Today’s (6 April 2014) first reading on Ezekiel’s dry bones (Ezek
37:12-14) and Gospel on the raising of Lazarus (Jn 11:1-45) are related but the
latter is a much further and deeper development of the former.
The prophecy of Ezekiel’s dry bones starts with a vision
of a valley of bones of dead people. Ezekiel prophesied that the bones would
come together, filled with flesh, then covered by skin, and finally breath
would come to them and the people would return to life. Apparently, this is
related to the resurrection of individuals back to life. However, it could not
be the case as the theology of individual resurrection first appeared in the
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at the time of the composition of the book of
Daniel during the Maccabean Revolt (167-164 BCE), which is much later than the
time of composition of the passage on dry bones.
A more likely interpretation of the biblical passage is
that Ezekiel uses the vision of resurrection more metaphorically. He did not
suggest resurrection of individuals, but Israel as a whole would be restored
(“these bones are the whole house of Israel” (Ezek 37:11)). This interpretation
is reinforced in the symbolic action following the vision, in which Ezekiel
wrote on a stick: “I am about to take the stick of Joseph (which is in the hand
of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with it; and I will put the
stick of Judah upon it, and make them one stick, in order that they may be one
in my hand” (Ezek 37:19). So the combined stick is the whole of Israel and not
referring to individual Israelites. And the earlier vision of dry bones is thus
related to the restoration of the whole of Israel.
The prophecy goes further to say that God would gather
all His people of the whole Israel from all the nations where they have gone
and bring them to their own land. There would be one king from the Davidic line
to rule over them and no longer be two kingdoms. And as the restoration was
complete, “My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and
they shall be my people. Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify
Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forevermore” (Ezek 37:27-28).
In today’s Gospel, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Apparently,
he is the anointed king (Messiah) from the Davidic line to fulfil God’s promise
for someone to rule over the whole of Israel. However, I think the Biblical passage
contains an even deeper meaning than Jesus being Christ (Messiah). While all the
four Gospels portray Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, what is unique in
the Gospel of John to the Synoptic Gospels is its focus put on the divinity of
Jesus who is pre-existent with the Father. It marks a high point in early
Christology.
In the Gospel, after Jesus said that he is the
resurrection and the life (Jn 11:25), Martha’s immediate response seemed to be
forthcoming, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God,
the one coming into the world” (Jn 11:27). However, did she really believe that
“Jesus is the resurrection and the life”? What kind of power does “the Messiah,
the Son of God” have? Is “the Son of God” just a messenger of God like a
prophet in the Old Testament? You may notice in the Gospel that twice Jesus was
“greatly disturbed” (Jn 11:33, 38). Of course, we can interpret it as Jesus was
sorry for the death of his friend Lazarus or sorry for Martha and Mary who lost
their brother Lazarus. But perhaps Jesus was disturbed because he saw them and
other Jews weeping, and more importantly their disbelief in his almighty power of God. And perhaps their understanding
of the titles “Messiah” and “Son of God” was not what Jesus had expected.
Jesus ordered Lazarus to come out from the tomb and immediately he
came out with his hands and feet still bound with strips of cloth! Can you
remember this scene in another place of the Gospel of John? It is in Jesus’
own resurrection with the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head and the linen
wrappings on his body rolled up in the tomb by themselves (Jn 20:7). John,
Jesus’ beloved disciple, saw and believed (Jn 20:8). He is the first true
believer according to the Gospel of John. A week later, the resurrected Jesus
appeared to his apostles, including Thomas. Let’s look at the response of
Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28) This is the true and ultimate confession
of faith. This is the correct understanding of “Messiah” and “Son of God”. Simply
put, Jesus is God!
Bibliography
Coogan, Michael D. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha. N.p.: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.
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