Jesus power over sin and death

(One Perfect Life Chapters 130-133) In this portion of the Gospel we see one man resurrected and 10 lepers healed. We also see the initial planning for the death of one man – Jesus. The high priest Caiaphas inadvertently prophecies that “Jesus would die for the nation” (John 11: 51).

The account of the death and resurrection of Lazarus summarizes how God used Jesus to demonstrate His love for people (John 11:1-44). We are at first confused by Jesus delay in going to His friend while Lazarus was sick but not yet dead. God told Jesus to wait for the death of Lazarus because He wanted to use the resurrection of Lazarus to bring glory to both the Father and the Son. Jesus is aware of Lazarus death even before messengers inform Him.

He tells Lazarus’ two sisters that their brother would be resurrected that day. They would see the glory of God in the resurrection of their brother. Jesus goes to the grave site and weeps. He is not weeping over the loss of His friend – for He knows Lazarus is about to be raised from the dead. He weeps for a fallen world marred by sin and death and the blindness of so many people regarding who He was and what He came to do for them.

Jesus plainly states, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me, though he may die, he will live” (John 11:25-26). This is one of the seven “I am” statements found in the Gospel of John that Jesus uses to identify Himself as the “I am” of the Old Testament.

The reaction of the religious authorities was not to glorify God but to condemn Jesus. They were afraid that the people would start to follow Jesus in such great numbers that it could cause conflict with the Romans and that the leaders position and authority would be removed. Jesus kingdom was not and is not of this world. They didn’t understand that so they planned to kill Jesus and later will even desire to kill Lazarus.

After this great miracle Jesus leaves Judea but will soon return for His final Passover. He will return to be “the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

The healing of leprosy is a symbol that Jesus sited to the disciples of John the Baptist as evidence of His being the Messiah (Matthew 121:22-23). When he healed the ten men with leprosy, He told them to show themselves to the priests as the law commanded and as a testimony of His being the Messiah. While Jesus healed ten lepers only one returned to glorify God. Note the one that returned was a despised Samaritan. Jesus is showing His solution for sin will be for all people. Jesus died for all the people of the Jewish people but unfortunately only a small fraction have come to faith in Him.