“Lazarus, Come Out.” But What About Paradise?

[newton3005]

One of the miracles that Lord Jesus performed was to bring Lazarus back from the dead. Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus.

There were others who loved Lazarus, including Mary who had wiped Jesus’ feet, and her sister Martha. They told Jesus that Lazarus was ill, and a few days later Jesus went to visit him.

By the time Jesus goes to see Lazarus, Lazarus passed away and was in a tomb for several days. Jesus sees that Mary and Martha are distressed because of Lazarus’ death. Jesus weeps upon seeing the sister’s grief, and for the Jews who up to this point had doubts as to Jesus’ connection with God. Jesus sees this as an opportunity to show the Jews that he indeed comes from God. Jesus in John 11:41-42 ostensibly, as others look on, asks God to show His Glory. (To the extent Jesus and God are one, Jesus is actually asking himself.) Jesus then, in Verse 43, says “Lazarus, come out.” Lazarus indeed comes out from where he was entombed.

This kinda leads to several questions, considering other parts of the Bible. One question is, presuming Lazarus was judged to be righteous, couldn’t Jesus have shown God’s Glory other than to pull Lazarus back from entering God’s Kingdom? After all, Jesus in Verses such as Matthew 6:19-21 and Luke 23:43 speaks highly of God’s Kingdom, so why would Jesus deprive Lazarus of it, just to make a point? Seems that it was better that Jesus merely tell Martha and Mary that Lazarus is in a better place now and show God’s Glory in other ways.

Seems that in bringing Lazarus back to life on earth, Jesus appeases the grieving sisters, who otherwise must have heard of him saying in Matthew 6:19-21 that our treasures are in Heaven. Seems he could have told them that when their time comes, they will see Lazarus in Heaven. And one could wonder as to why Lazarus doesn’t ask Jesus ‘Why did you bring me back? I was in Paradise!’

The Bible doesn’t mention Lazarus’ being brought back to life from his perspective. After he is brought back to life, the curiosity of the people who heard of Lazarus’ coming back from the dead compels them to come to see him to satisfy their curiosity.

Maybe there were words exchanged between Lazarus and Jesus. Or perhaps Lazarus loved his sister enough that he didn’t mind foregoing Heaven for the time being. Or perhaps Lazarus appreciated the mission that Jesus was on, which was to spread the Word of God and to show His Glory, so he was willing to forego Heaven for the sake of the mission. The last verse in John leaves open these possibilities when it says there are many things involving Jesus that have not been recorded. Whatever our understanding, it is our trust in the Lord with all our heart that prevails, and our faith in God that as we love Him, all things come together for good and for all time.

 

[com7fy8]

couldn’t Jesus have shown God’s Glory other than to pull Lazarus back from entering God’s Kingdom?

I don't know how consciously Lazarus experienced Paradise while Lazarus was dead. I consider that since Jesus was not there, possibly Lazarus was simply not conscious in that tomb.

But, even if Lazarus had experienced Paradise and then got pulled back . . . or in case he didn't > either way, I now think of how Jesus God's own Son had been in all the good of being with our Father, and then Jesus left all that to come here where there were such selfish people and their evil. So, if Jesus did pull Lazarus back, He was not expecting more of Lazarus than what Jesus Himself sacrificed by coming here . . . I would say . . . my opinion.

And our Apostle Paul says > "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you." (Philippians 1:21-24)

So, Heaven's love had Jesus leave all He had in Heaven and come here in the flesh in order to reach us and bless us. So, if Lazarus went to Paradise, possibly the love in Paradise would have him care enough about people here on earth, so he would be pleased, even, to return here to help people to God.

Plus . . . by the way > what might Lazarus have noticed if he had gone to Paradise?

Jesus was not there!

If he wanted to be with Jesus, he would need to come back, right?

 

[Mark Quayle]

Your question is time-dependent. God doesn't operate subject to time. For example, we have no way to pray concerning an outcome that has already come to pass, unless we don't know the outcome.

Jesus did not deprive Lazarus of his place in Glory for any amount of time, at all.

Consider, if you would, the possibility that God's particular creation (the Bride of Christ, the Church resurrected and glorified) was completed as a perfect, post temporal result of time and all its activity (this life) --spoken into being and done.

We are stunted in our thinking. We think, for example, that cause-and-effect is time-sequence dependent. But why would God think that way? After all, he invented time itself, and even the logical order of cause-and-effect. They are only absolute within the boundaries God places them in. They proceed from him, and he is not subject to them.

 

[timothyu]

Interesting how theology often trips itself up and needs to put the deeds of Jesus in question to avoid questioning itself.

 

[TedT]

One question is, presuming Lazarus was judged to be righteous, couldn’t Jesus have shown God’s Glory other than to pull Lazarus back from entering God’s Kingdom? After all, Jesus in Verses such as Matthew 6:19-21 and Luke 23:43 speaks highly of God’s Kingdom, so why would Jesus deprive Lazarus of it, just to make a point?

Raising a man from the dead was a miracle that the Jews believed only the Messiah could perform. It established His credentials so to speak. Thus the miracle had to be done.

• Cleansing a Leper
• Casting out a Deaf and Dumb Spirit
• The Healing of Birth Defects
• Raising the Dead after three days (i.e. the fourth day)

The Messianic miracles related directly to the four blood sacrifices that Yeshua fulfilled in His sacrificial death on the cross.

 

[splish- splash]

It had to be done, so that the Glory of the Father, would be revealed through His Son.

It would have been nice though to learn of how, this resurrection could have changed him . Whether it helped improve, the quality of his relationship with Christ even more!

 

[Petros2015]

Lazarus - OrthodoxWiki

Bishop of Kition
According to Scripture and the tradition of the Cypriot church, Lazarus was compelled to seek refuge away from Jerusalem to avoid the anger of the high priests and the pharisees, who wanted to kill him, ...the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed in Jesus (John 12:10-11). Many Christians too ... were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about. Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch ...; just like Stephen, Lazarus would have had to leave Judea to seek refuge in another country. This location was Kition in Cyprus.

When Apostle Paul and Apostle Barnabas travelled to Cyprus, they ordained Lazarus as the first Bishop of Kition. This is why all episcopal thrones in Larnaca have the icon of St. Lazarus instead of Christ, which is the standard custom of the church.

Another famous tradition related to Lazarus is the discovery of Mount Athos in 52 AD by the Theotokos. Lazarus was very close to the Virgin Mary and he was very grieved that he could not return to Jerusalem to visit her (he was still in fear of the Jews). The Theotokos learned of his sorrow and sent him a letter to comfort him. She asked that he might send a ship to her that she might visit him in Cyprus. With great joy, Lazarus sent a ship to the Holy Land to bring the Virgin Mary and John, the beloved disciple to Cyprus for a visit. However on their journey, a great storm blew them off course and carried them to the shores of Ephesus and then the ship to the shores of Athos, Greece. Unaware that divine providence had brought her to this area, the Virgin Mary completely taken by the beauty of the area, prayed to her son that this could be her garden devoted to prayer to "fight the good fight of faith". Having converted, blessed and established a new Christian community from the local idolaters they set sail for Cyprus and met with Lazarus.


Tomb of Saint Lazarus in Bethany.
Further establishing the apostolic nature of Lazarus' appointment, was the tradition that the bishop's omophorion and epimanikia were presented to Lazarus by the Virgin Mary, who had woven it herself.[note 7]

Little more is known about Lazarus after Our Lord's Resurrection and Ascension, except that during his thirty years after his resuscitation, he never smiled or joked except on one occasion, recorded in the Synaxarion. One day, he saw someone stealing a clay pot and he smiled saying, "the clay steals the clay".[6][13]

The first tomb of Lazarus in Bethany remains as a site for pilgrims to this very day.

The second tomb on the island of Cyprus, was found in Kition sometime in 890 AD, with his relics inside, and bearing the inscription: "Lazarus, the Friend of Christ."

 

[privatepop]

The raising of Lazarus pointed to how someone becomes saved.

Eph 2:5, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (made alive) us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved

Jn 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

So it takes Christ to cause someone to believe. Lazarus could do nothing. He was dead. God must call someone, enter into them giving them life and cause them to obey.