Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." John 11:38–44 (RSV)
The rabbis said the soul departed after three days. Martha's response to Jesus commanding the stone be removed from Lazarus' tomb, 'He has been dead four days, the stench of death is already here.' Someone had to have observed that the soul departure abandoned the person to the decay of death. As much as Martha wanted a miracle, the smell of death would not let her begin to believe it possible.
We try to forget that our bodies will begin to decay and return to the dust of the earth. We see skeletons excavated at an archeological site, never allowing ourselves to think that we might be the object of curiosity to some future archeologist. We don't permit ourselves to consider this. We pretend that we will remain uncorrupted in our grave.
The stench of decay leading to nothing save bones, and in enough time, not even bones are evidence of the reality of death. It is a sign of the finality of death. It is no wonder that we bury, entomb, embalms, and other such things. We make the dead appear as if they were sleeping, soon to awaken.
Martha ignores the pretense, Lazarus is dead, it's been four days, it already stinks, Jesus. Why won't you believe that you have run out of time? Martha would leave the stone on the entrance to Lazarus' tomb. She would return to her home, leave Lazarus and death's odor.
Jesus did not deny any of these realities. He did not pretend that the tomb would have the aroma of spring flowers. He knew He was standing outside His friend's tomb, where the natural course of all flesh has begun. Jesus knew all of this, but He also knew that the Father is greater than death. Jesus knew that He had been sent to confront the ugliness of death. He had come to serve notice on death that its reign over all things has come to its end.
Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out. He commanded death to leave, reverse the death process, and permit life to stand glorious at the entrance to Lazarus' tomb. Jesus has come to unbind us all from all that death will do to us. He has come to bring eternal life to all who believe.