Sunday 26 March 2023

Psalm 130

Background

The second Sunday before Easter is known as Passion Sunday and begins the two weeks of Lent with their particular focus on the suffering and death of Jesus. While the word ‘passion’ in English usually means ‘a strong and barely controllable emotion’ (Oxford Dictionary of English), in this context it has a more original meaning of ‘suffering’. It is perhaps surprising, then, that the gospel passage for today is one that contains so clearly the promise of resurrection as Lazarus is called out from his tomb and Jesus describes himself as "the resurrection and the life" (v. 25). However, on closer examination, the story of the raising of Lazarus points us as much towards the suffering of Jesus as it does towards his rising from the dead.

The first hint of that is in the emotion that Jesus displays. This passage is renowned for containing the shortest verse in the Bible (v. 35), but Jesus’ weeping is just one instance of his being seen to be emotional that day in Bethany. There are two other moments when the gospel writer describes Jesus as being ‘deeply moved’ (v. 33 and v. 38). Clearly, Jesus felt with passion the pain of Lazarus’ death and was affected by the grief and anger of those whom he encountered that day.

The second hint is the word ‘glory’. ‘Glory’ is a central idea in John's Gospel, from the first chapter in which the writer proclaims that "we have seen his glory, such glory as befits the Father’s only son," (1:14) to the promise that the Son of Man would be glorified when he was lifted up from the earth (12:28-34). So, when Jesus tells the disciples that Lazarus’ illness would end in God’s glory (v. 4) and reminds Martha of his promise that if she believed she would see the glory of God (v. 40), he seems to be looking beyond the raising of Lazarus to his own ‘lifting up’ on the cross.

The gospel writer provides an explanation of that later in the chapter. The next verse strikes an ominous note. Some of those who were there went to the Pharisees to report what Jesus had done (v. 46). What follows (11:47-53) is a meeting of the Council in which the chief priests and Pharisees resolve to have Jesus put to death. As so often in John’s Gospel, there is an irony as Jesus revealing himself as the giver of life leads some to want him to die.

To Ponder:

• Jesus was clearly very close to Lazarus, Martha and Mary. What does it mean to think of Jesus as your friend?
• What does the word ‘passion’ mean to you?