John 11:1 “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.”
As we examine the account of “Lazarus”, “Mary”, and “Martha”, it becomes quite clear that the Lord God almighty was providentially moving from the beginning to the end of the events that occurred in “Bethany”. In these events, our Lord providentially teaches us many things about Himself and His Almighty power. And, he teaches us about life and death, what to expect for our bodies and for our spirits. Furthermore, we have a vivid example of His deep love and compassion for His people in times of great pain and anguish. It is important to note that “a certain man was sick” in “Bethany”, there is no doubt that many others in that area were sick, but our Lord chose this “certain man” upon which to demonstrate His Sovereign Power, not only over sickness, but also over death itself. Their names are also important. “Lazarus” means “whom God helps”. “Mary” means “their rebellion”. And, “Martha” means “she was rebellious”. There are two men in the Bible named “Lazarus”, both were wonderfully helped by God. As is indicated by their names, “Mary” and “Martha” were both very strong women and were faithfully dedicated to the Lord’s service. There is no indication that they were rebellious against the Lord or His Word or His Church, but they certainly rebelled against those who rejected Christ, His Word, and His Church; meaning, they were strong in faith, they stood firm. The overall message of these events is that it is certainly true, that in this present life people become sick and pass away, but it is also true that, just as He demonstrated with Lazarus, our Lord will one blessed day Command and He will raise our dead bodies to Eternal Life again. Thus, Job exclaimed that after he had been deceased for a long time, “yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:26)!