John 11:43 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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John 11:43

Comments

‘When he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, [so that the whole group would know it was at his word] Lazarus, come forth.’ The previous people who had been raised from the dead had not been four days in a grave. ‘And he that was dead came forth.’He did not cry with a loud voice because Lazarus needed to hear; he cried with a loud voice so that that great crowd of doubting, Jewish people would hear that he was raising Lazarus from the dead. He addressed Lazarus by name. At the name of Lazarus, life entered into him. He could hear the command of Christ, and he obeyed it.

Application

This is the glorious thing, that Christ always addresses people by name. He addresses us by name, in a very personal, individual way, when he works in our hearts, and he calls us to himself, ‘Come unto me’ – a very personal word directed into our hearts. We come to Christ, He gives us life, we repent, and then we know we have got to obey him, and he is our Lord, and we follow his every commandment, the same order as you see here – ‘Lazarus, come forth’ and he came forth. When we die he will call our name, and our soul will take flight. When we are raised from the dead, even though the voice of Christ will raise millions, at one moment, yet it will be a very personal call, for each one, without any doubt. So, he calls Lazarus by name.

It is one of the important features of biblical interpretation that when it comes to Christ, all his prayers were answered. The Father cannot deny his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased.

Questions

How could Lazarus walk if bound with grave clothes? The Jews used to bind and wrap the body, comparatively loosely, not tightly in bandages like the Egyptians. So Lazarus could walk out of that sepulchre, and be loosed completely from those drapes, and allowed to go home.

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John 11:43 Commentary and Bible Study