What’s the Point?

The death and resurrection of Lazarus is a popular text with preachers. It is used metaphorically to teach people that a loss of something can be viewed as a setback, not a permanent state. It’s unlikely Lazurus would be thrilled with this perspective, seeing as his raising was only a reprieve before dying again - not something you’d want to experience twice, spectacular though walking out of a grave like an animated mummy was.

Granted, Jesus did say something similar: losing our life is gaining our life, but his context was the cost of discipleship, not a means to believe for bigger and better, or a promise of your comeback – whatever that is. And, in many cases loss (even if only a metaphorical death) is a reasonably permanent state. Loss of something can well be for the better, essential for growth. Some things need to die for us to continue to live – getting them back is not the point. In this case your come back may prove to be your set back. And death is a part of the human experience, welcomed or not, until the final resurrection.

In some cases, the story of Lazarus is used allegorically – as though the story was included in John’s gospel because it is a hidden message about our bounce-back during death-like circumstances - if we believe. In other words, John wrote this not for, but about, us; we are the focus.

The problem with using these interpretive means with John 11 is that neither of them do justice to the reason John included this story. It was certainly included for our benefit, but not as a story to be the disposable scaffold of a preacher’s message. Preaching like this uses scripture as a framework for messages of personal benefit or triumph. Illustration is a good method, if it points to and focusses on what the text is actually saying.

John wrote this story to show that Jesus was the resurrection and the life. His raising of Lazurus prefigured his own death and resurrection. The only thing they had to believe was whether they accepted that Jesus was the resurrection and the life, and that whoever believed in him would never die. Even his prayer before he commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb was articulated in public so that the people who heard would know the Father had sent him. How? By answering his prayer.

John reiterates this later in his gospel, saying the signs (the raising of Lazurus being number seven) Jesus did were so that people would come to believe Jesus was the promised Messiah, and in so doing would have life in his name. This is the point that John is making. There is nothing metaphorical or allegorical about this. Your hoped-for resurrected circumstances are not why John included this story in his gospel.

What’s the point? God is glorified, and Jesus is declared the resurrection and life – what he did for Lazarus is because he has life within himself, and he shares that life with whoever believes in Him. That’ll preach.