John 11 Verses 28-37 

John 11:28 “And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?” 

“And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.”  Mary is the one who of the three that appeared to be the most spiritually drawn to Christ.  No doubt all three loved Jesus and were drawn to Jesus.  But it was Mary who was at the feet of Jesus and anointed his feet with ointment and washed them with her tears.  As soon as Mary heard that the Master called for her she immediately arose and came to him.   

“Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.  The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.  Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”  We note that the first thing Mary did when she was come to Jesus was to worship him by falling down at his feet.  Then Mary recognized the power and authority of Jesus as she said, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”   

“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.  Jesus wept.”  Jesus, seeing Mary weep and the Jews which came with her weep, manifested his compassion toward them by weeping also.  This teaches us that Jesus is compassionate towards us also when we mourn the passing of a love one. 

“Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!  And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?”  Once again we see the division among the Jews.  Those who believed in Jesus noted how he loved Lazarus.  Those who did not believe even questioned him and accused him of being responsible for his death because he did not cause him not to die.

John 11 Verses 38-44 

John 11:38 “Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.” 

“Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.  Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” 

Martha objected to the rolling away of the stone because Lazarus had been dead four days and by nature the body would be stinking.  While she was right about the body being in such a state of decay that it would stink, yet, this showed that she did not believe what the Lord had told her about He being the resurrection and the life.  I am sure that under the same circumstances that she was in that I probably would not have believed either.   

“Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God.” What was about to take place was a great event showing forth the very glory of God.  Creation, in the morning of time, showed forth the glory of God, yet, the resurrection of the dead shows just as much, if not more, the glory of God.   

“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.  And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”  Jesus had said in the 10^th chapter, “I and my Father are one.”  Yet, this is another illustration of the fact that the Son and the Father are one. 

“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”  This certainly illustrates the unparalleled power of God that even a decaying dead body when hearing the voice of the Son of God comes forth with life.  Certainly, this is our great hope in God’s promise of the resurrection that we too will be raised up by the voice of the Son of God.  It also shows forth the power to raise one that God chose from before the foundation of the world from a state of being dead in trespasses and sins unto being made alive spiritually.   

Once Lazarus had been restored back to life, Jesus told the disciples to loose him and let him go from his grave clothes.   The disciples are powerless to give life to one who is dead in trespasses and sins, but once they have spiritual life, we have been given the ability to loose them from the grave clothes of their depraved lives before being born of God. 

John 11 Verses 45-54

John 11:45 “Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. 46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. 47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. 54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.”   

“Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.  But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.”  Again we see the division between those who are born of the Spirit and believe on Jesus and those who even seeing mighty miracles that only could be performed by God still refused to believe on him.   

“Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.  If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.”  Notice that the chief priests and the Pharisees recognized that Jesus had done many miracles-miracles that only God could do.  Yet, for all this, they opposed him and sought to put him to death unless the people believe on him and the Romans take away their place and nation.  Their wickedness was greatly manifested by this.   

“And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.  And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.”  This prophecy of Caiaphas, the high priest, was totally misunderstood by the chief priests and Pharisees as they only thought of their position of authority and that through the death of Jesus they could maintain their position of authority among the Jews.  They did not understand that because of their wickedness the nation would be destroyed in 70 A.D.  This prophecy was fulfilled not like they thought.  Rather the prophecy was that God would save His people both among the Jews and the Gentiles.   

“Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. 54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.”  Notice that this counsel was completely against the commandment of God that they should do no murder.  Those who prided themselves as the keepers of the law had now plotted to openly break the law.