The chapter begins with the mention of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Mary was also mentioned as the one who anointed Jesus with oil and wiped his feet with her hair. The sisters sent a messenger to Jesus and asked him to come. The way they phrased the request is interesting: “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”

Having heard this, Jesus said this sickness would not end in death. This would show the glory of God. This would also glorify the Son of God. The verse also said Jesus loved the three siblings and when he heard of the news, he remained for two more days.

If someone was dying, the first reaction of someone who loves the dying is to rush to the person's death bed. But Jesus did the opposite. He stayed for two more days.

Jesus allows sickness and death for the glory of God.

Mary and Martha tried to force the hand of God - they tried to manipulate Jesus to come to them. Yet, Jesus, being God, knew what he was doing. He was still in control. It was precisely his love of the three that made him stay for two more days, to show them the power and glory of God.

God allows difficulties to come, not as punishment, but to show us his power and glory. He allows death, our death to sin, so we can see his glory. God wants to show his children the power of their Father.

Walking in the Light

After two days, Jesus invited his disciples to go back to Judea. The disciples asked why he would want to go back to Jerusalem when the leaders wanted to kill him. Jesus spoke to them about walking while there is light and stumbling when the light has gone. How was this related to their question? He spoke of a man walking in the light because he sees the light of the world, and stumbling in the night because the light is not in him.

This is about discernment. When we see Jesus, we walk with him - even if it leads to death. Jesus is in control and we follow as long as we see him. But when the light is not in me, I should stop and not proceed because certainly, I will stumble. We go where Jesus goes. Even if it is fearful, we go because we walk where there is light - we walk where the Light leads us.

After this, Jesus told them Lazarus was asleep. The disciples did not know he meant Lazarus was dead. Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” Jesus compared Lazarus' death to sleep. For Jesus, death is a sleep. Lazarus was asleep but when the Light comes, the dead will wake up. The disciples followed Jesus, “to die with him”.

Do You Believe?

When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha met him outside the town. Martha blamed Jesus for the death of her brother. She stopped short of asking Jesus to raise Lazarus. “Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus told her Lazarus would rise again.

Then came the revelation, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Then he asked a question, “Do you believe this?”

Notice what Jesus said. “I am the resurrection.” Resurrection is a person and not only an event. It is SOMEONE to know - to experience.

The dead will rise and the living will not die. Jesus gives life! Jesus IS life! Everyone has to answer the question, “Do you believe this?”

Martha's response is interesting, “Yes Lord, I do believe that you are the Christ, God's Son who comes into the world.” Martha probably did not understand nor know what Jesus meant, but she said “Yes” to Jesus. To Jesus, this was enough. Martha left immediately after professing her faith in Jesus. She called her sister, Mary.

Meeting Jesus

Jesus remained outside the city. Mary came to Jesus and she said the same words Martha said to Jesus. In our misery, Jesus meets us outside the bustle and noise. He stands outside until we approach him.

In her misery, Mary immediately fell down at Jesus' feet when she saw him. Jesus saw Mary and the Jews weeping and he groaned in his spirit. Why was Jesus troubled?

He knew Lazarus would rise from the dead. So he was not sad because of Lazarus' death. He groaned because he saw Mary and the Jews weeping. They were weeping because they had no hope. They mourned because Lazarus was dead and there was no more hope of seeing him.

But Jesus said he is the resurrection. He brings hope and he will give life where there is no hope. He gives life, where there is no life. People with no hope sadden Jesus. He wants people to trust in his mercy and power.

Jesus wept when he saw the unbelief of Mary and the Jews. The Jews thought Jesus wept because of his love for Lazarus. True, Jesus loved Lazarus. But he did not weep because Lazarus was dead. He was going to raise Lazarus up in a few minutes, so why would he weep for his death?

John's gospel always has two meanings. The leaders were never right with regards to what Jesus thought. Jesus wept after Mary invited him to “Come and see” the tomb of Lazarus. He knew what was going to happen. He probably thought about the grief of the people. He probably wept because of the unbelief of the people.

In his revelation to St. Faustina, Jesus said he wants people to trust in him. I think this was why he wept. People have lost hope. They had no hope. They did not know who was before them, the one who could give life.

Seeing the Glory of God

When they came to the tomb, Jesus told them to remove the stone. Martha protested because according to her, the body was starting to decay. It was hopeless. But Jesus persisted, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”

Believe! Obey! Trust in Jesus and you will see the glory of God!

When Martha obeyed Jesus and had the stone removed, Jesus called to Lazarus, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus did come out! Jesus did not give hope, because here, he fulfilled the hope. He gave life where there was no life.

In a hopeless situation, in a lifeless situation, in a desperate situation, Jesus takes it and turns it around by his power. God is powerful and by his word, he raised the dead. He can glorify our situation if we allow him.

When Lazarus came out, his hands, feet and head were still bound. Jesus instructed the people, “Free him, and let him go.” When Jesus raises us up, we need help from other people. We cannot live by ourselves. We cannot set ourselves free.

When Jesus saves us, he gives us life. But the truth is, the stain of death still clings to us. Just as Lazarus needed others to remove the wrappings from his body, we need the help of others in removing the stench of sin from ourselves. We cannot do this by ourselves. This is why God gave us his Church, to help us conquer sin.

Many who saw this, believed in Jesus while some went to the Pharisees. It is interesting that after raising Lazarus from the dead, the Pharisees and leaders plotted to kill Jesus.

They wanted to kill Life himself. By the death of one, everyone was saved. By dying, Jesus was able to give life. The seed had to be planted to bear fruit.