John 11 demonstrates God's sovereignty over death and salvation

Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is the last and greatest miracle John records before Jesus goes to Jerusalem to take on the sins of the world and become the sacrifice for many. He had already manifested His glory through displaying power over distance (heals noble man’s son without even seeing him), sickness (heals lame man at the pool), creation (feeds 5,000), nature (walks on water and calms storm), birth defects (heals man born blind). In John, chapter 11, Jesus displays the most important yet: His power over death itself.

There are a few things about this passage that I’d like to note that further display Who He is and why He performed this miracle. Jesus says Himself the purpose for this circumstance is “for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (v 4). Needless to say, Jesus knew exactly what He was doing, as He always does. The first thing that stood out to me is that Jesus waited two days after He’d heard Lazarus was sick before traveling to see Him, and He tells the disciples, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe,” because He wants there to be no doubt that Lazarus is as dead as a doornail, and no tricks or gimmicks, but that he has been dead for so long that he “stinketh.” (v 15, 39).

I think it’s pretty clear that Jesus didn’t raise Lazarus for Lazarus’ own benefit, for, as one of my friends puts it, how awful would it be to be taken from heaven to have to live in this world again! Jesus raises Lazarus to physically demonstrate that He is “the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (v 26-26). This miracle is the picture of salvation, and it is important to understand it this way, because we learn so much from it.

It fits perfectly with Paul’s description of salvation in his letter to the Ephesians, when he says “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (2:1). One of the key elements in Lazarus’ resurrection and in Paul’s description is that Lazarus was dead. He had absolutely NO ability in himself to choose life. While this is blatantly obvious, it carries over into Paul’s description of the nonbeliever, who is likewise dead and unable to choose life. RC Sproul uses this concept to give a brilliant antidote to the whole “lifesaver” mentality toward evangelism (that the unbeliever is like a person drowning, the evangelist throws out the lifesaver, but it is up to the unbeliever to grab hold), when he says that this analogy is wrong in that the unbeliever is not drowning, but he is already drowned and has sunk to the bottom of the lake. What’s the point? The dead man is awakened BY Jesus’ voice when the Lord calls to him. The call of the Lord is effectual, and a person is raised out of their death by the work and word of Christ alone, “not by works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:9). Lazarus did not have the power to choose to live again; he simply could do no other than what Jesus gave him power to do. The same is true for salvation: Jesus calls us and resurrects us out of our death (sin) to life in the Light of Him.

Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead demonstrates His sovereignty over salvation beautifully. Thank you Lord!