What's the Benefit of the Resurrection of Lazarus

So in today’s podcast, we venture in John chapter eleven to look at the concept of bodily resurrection, precisely that of Lazarus. Resurrection means to be raised from the dead (John 5:28, 29). The word is used in different ways in the Bible. Lazarus was raised from physical death (John 11:43). This is a resurrection, but it is not part of the resurrection that occurs when we receive our new bodies when Christ returns (1 Thess. 4:13–18), on the last day (John 6:39–44) when the last trumpet is blown (1 Cor. 15:51–55). Lazarus died again.¹

Even though there are differences between the two resurrections, we shouldn’t dismiss the lessons that the bodily resurrection of Lazarus yields. There are many benefits that we can glean from understanding this Jesus miracle of God. Some of those lessons are our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
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Jesus demonstrated the essential nature of healing the sick throughout His time on earth. Is the same emphasis a part of your life on planet earth? Are you studying healing from the Word of God and endeavoring to pray for the sick?

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Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
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Episode Resources

You can find additional information on the subject of John’s Gospel in the resources listed below.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Overcoming Darkness: Jesus Said I Am the Light of the World

The Resurrection of A Certain Lazarus of Bethany

So, in this day that we live that the Bible calls’ perilous times’, we must remember the words of the 91st Psalm: ‘no evil shall befall me, no plague shall come near my dwelling.
Grab ahold of that Word and having done all to stand – stand on it in Jesus’ Name.
Along with planting your feet firmly on the ground of Psalm 91:10, add to that your positive confession of God’s Word.
For the scripture says, you overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony — Revelation 12:11.
Years ago, I began saying these words as my confession of the principles of God’s Word in the area of divine healing.
And with that thought, here’s the quote of the day.

Ever disease, germ, and virus, that touches my body dies in Jesus Name.

John G. Lake tested this out scientifically with the Bubonic Plague.
Here is his testimony.
I’m going to read it to you word for word.

The Testimony of John G Lake During the Bubonic Plague

Now watch the action of the law of life. Faith belongs to the law of life. It is the very opposite of fear. Faith has the opposite effect in spirit, and soul, and body. It causes the spirit of man to become confident. It causes the mind of man to become restful, and positive. A positive mind repels disease. Consequently, the emanation of the Spirit destroys disease germs.

And because we were in contact with the Spirit of life, I and a little Dutch fellow with me went out and buried many of the people who had died from the bubonic plague. We went into the homes and carried them out, dug the graves and put them in. Sometimes we would put three or four in one grave. We never took the disease. Why? Because of the knowledge that the law of life in Christ Jesus protects us. That law was working.

Because of the fact that a man by that action of his will, puts himself purposely in contact with God, faith takes possession of his heart, and the condition of his nature is changed. Instead of being fearful, he is full of faith. Instead of being absorbent and drawing everything to himself, his spirit repels sickness and disease. The Spirit of Christ Jesus flows through the whole being , and emanates through the hands, the heart, and from every pore of the body.

During that great plague that I mentioned, they sent a government ship with supplies and corps of doctors. One of the doctors sent for me, and said, “What have you been using to protect yourself? Out corps has this preventative and that, which we use as protection, but we concluded that if a man could stay on the ground as you have and keep ministering to the sick and burying the dead, you must have a secret. What is it?” I answered, “Brother that is the ‘law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.’ I believe that just as long as I keep my soul in contact with the living God so that His Spirit is flowing into my soul and body, that no germ will ever attach itself to me, for the Spirit of God will kill it.”

He asked, “Don’t you think that you had better use our preventatives?” I replied, “No, but doctor I think that you would like to experiment with me. If you will go over to one of these dead people and take the foam that comes out of their lungs after death, then put it under the microscope you will see masses of living germs. You will find they are alive until a reasonable time after a man is dead. You can fill my hand with them and I will keep it under the microscope, and instead of these germs remaining alive, they will die instantly.” They tried it and found it was true.

They questioned, “What is that?” I replied, “That is ‘the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.’ When a man’s spirit and a man’s body are filled with the blessed presence of God, it oozes out of the pores of your flesh and kills the germs.” Suppose on the other hand, my soul had been under the law of death, and I were in fear and darkness? The very opposite would have been the result. The result would have been that my body would have absorbed the germs, these would have generated disease and I would have died. You who are sick, put yourself in contact with God’s law of life.

Read His Word with the view of enlightening your heart so that you will be able to look up with more confidence and believe Him. Pray that the Spirit of God will come into your soul, take possession of your body, and its power will make you well. That is the exercise of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.²

Say it with me, “Every disease, germ, and virus that touches my body dies in Jesus’ Name.
So with that, let’s go on and talk about the resurrection of Lazarus.

John 11:1–6 (ESV) — 1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha… 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.

