Raising Lazarus from the dead Flashcards
What I AM saying does this sign link to?
‘I am the resurrection and the life’
Who is Lazarus?
The brother of Mary and Martha, two friends of JC who are also described in the Synoptics
How is there an element of spiritual theatre with this sign?
Because JC didn’t have to travel to Judea or wait until Lazarus was dead to cure him
What is the significance of readers being alerted that Lazarus’ story ‘will not end in death’?
- JC’s won’t either
- Death is not the end for anyone who believes in JC and receives life in his name
What does JC mean when he states his motives for this sign?
He has healed the sick and the blind, but now he has something greater in mind that will glorify God and himself as the SoG. This will be the ultimate statement of God’s power and love, the most unmistakable expression of who JC is
What will this sign do for the Jewish authorities?
Trigger their determination to kill JC
How does John describe Martha?
As more confident but less insightful than her more spiritual sister, Mary
Why does JC have to correct Martha about the idea of eternal life?
Because Martha is looking forward to some future eschatological event, but JC reminds her that eternal life is here here and now for those who believe in JC
Who are the only two people who recognise JC as the SoG during his lifetime?
Martha and Peter
Explain Dodd’s idea that Jesus preaches a realised eschatology
Eschatology is beliefs about the end times. However, JC teaches that these things are happening in the present moment, rather than the future
Why is the verse ‘Jesus wept’ important?
It shows JC’s humanity - as he openly weeps about the death of his friend. John’s gospel normally presents JC as aloof and unaffected by the strong emotions around him
Why is it puzzling that JC weeps for Lazarus?
Because he seemed calm about allowing him to die just days earlier
Why is it wrong to think that JC was weeping for Lazarus?
Because JC is actually weeping for all of humanity. God created Adam and Eve as immortal beings, with death only entering the world as a result of the fall, so from JC’s perspective there is something deeply tragic and unnatural about humans dying.
What is the Johannine irony of the Jewish bystanders seeing JC’s weeping as evidence of his love of Lazarus?
Because JC loves them too and is weeping for them as well, but they are spiritually blind to this
What does the cave with the stone over it represent?
The tomb where JC will be buried