Now we get to the twelfth chapter, where we have Mary of Bethany, who as I said corresponds in a way to what John the Baptist does. But now she's not identifying him in terms of who he is; she's identifying him in terms of what he came to do. In her action what she's doing is anointing him for his burial, because he is soon going to die. For you see, it's a way of saying that Mary of Bethany, in her role at this point, plays a very important part in the story of Jesus of Nazareth. That's important to see, I think, as we begin, as otherwise, we just pass over it. It’s easy for us to pass quickly over this story, knowing what great events are coming next, beginning with Jesus’ triumphal entry. But this is a significant story because of when it happens and what it points to as Jesus begins his climatic week before his crucifixion.

There's a second lesson that is also an application, and that is the obvious one. Jesus is the source of life. You see, if you really want to live, he's the one from whom you have to find it. I find an interesting little thing in this story, in verses 14 and 16. Before Jesus actually got up to Bethany he tells them plainly that Lazarus is dead. Now, notice what Thomas, one of the disciples, said: “Let us also go that we may die with him.” They're thinking of death, and he's thinking of life. You see, what they had to learn is that as long as they were with Jesus, they would experience life. Not only would they see it in the physical resurrection, but they would begin to experience it in a personal way as well. Jesus is the source of life, and if you're with him, and you hear him, and you live in his presence, and feed upon him, and grow in that fellowship, then you will live as well.

Now we come to chapter 11, and here we're getting to what Jesus’ signs are really all about. What is essential above everything is that we be made alive by Jesus Christ. So when he calls out to Lazarus, “Lazarus, come forth!” what that is doing is showing us in graphic ways what has to happen when Jesus calls to those who are spiritually dead to believe in him and come to life forever. Now let me spell some of that out in terms of the theology of regeneration from spiritual death to spiritual life.

We come now to John 11 and the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. There are several striking things about this story—two of them in particular. One is that this story is not found in any of the other three Gospels. That really is surprising because it is certainly a great miracle. While the other Gospels do record Jesus’ raising people from the dead, the resurrection of Lazarus is particularly noteworthy because it occurs in Jerusalem at Passover, just before Jesus' arrest and crucifixion.

Yesterday, we were tracing the man’s increasing understanding of Jesus. We now want to continue to discover what the man goes on to conclude about who Jesus really is.