The raising of Lazarus John 11:1-45

John 11:1-45  Gospel Reading for Sunday 10th April

I suppose at this time of the year when we come to the reading for the last Sunday in Lent, we need to be prepared for some fairly heavy going ... and we've certainly got something very solid here in this reading from John's Gospel.

It is interesting that Lazarus has variously managed to make a name for himself even in non-religious circles. We often hear in society reference to "he's done a Lazarus" ... when referring figuratively to somebody making the most unlikely comeback from being down and out and seemingly "dead".

... but now to get the action:

1. In typical John fashion he gives us multiple levels in this moving story. Not surprisingly though, if we focus on the words of Jesus, we can see some strong connections to his own death and resurrection and indeed reason for his ministry.
2. To capture the essence of the deeper imagery it is important that we view this as another acted parable (the story of Zaccheus and the healing of the ten lepers being good examples of other acted parables.)
3. The disciples remind Jesus that he would be heading back into hostile territory where the people recently tried to stone him (verse 8).
4. Mary and Martha were in deep crisis. (Compare the psalm for this week Psalm 130.) Lazarus as the only man in the house would have been their support, their social security. A woman without a man in the house was vulnerable and open to exploitation in Jewish culture.
5. Verse 27 contains one of the profound 'confessions' of the Bible, as Martha declares her position on who Jesus is.
6. Jesus delays his response to the cry for help for two days. Twice in the passage a period of 4 days is mentioned. Is this intentional on the part of Jesus, knowing that the Jewish tradition strongly held, that after three days a person soul would definitely have left the body? The passage also mentions the odour. In short, Lazarus was very dead! (The quite dramatic and extreme nature of reviving a body that was already decomposing, is therefore quite consistent with all of the other "signs" (miracles) in John's gospel.)
7. It is an interesting observation that Lazarus says absolutely nothing throughout this whole episode (and the subsequent gathering for dinner at their house perhaps a week or two later see John 12:1-11.)  (Although Jesus uses the name Lazarus in his parable of the rich man and Lazarus it is doubtful that this is the same man see Luke16.  Lazarus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Eliezer a gentile slave of Abraham - see Genesis 15:1-5)
8. Viewed in context it is probably this event that is the final straw for Jesus (see the remainder of the chapter from verse 45 - The plot to kill Jesus.

It is however the exchange leading up to Martha's confession that has captured my attention (v 24-27)... the concept of the resurrection now. Through the help of various commentaries, I have discovered a dimension to this passage that has never previously occurred to me ... the insistence of Jesus that resurrection is something that happens NOW rather than in the future, when he in effect says "NO Martha, your brother will rise in me NOW, because I am the resurrection and the life ..."

The new testament in talking about the second coming, normally uses the term "parousia" - a Greek word that simply means presence. It is easy to translate this to presence at the end, but just as easy to read it as presence now or presence all along!

Does that sound like a stretch? Well try Ephesians 2:1-10 for a second opinion.

How do we proclaim the resurrection in our Lutheran Schools? Is it something that we just give special emphasis around this time of year each year, or do we celebrate it daily?

Jesus has lifted us all up once and for all. We don't have to wait for that to happen, its done!

Nev