As Jesus and those with him walked to the gravesite, he still groaned within himself over what had occurred (John 11:38; cp. verse-33). Jesus prayed and God heard him (John 11:41; cp. John 11:4, 14-15). Now he felt the emotional pain of responsibility for the event that his prayer caused to occur. He may not have had Lazarus specifically in mind, when he prayed to the Father, prior to the sickness that fell upon him, but he did pray to the Father to raise the dead through him, in order that the glory of the Father and the Son might be revealed to those willing to believe (John 11:4, 15). When they arrived at the gravesite, it was seen that it was a cave with a great stone rolled in front of the opening, and Jesus told those standing by to remove the stone (John 11:39).
Immediately, Martha spoke up to object, saying by now the body of her brother stinks (John 11:39). However, Jesus reminded her that he had already told her, if she believes, she would see the glory of God (John 11:40; cp 23-26). The glory of God is revealed in the work of Jesus (John 11:4; cp. 1:14). The text doesn’t mention Martha’s reaction, but apparently, she allowed it, for Jesus did continue, and our permission is necessary for the work of God to be effective in us. What Martha may have thought is another matter. Did she understand that her brother would be resurrected, or did she simply permit Jesus to do whatever it was he intended to do for the glory of God, but concerning which she had no explanation?
Therefore, some of the men there took away the stone from the mouth of the cave, which contained the body of Lazarus. Then Jesus lifted up his yes to speak with the Father. He thanked God for already hearing his prayer (John 11:41-42), which on the face is quite odd, since nothing in the account has Jesus praying in chapter 11 of John’s Gospel prior to this moment. In an earlier study I concluded that Jesus must have prayed concerning the death of Lazarus, while he was yet in Bethabara, and prior to his getting gravely sick. In other words, Jesus and the Father had discussed a kind of plan that would be effective in revealing the Kingdom of God in a unique manner to those who believed Jesus was the Messiah. This was necessary, because, although they believed Jesus was the Savior of the world, they continued in their old worldview of the Messiah being a great general, who would lead Israel to victory over her enemies, such as Rome. Yet, the Kingdom of God is spiritual, not a physical kingdom, such as the kingdoms of this world are. One of the most difficult things in this world to do is to affect the change of another’s worldview about what is real. Yet, this is what Jesus and the Father wished to do through the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
What that may have looked like in our reality is this. Jesus had been telling his disciples and the Jewish authorities, among whom at least some believed, that he heard the Father’s voice (John 8:26, 40). Yet, although they had seen the miracles, which they understood only God could do, they had not really attached that to Jesus in a manner that was understood that the Father was speaking to them through him. They had not seen that he and the Father were one, because their understanding of scripture wouldn’t allow that. In other words, they saw Jesus speaking and acting separately from the Father, although he did the miracles only God could do, a contradiction, true, but such is the thinking of all who are unable to change their worldview to reflect what is real. Everyone who refuses to change what they believe to be true, when they know what they believe has been debunked, is destined to live in contradiction.
What the raising of Lazarus was hoped to do was display in the physical world what occurs in the spiritual Kingdom of God. The dead hear the voice of the Son of God (John 5:25, 28; cp. 10:3-4, 16, 27), and they live (spiritually). The point is, all mankind had died in Eden, when the rebellion occurred. Men had been cut off from the presence of God, dead in the spirit (cp. Ephesians 2:1-6).
Therefore, Jesus cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus come forth!” (John 11:43), and he who was dead heard the voice of the Son of God, and he came forth from the tomb still bound in his grave clothes. Jesus then, told them to unbind him and let him go (John 11:44).
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