This podcast is on the Lord’s healing power.
Please don’t miss this crucial point, which comes right out in the open in verse one: ‘Now a certain man was ill…’
BDAG defines the word ‘ill’ as to suffer a debilitating illness, be sick³
Louw Nida has it as to be sick and, as a result, in a state of weakness and incapacity—to be sick, to be ill, to be disabled.’ ⁴
The man was not well, no matter how you look at it.
He was sick; Lazarus was weak; he was debilitated to the point of death.
And he died.
Well, if Lazarus died, how is healing part of that?

John 11:39–44 (ESV) — 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The healing part is in the resurrection of Lazarus.
There are multiple moves of the Spirit of God at work here that we all need to recognize.
First, there is the resurrection part.
That is a manifestation of the Spirit known as’ working of miracles.’
It is one of the nine gifts of the Spirit given to the church.
Man is a spirit being.
When death occurs, a man’s spirit leaves the body.
Look at these verses from Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 (ESV) — 1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth,

Why should you remember your Creator when you are young?
Solomon, by the Spirit of God, gives us all these compelling reasons like before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
Why should you remember your Creator while you are young?
- Because there could come a day when the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,
  - in other words, dangerous times come.
If you continue to read these next couple of verses, you will find another reason why you should remember your Creator in the days of your youth.
The last reason Solomon gives is in verse seven, listen to it.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (ESV) — 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Your spirit returns to God when you die.
But when you are resurrected, your spirit returns to you.
That’s the Working of Miracles part.
But, there is a healing component also to the resurrection, to Lazarus’ resurrection.
Lazarus had to receive healing of his debilitating illness at the same time Jesus resurrected him because if he hadn’t, he would have immediately died all over again.
The resurrection of Lazarus is proof positive that there is a power higher than death.
That there is a power higher than disease.

Tyler Clarensau, fifteen, shuffled to the altar in Park Crest Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, to ask for healing. The surgery he’d had to correct his malformed knee joints had left him with swelling and terrible pain. Forty Pentecostal teenagers formed a circle around Clarensau and began to pray. Gradually, the whole congregation joined in. Some forty-five minutes later, silence fell. Then one of the church volunteers announced that God had healed Clarensau. Clarensau shakily stood up, then did deep knee bends—something he hadn’t accomplished in years. Today Clarensau can walk—even run. “I’d heard about people getting healed,” he says. “I thought it was pretty cool. But I didn’t know for sure about such healing until it happened to me.” ⁵

Again, there is a power higher than disease, more considerable than bacteria, greater than viruses.
Are you convinced of it?
Well, Jesus was, and He proved it in an unusual way.
When He heard that Lazarus had a debilitating illness, he waited two more days.
Listen to it again.

John 11:6 (ESV) — So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Some scholars are saying that Jesus waited because Lazarus was already dead.
But, the scripture didn’t say Lazarus was dead, the Word said he was ill.
Look what follows.

John 11:7–11 (ESV) — 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.”

So, somewhere after the report that Jesus received that Lazarus was ill, Jesus knew several things in His spirit man.
He knew that Lazarus died.
How did He know?
The scripture doesn’t say how He knew it, but you can tell from Jesus’ communication.
Listen to the Master’s words: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”
There are two pieces of knowledge here: Lazarus’ death and his resurrection.
How did He know that He was to go and raise Lazarus from the dead?
Did He just decide to do that on His own, as some have suggested?
The truth is that in the ministry of Jesus, the Spirit of God was His leader and guide.
Just like in other aspects of Jesus’ ministry, you can see the same Holy Spirit is front and center.
He did the works of God through Jesus, and He does the same work and greater through you and me.

John 14:12 (ESV) — 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

So, the Father God gave direction to Jesus by the Spirit.
He knew He was to go and resurrect Lazarus because the Spirit bade Him go.
If that is true and it is, then it’s easy to see how Jesus knew of Lazarus’ death.
The Spirit of God told Him — told Him that Lazarus was dead and led Him what to do something about His death, that is raise him up.
You remember Jesus saying this about His Father: ‘The Father that dwells in me, He does the works.’
What about these verses in John five?

John 5:19 (ESV) — 19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

John 5:30 (ESV) — 30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

The point I am trying to get to is that Jesus intentionally waited two days.
I believe He had the direction to do so.
That’s what He told the disciples: ‘Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I go to awaken him.’
So here goes Jesus, let’s watch what He does.

John 11:17–21 — 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.

Four days dead means this is a ‘proof positive’ miracle.
It’s a ‘no doubt about it’ power of God display.

John 11:18–21 — 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.

Martha’s Strong Faith

Don’t discount what Martha said here.
It’s pretty good.
Martha had faith in Jesus to the level of her understanding.
Listen to her declaration.
First, she called Jesus’ Lord.’
That’s always the right place to start.
And then afterward, she said these words: ‘If you had been here, my brother would still be alive.’
I don’t know what you think, but you know that’s a reliable confession of faith.
Is your faith at least this strong?
Do you have confidence that if a loved one of yours is near death that Jesus could change that if He were in the room?
Do you remember this truth of Matthew?

