SUBJECT:  Lazarus

QUESTION:  Is there any possibility that Lazarus was not dead, but in a coma?  Was this a healing by Jesus rather than a resurrection?

ANSWER:

Point 1:  Lazarus was absolutely dead and not in a coma.

John 11:1-14

11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified

thereby.

5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Note: Jesus said plainly that Lazarus was dead.  If there was anyone on the planet who knew the difference between death and coma, it was Jesus Christ.  Jesus said he was dead.

Check out the word "dead"

In verse 14 above, the word dead in the Greek is:

NT:599

apothnesko (ap-oth-nace'-ko); from NT:575 and NT:2348; to die off (literally or figuratively):

KJV - be dead, death, die, lie a-dying, be slain (X with). ~Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance

Note:  Nothing here about coma.  It clearly says dead.

Now notice later in the story...

John 11:38-39

38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

Lazarus is dead, in the grave (cave) and had been there 4 days dead.

Next, Jesus resurrects him.  IT WAS NOT A HEALING!!!

John 11:41-44

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Note:  There was absolutely NO laying on of hands here.  He was called forth by Jesus.  Verse 44 says that "he that was dead came

forth".  It says that he was bound hand and foot and that his face was bound.

Question:  What recorded cases are there of someone in a coma coming out of the coma on demand?  Can you imagine the Worldwide scandal there would be if, in fact, this man were just in an apparently light coma.  Jesus would be a fraud and He and the Word of God would have to be destroyed as fraud.  Clearly this was not the case.  Lazarus was absolutely dead.  Notice this very detailed commentary:

John 11:44

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith

unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

[He that was dead] The same man, body and soul.

[Bound hand and foot] It is not certain whether the whole body and limbs were bound together, or each limb separately. When they embalmed a person, the whole body and limbs were swathed or bound together by strips of linen, involved around it to keep together the aromatics with which the body was embalmed. This is the condition of Egyptian mummies. See Acts 5:6. But it is not certain that this was always the mode. Perhaps the body was simply involved in a winding-sheet. The custom still exists in western Asia. No coffins being used, the body itself is more carefully and elaborately wrapped and swathed than is common or desirable where coffins are used. In this method the body is stretched out and the arms laid straight by the sides, after which the whole body, from head to foot, is wrapped round tightly in many folds of linen or cotton cloth; or, to be more precise, a great length of cloth is taken and rolled around the body until the whole is enveloped, and every part is covered with several folds of the cloth. The ends are then sewed, to keep the whole firm and compact; or else a narrow bandage is wound over the whole, forming, ultimately, the exterior surface. The body, when thus enfolded and swathed, retains the profile of the human form; but, as in the Egyptian mummies, the legs are not folded separately, but together; and the arms also are not distinguished, but confined to the sides in the general envelope. Hence, it would be clearly impossible for a person thus treated to move his arms or legs, if restored to existence.

The word rendered "grave-clothes" denotes also the bands or clothes in which new-born infants are involved. He went forth, but his walking was impeded by the bands or clothes in which he was involved.

[And his face ...] This was a common thing when they buried their dead. See John 20:7. It is not known whether the whole face was covered in this manner, or only the forehead. In the Egyptian mummies it is only the forehead that is thus bound.

[Loose him] Remove the bandages, so that he may walk freely. The effect of this miracle is said to have been that many believed on him. It may be remarked in regard to it that there could not be a more striking proof of the divine mission and power of Jesus. There could be here no possibility of deception:

1. The friends of Lazarus believed him to be dead. In this they could not be deceived. There could have been among them no design to deceive.

2. He was four days dead. It could not be a case, therefore, of suspended animation.

3. Jesus was at a distance at the time of his death. There was, therefore, no agreement to attempt to impose on others.

4. No higher power can be conceived than that of raising the dead.

5. It was not possible to impose on his sisters, and to convince them that he was restored to life, if it was not really so.

6. There were many present who were convinced also. God had so ordered it in his providence that to this miracle there should be

many witnesses. There was no concealment, no jugglery, no secrecy. It was done publicly, in open day, and was witnessed by many who followed them to the grave, John 11:31.

7. Others, who saw it, and did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, went and told it to the Pharisees. But they did not deny that

Jesus had raised up Lazarus. They could not deny it. The very ground of their alarm-the very reason why they went-was that he had actually done it. Nor did the Pharisees dare to call the fact in question. If they could have done it, they would. But it was not possible; for,

8. Lazarus was yet alive (John 12:10), and the fact of his resurrection could not be denied. Every circumstance in this account is plain, simple, consistent, bearing all the marks of truth. But if Jesus performed this miracle his religion is true. God would not give such power to an impostor; and unless it can be proved that this account is false, the Christian religion must be from God. ~from Barnes' Notes

Note:  It is very clear here.  Lazarus was embalmed.  Several people worked to prepare him for placing in the cave.  There were many witness to all these events. Many people handled and saw the body.  He was wrapped and in the grave 4 days.  He was dead. 

Further, Jesus was resurrected after clearly being dead and many others came out of their graves as you can see from the scriptures.

Matthew 27:50-53

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

 
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