Then Jesus made another wonderful claim: вЂњI am the resurrection and the life. They didnвЂ™t realize that Jesus had purposely stayed away so that He could heal and resurrect Lazarus, rather than just heal him! Even when Jesus promised Martha that her brother would rise again, she initially assumed He was referring to the general resurrection of many people foretold in the Old Testament. Thus, no one would be able to intelligently claim that Lazarus had only been unconscious and had simply been revived!Both Mary and Martha believed that Jesus could and would have healed Lazarus if He had been near when Lazarus was still alive. When Jesus finally did arrive in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for four days. God wanted Jesus to perform a miracle that would convince everyone whose heart wasnвЂ™t hopelessly hardened that Jesus was the Son of God.

Caiaphas unknowingly prophesied when he said it this way: вЂњLet this one man die for the peopleвЂќ (John 11:50). They didnвЂ™t need to fear that many people would dieвЂ”if Jesus died instead. But Caiaphas, the high priest, rebuked them, saying that the solution was simple. Moreover, they were fearful that the whole nation might believe in Him, resulting in political turmoil, an invasion by the Roman army, and the deaths of many people. What God didnвЂ™t tell Him by the Holy Spirit, He had to learn like anyone else.Amazingly, although the leading priests and Pharisees knew of JesusвЂ™ many miracles, they refused to believe in Him.

They know their bodies will one day be resurrected, whereas unbelievers view death as a permanent state. The reason is because death is always temporary, like sleep, for those who believe in Jesus. In the Bible, Christian death is sometimes described using the word вЂњsleepвЂќ. Why do you think Jesus at first told His disciples that Lazarus was asleep and that He was going to wake him up?A.

JesusвЂ™ words have a natural and a spiritual meaning. Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no lightвЂќ (John 11:9-10). They can see because they have the light of this world. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. Jesus replied, вЂњThere are twelve hours of daylight every day. JesusвЂ™ disciples were fearful of JesusвЂ™ plans to journey back to Judea where the Jewish leaders were waiting to kill Him.

You can increase your chances of not being a victim of someoneвЂ™s crime by staying away from dark places and being extra cautious at night. That is when evil people normally get drunk, steal and murder, because they have a better chance of not getting caught. When there is light, people are safer, because evil deeds are usually done in darkness. The natural meaning is plain.

It was Judas who ultimately told the Jewish leaders where Jesus was at night, and that is when He was arrested and tried before the Jewish council.The spiritual meaning behind JesusвЂ™ words is this: When people walk in the light of Jesus and the truth of His word, they are spiritually safe, because Satan and his evil spirits can only work in spiritual darkness. Jesus knew that He was safe in a dangerous city as long as His enemies knew where He was only during the day. The later it is at night, the more cautious you should be.

Lazarus Raised From The Dead