Lazarus Is Sick

Lesson #175

With this lesson we begin our study of the first major section of chapter 11, defined by John 11:1 – 16. In this section Jesus is notified that Lazarus was sick, but Jesus does not respond and waits until he dies before going to him. His death will provide Jesus with the opportunity to present some very important material. Let us begin our study and see what God has for us to learn from this section.

“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha” (John 11:1 ESV). The setting of our narrative is the village of Bethany, located about two miles from Jerusalem (verse 18). The three main characters of our narrative are named: Lazarus, Mary and Martha; a brother and two sisters. Bethany was identified as the village of Mary and Martha, suggesting that they were well known by people in the area. It seems from Luke 10:36 that these women were accustomed to entertain Jesus with their hospitality. Since Lazarus was identified simply as living in Bethany, we can conclude that he was not as well-known as his sisters.

“It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill” (John 11:2 ESV). This Mary is not the sinful woman who anointed the Lord’s feet at the table in the Pharisee’s house in Jerusalem (Luke 7:37). She was a different Mary. This anointing that John identifies with Mary, at this time, has not occurred yet (John 12:3), but is important enough to this event to mention here. John mentions this anointing to show a very special relationship between Mary and Jesus.

I probably should not raise this point, but I think it demonstrates the importance of careful Bible study. There is another anointing we all know about that is recorder in both Mathew and Mark. “Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table” (Matthew 26:6 – 7 NASB). Who was this woman? It is commonly thought to be the same Mary that anointed his feet in John 12: “Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair” (John 12:1 – 3 ESV). Some say Mary also anointed his head and is thus the woman in the Matthew 26 account. Careful inspection reveals the dinner in the house of Simon the leper occurred two days before Passover. The dinner put on by Mary and Martha appeared to be at their home and it occurred six days before Passover.  If we assume two separate dinners, which satisfies the Scriptures, it is possible to assume the woman in Mathew 26 was Mary. That conclusion is based on the foot and head anointing being acts of love expressed by Mary toward Jesus and that the anointing of the head of Jesus and what he says ties very well into the account being developed in John 11. I therefore tend to lean toward the woman in Matthew being Mary. This is not directly supported by Scripture and shows why it is important to distinguish between truth and tradition. Until this study I had assumed that the Scripture named Mary as the woman who anointed the head of Jesus, but I was mistaken.

Prayer

Father, this lesson enforces my resolve to not teach from denominational Bible studies. These studies are a level removed from the Scriptures allowing interpretation to be heard as truth. These studies cover the material quickly and usually include just the easy parts and do not allow time to uncover what the Bible really teaches. I believe this is a good reason why believers today are so ill-informed on what the Bible actually teaches. Father, we desperately need to take time for proper Biblical training to lay a foundation for holy living and an effective witness. Father, we desperately need your discipline in this matter.