John 11:1-38 ~ to the tomb

Lazarus is not found in a tomb in Israel

John 11:1-38

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.

3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."


4 But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."


5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”

12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.


20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”


28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.

34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept.

36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb

Caves are found on the coast of France with drawings pointing to Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

Mark 8

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”

24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”

25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”



Mahatma Gandhi gave a very quotable quote — ‘I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.’



A fine point really. More like a camel and a needle. No one can be Jesus Christ. Judas wanted to be. Lucifer wanted to be. Moses knew of Jesus. Isaiah knew of Jesus. A good healthy attitude of Jesus is awe - gratitude - Love. No one can do for us what Jesus has done. We live and move and have our being - for the Acts of God.

We, being Christians, can do like John 11:38. We can go to the tomb of the bereaved. And this is a fine thing to do. To rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

But we can't do what Jesus did. Jesus saved Lazarus. He saved Mary and Martha. Jesus, according to historians (and old, old, old caves and Church buildings) say Jesus did not bring Mary, Martha and Lazarus so far to merely drop them on their heads. History records as people began to be martyred for their belief in Jesus as God - the family saved by Jesus - traveled to spread the word. And Churches and tombs and records are found of sustaining faith and of living a Word of Father God - miracle. Sustained life. Sustained Family. Makes sense. What God has done - cannot be undone.

We can't do what Jesus did. We cannot put life on dead bodies.





God has given us His view of Life. From a unique vantage point. God says we can bend over backwards to be peace and find no real joy.

God says sometimes to have faith makes life difficult. God says the challenge of faith is to believe the One He has sent. Jesus. (Why many biblical artifacts exist and really the heartfelt Word of God changing lives for Love.) And if we cater to transient human beings - we find we have no framework - for the days where we and the ones we love are Lazarus. Mary and Martha.


Jesus went to the tomb - as we should for the people God has given us. To mourn with those who mourn. And the days of - Rejoice - with those who have joy. Jesus just can do so much more. With awe and gratitude - Jesus is God.

In Jesus Christ, we will have faith and love - this is where we live, move and have our being. For days of rejoicing. For days of sorrow. For strength to rise.




Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury have reported being depressed. Not all events and conversations are winnable. Jesus showed us this. We have to trust God when we can't lift up a conversation, an event, someone we love. We can't be Jesus. And even in the difficult times we will all have eventually we decide to hope with reality and with a touch of 'God super natural' hope. Or we can just slog on.

We aren't God. GOD IS. And His Mission is God Sized. We don't have to have idle hands - we pray. And the One who Listens Loves the size of the Universe.

In God we Trust. That is really - Good News.




Jesus bless us all, we ask alleluia in the Willingness of Father God. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †