Why did Jesus raise Lazarus?

Question

Someone asked me this the other day. They said that Jesus was being selfinsh by stealing back his friend from the Hands of God. If Lazarus was going to Heaven then why did Jesus ressurect him?

dude. i didnt ask the question. i just need an answer to tell him.

Answer 1

Your thought process is very odd. You are willing to believe that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, yet you are willing to cast aspersions on His motives? If He raised him from the dead by His own power, then He is God and need not answer to anyone, being Lord over all His own creation.
If He acted in the capacity of a man, then it is clear the Father who raised Lazarus approved of Jesus' motives and honored His request.

The one who sent me is with me; he (the Father) has not left me (Jesus) alone, for I always do what pleases him." John 8:29

Answer 2

Well, you friend is either ignorant or stupid. Since you know him better than I do I will let you make the call.

With out going to the story I will tell you how I view the story. Simply put Jesus was making a point, multiple in-fact.

First, Doing the will of God is more important than visiting the sick (the saved ones). Those in God do not need to treat death as a finality. Mary and Martha sent Jesus several messages letting him know that his dear friend was dying and needed his help. He continued his work and even tarried longer than needed. Remember he said let the dead bury the dead and also not to turn back to your family. Gods calling is serious and more important than anything else.

Second, Jesus showed he was human. He loved Lazarus like a father or brother and it was genuine. Some call this fully man. Each death is important to God.

Third, He tested the faith of Mary and Martha throughout the ordeal. While chafed they did not fail. The misunderstood the power of Jesus and his authority and yet believed. They knew Jesus would raise all in the second coming, but failed to know Jesus had this right all along.

Finally, He backed up his authority to be Gods mouthpiece on Earth. Also that he was the son of God and nothing was beyond him and since God gave him this power nothing was beyond God.

It had nothing to do with being selfish or stealing back from God. No one can steal squat from God. If God is with you no one can overcome you. The grave was opened to prove this a few times and the most important was when God opened the grave for his son. Since they have been raised we know that we too will be raised and like Jesus we will not suffer a second death.

Answer 3

Dear t_la,

Christ raised Lazarus from the dead to show us a picture of what salvation is. The Bible tells us that we are DEAD in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1-3). An unsaved person is like a stinking, rotting corpse--there is no life in it. It is grotesque to even speak of but that is what God sees in unsaved man (Isaiah 1:5, 6).

Notice that when Christ said, "Lazarus, come forth" that stinking corpse could not hear what Jesus said. He (Lazarus) could neither move a muscle to respond to Christ;s command. So how did Lazarus hear and obey the Lord's command? Jesus (God) had to go into that tomb, give Lazarus the ability to hear, and the strength to rise up and walk out of the tomb. That is what occurs in salvation.....Christ does ALL the work! Please also note that the Bible tells us that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. When the Bible tells us that Jesus loved someone, that is a proof that the individual is saved. Therefore, we know that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus had their sins paid for and had escaped eternal damnation that is upon every person unless the Lord Jesus becomes their Redeemer.

Answer 4

John 11:14-15
14 Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him."

Steal him back from God?
Jesus IS God!
Most of the miracles Jesus performed had dual purposes. First of all, they met the needs of someone. In this case Lazarus and his sisters needed the miracle. Second, and probably most important for us, Jesus performed these miracles for our benefit, so that we might believe.

Who else but God could raise the dead?
Jesus performed miracles that demonstrated His authority over distance, time, weather, seas, life and even death.

Answer 5

Have you ever prayed for something and you did not get what you wanted, but you got something better.
Mary and Martha had been praying that Jesus would arrive in time to heal their brother from his sickness. Jesus took several days to get there and Mary and Martha rebuked him for it. I believe that Jesus planned to let Lazarus die so that he would have an opportunity to demonstrate that he had the power to raise people from the dead. He said "I am the resurrection and the life."

Answer 6

Jesus did it for several reasons

as a kindness to Lazarus sisters for one
as a faith lesson to the disciples
as an illustration the Jesus is the resurection and the life and someday all the dead will hear His voice and rise

Answer 7

It was a personal favor for Martha and Mary. They had no one else to care for them yet. Once the Church was up and running, Lazarus was free to return to the Father. This time, in Heaven!

Answer 8

To show what was going to happen to all the faithfull at the resurection.

Had He not said Lazarus come forth.

Just come forth, they all would have.

He said, "I shall raise them up on the last day".

The Word of God, Jesus Christ.

Answer 9

He did it for Mary and Martha.

32: Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33: When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34: And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35: Jesus wept. 36: Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37: And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38: Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39: Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40: Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41: Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42: And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43: And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44: And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. 45: Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. 46: But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done" (Jn. 11).

Answer 10

That is like asking why He performed any miracles---this made many people believe He was the Savior, that He is Lord, also this brought Glory to God! And today, because Jesus is not physically walking this earth, though HE IS ALIVE! His Holy Spirit reveals the truth to us--through the gospel. And Jesus says:
John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."