Have you ever wondered why it took Yeshua so long in getting to Mary and Martha's when he heard Lazarus had died? He healed the centurion's servant from a distance, without even being there. Why didn't He do that for Lazarus?
He loved Lazarus, Mary and Martha very much, so why give the sister's the agony of waiting? They knew Yeshua could heal Lazarus and were disappointed when He tarried two days in coming.
As is often true, there is more to understand about this than when simply reading the story. Consider this: Had Yeshua raised Lazarus after only a day or two or even three days had gone by, no one would have noticed too much and it would not have seemed like such a great miracle!
But why not?
Here's a little cultural background for you: In Judaism it is taught that the soul takes a seven day journey after leaving the physical body upon death. Jews mourn a seven day time period called Shiva for an entire week after someone dies.
(By the way, number's are VERY significant in Judaism. Each Hebrew letter corresponds to a number. The number seven signifies completion - just as God chose to complete the creation of the world and rest on the seventh day, so throughout Scripture the number seven symbolizes completion.)
What is extraordinary and unknown to most is that during the first three days after death the departed soul could come back to the body and it would not be considered anything abnormal nor a resurrection. Once the soul reaches the point in the journey beyond the third day, there is no return except for a miraculous resurrection of divine nature. Do you see?!
Let me paint a picture for you a little bit: everyone is there to mourn Lazarus; they are standing around watching to see what Yeshua would do. They know it's past the three day mark. Yeshua has performed many miracles, but not from the dead. What will He do? Better yet, what can He do? Is He really the Son of God? Some still did not believe. And why didn't He come sooner?
Yeshua even said before He went to Lazarus: “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) He knew why this had to happen. He goes on to say: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Yeshua had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (Question: Why then did Thomas - assuming it's the same Thomas - still doubt Yeshua's resurrection when he was there to observe the resurrection of Lazarus?! (John 11:16) Oh Thomas...may we learn from you!)
Imagine how amazed everyone would have been see Lazarus come out after so many days in the grave! To the Jewish community if Yeshua had raised Lazarus within the first three days of his death, it would have not been considered a miracle. Yeshua most likely purposefully waited until AFTER the third day to raise Lazarus - thereby truly showing His power over death!
Indeed, TRULY THIS MAN IS THE SON OF GOD.
