S2 EP4 | Why Was Jesus Late to Lazarus?

“But wait, there’s more!” That could have been a good title for this podcast conversation.

In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Ezra and Carly dive into the reason why Jesus seemingly dawdled in going to His friend Lazarus after hearing he was dying. Mary and Martha had sent urgent word to Jesus to come and heal their brother, but Jesus didn’t even leave where He was for a few days. Why? He showed up “late,” and Lazarus was long dead.

You may be familiar with the story and know that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. It’s a dramatic account and a pretty substantial reason for His initial delay, right? But wait, there’s more! More than you know.

Carly and Ezra discuss:

• Was Jesus “late”?
• Why the fourth day of the story is so important to the Jewish audience and why it should be important for Christians too
• The Christian mindset and common takeaway from Lazarus’ resurrection
• How the four-day understanding relates to Jesus’ resurrection
• We can do the math, and Friday to Sunday doesn’t equal three days and three nights. What gives?
• An encouraging application for your everyday faith-life, gleaned from the Lazarus story

Along the Way

As they discuss, some pretty great insights emerge:

• Application vs. Interpretation
• How the meaning of the Lazarus story radically changes when you know the Jewish context – as Ezra would say, “Insert mind-blown emoticon here.” (It was a huge takeaway for Carly.)
• Don’t pass up these four words the apostle Paul used – they mean a ton!
• What the Day of Preparation is
• Ezra’s theory about Good Friday
• Watching out for Christianese and glossing over what the Bible actually says
• An appeal to our Jewish audience: If you’re going to do “this,” make sure it’s from a place of “that”
• Jesus is in the business of confirming to us that He is everything He says He is – even through our unbelief and doubts

Words You Might Learn in This Episode

Yohanon, Yohanon the Immerser, Yeshua, Moshiach/Messiah, Day of Preparation, Pesach

Scriptures Referenced in This Episode

John 11: 1–45, John 13:23, John 8:58, John 11:17, Hebrews 6:1–2, Matthew 12:40, Mark 9:31, 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, Acts 2:21, Matthew 18:21, Matthew 16:14–16, John 10:17–18, Matthew 26:17, Mark 15:42, Exodus 12, 1 Corinthians 5:7, Matthew 28:6

Other Episodes Mentioned

Episode 34 – What Happens When You Die?

Episode 56 – Communion: Borrowed from the Jews (release date: March 1, 2022)

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