of the story that has been expunged was that Mary was very ‘special’ to Jesus. Some have even speculated that they were married. Her upset at the death of her brother, Lazarus, would have been very moving, especially to her ‘husband’. In other words, he was weeping with her.

The world has tried to justify Jesus’ tears by saying that he was sad for the death of his good friend only. That just doesn’t make sense, since he was going to ‘raise him from the dead’ for the glory of God. No, this was personal and private grief for upsetting Mary.

Conclusion

When a family member dies, the remaining members mourn their loss. It is the most natural thing to do. Even Jesus felt their loss. That puts him head and shoulders above the false image we have been given of him. He is really just like us. And we can be just like him.

Amen.