Notice that John’s themes are still continuing. The believe theme is still present, see John 11:15, 25, 26, 27, 40, 42, 45, 48.
John is still using testimony to tell us who Jesus is. Note 11:27 – “Yes, Lord,” she told Him. “I have always believed You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One who has come into the world from God.” He is still intent on sticking to his theme and writing these things so that we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing we may have life in His name.
He tells us why the Lazarus story is included in his gospel, taking the words from Jesus mouth:
But when Jesus heard about it He said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.
John 11:4
There are some other elements that make it very clear to us why this incident with Lazarus happened the way it did.
And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”
John 11:15
Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”
John 11:40
You always hear Me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe You sent Me.”
John 11:42
Lazarus’ resurrection was so that they who witnessed it (and we who read it centuries later) would see and understand this One is who He says He is and has power over life and death. There is no other like Him. Since Chapter 5 of John we have had these themes of the dead hearing his voice, being raised to life on the last day and none being lost. Interesting that in Lazarus we see all these themes come together. Note the following verbal interchange from John 11:23-27.
Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”
“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
“Yes, Lord,” she told Him. “I have always believed You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One who has come into the world from God.”
John 11:23-27
She could say that but in the next few minutes she was to see something that would blow her mind. This One speaking to her held the power of life and death. She wouldn’t have to wait for her brother to be “raised up on the last day”. She was going to see something miraculous in the true sense of the word in the next moment. All of the miracle stories in John have been building to this climax. And we saw yesterday this is the last of Jesus’ miraculous signs and the end of His public ministry.
Continuing story in the next Gem. Keep digging.
Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
Anon
God is more interested in your tomorrow than your yesterday. He is most interested in your today.
Anon