I recently had the privilege of spending the day listening to Dr. Don Carson speak in Seattle. He is one of the world’s leading New Testament scholars and it’s not very often that I have the opportunity to sit under the teaching of such a distinguished theologian. During the course of the sessions, he devoted an entire hour to examining John 11 and the the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It’s not my aim at this time to discuss all the implications that are involved in this passage, however, Dr. Don did expose something in the text that I had never heard before.
To give a brief background of this passage, Jesus and his disciples were some distance away from Judea when they received word that Lazarus was ill. Jesus decides to wait a full two days before leaving to make the journey to Lazarus. At first thought, this may seem strange, but it would prove strategic on the part of Christ. He knew that Lazarus was to die, but in the historical context, it was not uncommon for individuals to be mistaken as dead only to be discovered otherwise in the process of burial. So, according to Jewish customs, a person had to be dead for four days before they were “officially” dead. Even if Jesus had left immediately, Lazarus would have still been dead upon his arrival. Furthermore, we know that in precedence Christ had healed the centurion’s servant from a distance and it was not beyond his ability or custom to do so on occasion. Ultimately, Jesus wanted the people who were to witness this miracle to know beyond a doubt that it was from God. By delaying two days, he would arrive after Lazarus was dead, and no one would be able to claim that he was merely sleeping. Summarily, Jesus’ delay was intentional and would attest that Lazarus’ resurrection was an act that would vindicate and validate his deity.
This would also prove to be Jesus’ last journey to Judea. He would ultimately be arrested and crucified during the course of this journey. That said, Jesus arrives and meets Martha outside the village. Mary is given word of his arrival and goes out to meet him. It is at this point, in the midst of her weeping, that she says: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” The text then states that “when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled”...and again upon arrival at the tomb he was “deeply moved” yet again. Dr. Carson pointed out that this term literally means that Christ was “OUTRAGED”. He wasn’t merely moved in the sentimental, emotional, sadness of the situation; he was OUTRAGED, indeed, even furious. But why? He knew he was going to raise Lazarus. Why the OUTRAGE? Death, at its very core, is a result of sin and the fall. Every time Jesus sees death, he is reminded of the effects of sin. He is OUTRAGED, because sin is the ultimate cause of all suffering and death in the world. We were not created this way. Every person bears the image of God and every time someone suffers or dies, it vindicates the reality of SIN. Jesus is holy and cannot merely look at sin, suffering, and death and feel anything other than RIGHTEOUS HATRED. This is why he was OUTRAGED, FURIOUS, and LIVID. Lazarus death once again points to the core of all of humanity’s problems--SIN. And Jesus is OUTRAGED!
What amazes me most, in meditating on this OUTRAGE, is that in a very short time, Jesus was to become what he hated most. He would literally become SIN and the OUTRAGE that he was experiencing would be directed at HIM by the Father, the full wrath of God would be poured out on him to the very dregs and he would be crushed for our iniquities and our SIN. Jesus became what He hated most and died as a substitute in your place, thus paying the penalty for mine and your SIN.
What are the implications of this? How should we respond? Every time we see pain, suffering, and death, we should feel this same OUTRAGE. Murder, rape, genocide, slavery, human trafficking, all the social-ills, AIDS, cancer, and war, to name but a few attest to the reality that SIN still exists in this world--it is a travesty. In light of the person and work of Christ, we should feel the same OUTRAGE that he felt regardless of our future glorification. There is such a thing as righteous anger. Have you experienced this OUTRAGE?
In light of the Gospel, the only thing powerful enough to have any potential for positive change is that we embrace the full Gospel and allow it to define our identity and purpose in this world. We must address the reality of SIN and treat the disease. The only cure is the cross of Christ. All else is merely a futile attempt to treat the symptoms by some means of spiritual morphine. It may lessen the pain, but the reality is that the disease is still present and worse yet, people do not even know they’re contaminated.
As believers, we should feel OUTRAGED when we see the effects of SIN in the form of pain, suffering, and death. At the same time, this should motivate us to share this very Gospel that is “the POWER” of God to salvation to all who accept Christ and his work on their behalf on the cross. Body of Christ, I pray that this very OUTRAGE motivates you to reflect all the more on the person and work of Christ and in turn devote your life to proclaiming the cross to all who are dead and lost in their SIN! The cost of this Gospel we have been entrusted with is infinite and is something more valuable than anything else on this planet--material or spiritual. Don’t waste your life!
solus Christus
m.
