John 11
1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it ." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." 8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?"
9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. 10 It is when people walk at night that they stumble, for they have no light." 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him ."
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. 32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation." 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."
51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. 55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Festival at all?" 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
John 11: 1 (Let’s know this as we go into this chapter, it is often focused on the raising of the dead, and while that happens, it seems that by sheer quantity that should not be the focus, but rather how God moves people alone in faith – we this in his dialogue between his disciples and then with Mary and Martha) Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair [Matthew 26; Mark 14].) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." (This is similar to Jesus’ mother’s open-ended suggestion John 2:3, in that they both are threaded with a hope that Jesus will act in a situation that seems impossible)1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it ." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." 8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?"
9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. 10 It is when people walk at night that they stumble, for they have no light." 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him ."
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. 32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation." 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."
51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. 55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Festival at all?" 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory (the word ‘doxa’ is not here for ‘praise’ but rather revelation. Meaning through this God will be revealed, in that Jesus will be revealed as God’s son.) so that God's Son may be glorified through it (the theme—Glory of God)." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days (If we can build on the premise that in this story we see Jesus revealed the focus is on God, bringing people through levels of faith, then it is appropriate for Jesus to not come until after the death of Lazarus – Hence it is obvious that the sisters had faith that Jesus could heal the sick, but to raise the already dead, is quite another story, for only God could do this. Thus the only way Jesus can stretch them to this level of faith is bring them into a context in which it looks as if the unbeatable death has won), 7 and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." 8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, (John 10:31) and yet you are going back?"
9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight (this is probably just a reference to limited time)? Those who walk in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. 10 It is when people walk at night that they stumble, for they have no light (this statement on a minor level could be referring to the fact that Jesus is always shown working in the light, while Judas in 13:30 is shown working in the dark, brings death…)." (On one level, it refers to the sun, but the reader of John’s Gospel would have recalled 8:12 and understand Jesus’ symbolic reference to himself as the light of the world. So in this he is speaking of his own death and departure to the right hand of the Father – on a practical level this is talking about the urgency of walking/working in the light now as also shown in John 9:1-7). 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep (This is obviously confusing for the disciples, but Jesus probably uses the word sleep as Paul does in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, as that it has no permanent power in the presence of Jesus, also see Mark 5:39); but I am going there to wake him up."
12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep (Often times we believe a situation has to be understandable and manageable to us for Jesus to work). 14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe (again, this points to the focus of this passage, that Jesus wanted to move them into a greater level of trusting in who he is.). But let us go to him." 16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him (This is not a statement of courage, rather a statement of fatalistic sarcasm, we can deduce this based off the disciples attempt to warn Jesus why he shouldn’t go – vs. 8 and that it comes from Thomas [John 20] – So Thomas is basically saying, “Well, great, We know the people there are wanting to kill Jesus, Lazarus is already dead, so if we go there, we will join Lazarus’ status”)."
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days (Four days of death is important, because there are early Jewish traditions that suggest that the spirit of the deceased remained near the corpse for three days, and then departed. So this even brought another level of doubt to the situation, because if the spirit was hovering near the corpse it may be possible to resuscitate the body, though doubtful, but once the spirit is completely gone, resuscitation is beyond impossible.). 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask (This statement is probably a statement of accusation and faith)." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." (Notice, that Jesus is beginning to unwrap a theological truth, and that is that the resurrection is not something that we have to wait on in the future but something that we can experience in the now, because the resurrection is not just something Jesus will do and can perform, it is who he is! In other words, Jesus is inviting Martha to believe and take hold of the life that is not submitted to this time and place, and begin to live in it now in her time and place before it physically happened on earth, as John says, before the foundation of the earth, the lamb was slain [Revelation 13:8]) 24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day (This statement again points to the focus of this chapter being growth in faith of who Jesus is, because this statement reveals that she does not believe Jesus can do what only God could do, raise someone from the dead now, but that she believe Jesus to mean that Lazarus will be included in the resurrection of the dead on the last day only)."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life (that Jesus says of himself, “I am” rather than “I will” is significant – I am speaks to the now, meaning that even though he is or will be the resurrection and the life at the final day, he can now speak life into any earthly situation he desires to…). Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die (physically); 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die (eternally). Do you believe this?" (In other words, Jesus is saying, “Okay, do we have this foundation down, do you understand this?”) 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world (This probably proves the Mary, Martha, and Lazarus either were trained in Pharisaical truths, or believed many teachings of the Pharisees, as it was a common belief that there would be a general future resurrection. So, like many of us, she believe who he is, but due to circumstances, even though he will raise many to eternal life on the last day, she doubts that he will speak life into this immediate circumstance, this is probably based out of her paradigm, and a faith based on things seen – in other words, she has never seen one risen from the dead after being dead…)."
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. 32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died (Like Martha, Mary shows her disbelief of Jesus being the resurrection and life ALREADY and NOW, in the midst of circumstances)." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled (the word used here is ‘embrimaomai’ which basically means a sense of anger, outrage, or indignation. Therefore the grief and weeping of Jesus, then, comes from anger within. So what is Jesus indignant about? Well, let’s use a bit of deductive reasoning – verse 33, tells us that, “When Jesus saw her weeping…” he is then moved with this indignation….we’ll continue this at the end of verse 37). 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" (Continuation on comments from verse 33: Based off the all that is stated above in the order that it is stated it is natural to believe that Jesus is upset at their lack of faith, for they mourned as people without hope for Lazarus’s immediate future, while they were in the presence of One who was both resurrection and life. Thus when the Jews are moved t o say of Jesus, “See how he loved him” when Jesus himself began to weep, there is certain irony in their words, for while they were right, that Jesus loved Lazarus, they were wrong to interpret his tears as an expression of the fact. Verse 37 then confirms this interpretation, for it suggests that the Jews think that Jesus seems impotent in the face of death, though he was able to cure a blind man.) 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved (the words used here are not threaded with indignation, so we are probably left to think that Jesus is now reflecting on the fact that he was coming to the close of his ministry, and yet not only those who had seen miracles like the healing of the blind man, but even his close friends and disciples, still did not yet adequately understand and believe in who he was, this was probably much like we read about in Luke 19:41), came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." (Often times it will be necessary for us to intentionally live a certain way, ‘out loud’ so that those around us may not only hear us preach or talk one way, but see how it is lived out) 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (This is the third time we see Jesus raise someone from the dead – Mark 5:21-43 [Jairus’s Daughter]; Luke 7:11-17 [the son of the widow of Nain]; and this one.) 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. (Here’s what’s amazing, this same grace that is shown in the healing of Lazarus causes some to put their faith in him, and others to hearts to harden.) 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation." 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."
51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life (this is definitely a picture of or parallel of what we see with the raising up of Pharoh, Loving Jacob, and hating Esau, and any of the empires of the old Testament.). 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. 55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Festival at all?" 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
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