John 12:11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
It is somewhat surprising how little people think about us given how much we all worry about ourselves every day. So much of our worry is about what people think of us. What do they think about what we have done, what we are doing, and what we are thinking about doing? It is almost axiomatic that people don’t think about you or me. They think about themselves. This is why a witness is so important. A witness connects people and what concerns them to Who Jesus actually is.
Jesus said in John 11, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Jesus said that and people heard that, but that was all about Jesus to many people. What Jesus was saying here was that because of His work, those who believe on Him will never die. Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead, and that was the connection, the witness, between what people worry about, themselves, and who Jesus is, One Who has power over death.
John 12:9 says, “Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death.” What a fruitless endeavor! Later the Pharisees basically said, “We can’t prevail in anything. Everyone is going after and believing in this Jesus of Nazareth.”
So, here is Lazarus who was raised from the dead, and so many people were coming to Jesus because of Lazarus’ testimony that the Pharisees, who opposed Jesus, thought the only way to take care of this was to kill Lazarus again. Here is a man who was dead and brought to life, and now they are going to kill him again only so Jesus can bring him to life again.
Verse 11 says, “Because that by reason of him [Lazarus] many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.” Later, the Bible says that those who saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead bore record of Him. Who gave these people reason to come to Jesus? The answer is that it was not just Jesus Himself, but it was Lazarus. Lazarus was the one who gave them reason and cause to believe in Jesus. What did Lazarus do? He did nothing! Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead so that the testimony of Jesus’ work in Lazarus’ life could bring people to Jesus Himself. What came of it? Something exponential came of it. Those who opposed Jesus could not put a stop to it. They said, “Don’t you see how we don’t prevail in anything?”
So, what about you and me? Well, it is this whole idea of testimony or witness. Your testimony and witness is the record connecting Jesus to the lives people live. People are concerned about themselves. Should they be concerned about the Lord Jesus and His working in this world? Yes, they should be, but most people are not. That is where you come in. Your story, your witness, is the connection between the lives people live and who Jesus is.
Jesus said that whosoever believed on Him would live. Well, people could see the connection between what Jesus did and what that meant for them by the life of Lazarus. Likewise, people should see the connection between who Jesus is and their personal lives by the story and testimony of the working of Jesus in your life today.