Matthew 18:20 (ESV) — 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

One piece of understanding that Martha may have been missing is that there is no distance in the Spirit.
What does that mean?
Well, one thing it means is that we do not need the ‘physical’ or another way of saying it, the bodily presence of Jesus to receive healing from the Father.
All we need is Jesus’ Name.
The Name of Jesus stands in for Jesus.
That is, using His Name takes the place of His bodily Presence.
Jesus’ name gives you access instead to His spiritual Presence.
That’s what’s highlighted in this verse in Matthew above: ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name there am I.’
So, here you are with family or friends, all followers of Jesus.
Jesus is there, the scripture says.
But how is He there?
Indeed, Jesus is not present physically.
He is physically if you could say it that way, sitting at the right hand of God.
But spiritually, He is right there in the room with you as you gather together in His name.
So, will you like the woman with the issue of blood reach out and receive your healing from Him?
Is your faith at this level?
Do you believe that you can use the Mighty Name of Jesus and receive wellness?
Martha’s faith was in the physical presence of Jesus, which was okay for that time frame because Jesus was amid His earthly ministry.
His earthly ministry had the characteristic of physical presence.
If you wanted healing during Jesus’ time on earth, you had to go to a Jesus healing meeting.
And, many people did.

Luke 4:40 (ESV) — 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.

But, Jesus hinted at a far greater faith than the faith that Mary and Martha exhibited in His encounter with a Roman centurion.

Matthew 8:5–10 (ESV) — 5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

Did you hear it?
The centurion said to Jesus; you don’t need to come physically to my paralyzed servant.
You don’t need to be in the same room with him physically.
All you have to do is send your word, and that will get the job done.
Jesus replied no one in Isreal has this kind of faith, of course, that includes Amry and Martha.
Nevertheless, Martha has more to say.
She continues declaring her faith.
Listen to her — “If you were here, Jesus, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:17–21 — 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

‘Even now’ is in the context of Lazarus’ death.
Martha is saying, ‘Even though my brother has died, I know that whatever you, Jesus, ask from God, God will give it to you.’
Martha still thinks Jesus can do something about this Lazarus’ death situation.’
Do you find that statement impressive?
When we think of a person of faith, we usually don’t equate Martha in these terms.
What we remember about Martha is that she was too busy serving instead of listening to Jesus’ words.

Which Resurrection?

John 11:23 — 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Now, let’s take a look at Martha’s sister Mary.
Where is she at in all of this?

John 11:32 — 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.”

Same confession of faith as her sister.
They both believed in Jesus Presence and the healing by-product of it.
Again, where are you in this?
Now we come to the most famous short verse in the Bible.
It is the shortest verse, Jesus wept.
Listen to the context.

John 11:33–37 — 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. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

Some have thought that Jesus wept because He was sympathetic.
Others think Jesus wept because the whole crowd wept and that he was joining in on the emotion.
But, you know, there could be another answer.
You see, what you have with this kind of miracle is multiple gifts of the Spirit at work.
The Working of Miracles is in manifestation during resurrection from the dead.
The special gift of faith is at work during bodily resurrection.
Average, ordinary, everyday faith, you know the faith that you use to believe God in your daily life, trust that comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God — that kind of faith will not raise someone from the dead.
This special kind of extraordinary faith is faith which comes by the will of God by the Spirit for a single exact moment.
After Jesus said, ‘Lazarus come forth,’ that special faith left Him, and He returned to His earth walk with regular ordinary faith.
That’s how the gift of special faith, I call it special faith to differentiate it from the ordinary kind, works.
Then, the third gift of the Spirit at work in this raising of Lazarus from the dead is the gift of healing.
So you see, three power-house Holy Spirit manifestations are in operation at one single moment in time.
All of that power came upon Jesus in one single moment, and it knocked tears into His eyes.
Have you ever had times where the Spirit of God rushed upon you?

Judges 14:5–6 (ESV) — 5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. 6 Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

The language is accurate and vital.
The Spirit of God rushes upon people.
The Hebrew word ‘rush’ means to move in a hurry.
So Jesus wept — yes He did — you would too if that kind of power came rushing in on you.

Conclusion: Benefits of Lazarus Resurrection

So, from this lesson today, I think you can see what some of the benefits of this miracle is for followers of Jesus.
It shows us that there is a power greater than death.
And that power is greater than sickness, greater than disease, greater than viruses, greater than any other evil work of the enemy.
Stay open to the Spirit of God, and He will use you to raise somebody.
You guys have a great God-week, and we’ll see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

A Not So Jewish Look at the Gospel of Matthew

References:

Author Unknown, Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002). ↩
http://www.geocities.ws/passionsurf/resources/JohnGLake.html ↩
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 142. ↩
Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 269. ↩
—Kenneth Woodward, “Should You Believe in Miracles?” Newsweek (May 1, 2000), Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, 1001 Illustrations That Connect (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2008), 139. ↩

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What’s the Benefit of the Resurrection of Lazarus

Podcast: Light on Life Season 7 Episode 13

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio