A Full Dress Rehearsal for the Resurrection (John 11:1-44)

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John’s Gospel records seven signs that point to Jesus’ authority.

  1. Jesus is fully divine.
    1. His knowledge is supernatural. Note 11:4, 11-14.
    2. He claims what God claims. See 11:25. Who can speak like this, save God in the flesh? See John 1:3 and Rev.1:17-18.
      • 11:25b-26a. Christ says that those who belong to Him will never die.
    3. He does what only God can do. Note 11:38. Calvin says that Christ is like a wrestler, preparing for the contest. Note 11:39-44. As God spoke in Genesis 1, and there was life, so Jesus speaks here, and there is new life.
  2. Jesus is fully human.
    1. The anger of Christ. This seems to be the way to read verse 33. It could be anger or grief or heightened anticipation. B. B. Warfield says that Christ wept in rage at the havoc that sickness and death bring. It is a divine anger expressed humanly.
    2. The sympathy of Christ. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible. See too Luke 19:41; Heb.4:15. Cecil Alexander got it right:
      And He feeleth for our sadness,
      And He shareth in our gladness.

      Joni Eareckson has written a book, God Weeps. Christ weeps on earth that in heaven we will not – Rev.7:17.

  3. Responding to the God-man.
    1. Some believed. Read 11:26b-27. She confesses Jesus as: Lord; the Christ; the Son of God; the Saviour of the world who has come from outside the world. Martha is not alone – 11:45. They came to show mercy to Mary but they found mercy from Christ.
    2. Some were hostile. See 11:46-48, 53, 57. This is amazing! dead. See also 12:10-11 and Acts 4:14-18.

      3. When Richard Baxter was dying – he died in 1691 – he was asked the somewhat inane question: ‘How are you?’ His answer was ‘Almost well.’