But the Festival of Dedication (which is the focus of chap. 10 represents a new theme that builds upon the inadequacy of the Jewish leadership and the rejection of Jesus’ messianic calling evident throughout the Tabernacles section of John (chaps. Borchert explains the background of the feast in the context of John 10. 10 Because the festival was celebrated with lamps in the temple, synagogue, and homes, it came to be known as the “Feast of Lights.” 11 The celebration represented the deliverance and freedom of God’s people. after it had been defiled by Antiochus IV ( 1 Macc.
The Feast of Dedication (also known as Hanukkah) commemorated the cleansing and rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C. 9 While at first glance the Feast of Dedication may seem to have little to do with Jesus’ miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, the messianic expectations involved in the festival may point to Jesus’ actions and the Evangelist’s decision to place the narrative here. 8 Three months may have passed between the two festivals. The events of chapters 7-10 describe the occurrences during the Feast of Tabernacles, while the events of 10:22-42 describe the Feast of Dedication. The temporal indication “Then came” (᾿ Εγένετο τότε) in 10:22 seems to support the point that the events of 10:22-42 took place sometime after the events of 7:1-10:21. This miracle took place in the context following the Jewish Feast of Dedication (10:22-42) and preceding the Passover of Jesus’ death (chaps. It also demonstrates His claim to be “the resurrection and the life” (11:25). Lazarus from the dead climactically confirms Jesus’ authority to give life (5:21) and to resurrect the dead (5:28-29). If the first miracle of Jesus turning water into wine in Cana is the first or representative one among the signs ( ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων, 2:11), then this miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is the seventh and climactic sign in revealing His person. The Miracle Of Raising Lazarus From The DeadĪs the seventh and climactic sign of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, this miracle completes the selected Johannine signs that present Jesus as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. Whereas the first sign-miracle of Jesus’ turning of water into wine serves as the representative sign among the seven sign-miracles, raising Lazarus is the climactic sign. This article examines Jesus’ seventh and climactic sign-miracle, namely, His raising of Lazarus from the dead (11:1-44). Therefore these two chapters serve as both a climax to the sign-miracles in the Book of Signs and as a transition to the “Book of Glory.” For instance the theme of presenting Jesus as the divine Messiah who grants life reached a climactic point in His raising of Lazarus, and the theme of opposition to the One who offers that life also reached a climactic point in the enemies’ decision to kill Him. 5 Though chapters 11-12 are technically still part of the Festival Cycle, in a sense they move the key themes developed in chapters 5-10 to their climax.
4 While the Festival Cycle is generally outlined to include chapters 5-12, it is possible to separate chapters 5-10 from 11-12.
3 The remaining sign-miracles are displayed in the context of Jewish festivals. The first two sign-miracles, both performed in Cana of Galilee, form a literaryīracket around chapters 2-4. The Book of Signs has two major sections following the introductory Prologue (1:1-18) and Testimonium (1:19-51): the Cana Cycle (chaps. 13-20) confirms the claims made in the earlier chapters about Him. 2 While the Book of Signs presents the case that Jesus is indeed the promised Christ and the divine Son, the “Book of Glory” (chaps. And the means by which John revealed Jesus as the divine Messiah is the seven sign-miracles 1 and their attendant contexts, all of which are recorded in the Book of Signs (chaps. The fourth Gospel aims to present Jesus as the promised Messiah and the divine Son of God, so that His disciples may believe (or continue to believe) in Him and have eternal life (cf. Kim is Professor of Bible, Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Portland, Oregon. The Significance Of Jesus’ Raising Lazarus From The Dead In John 11 Article: The Significance Of Jesus’ Raising Lazarus From The Dead In John 11
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