John 11 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

John 11

The Death of Lazarus

11:1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus¹ was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin,² said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles³ off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.⁴ Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved⁵ in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 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.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for⁶ Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Footnotes

[1] 11:6 Greek he; also verse 17
[2] 11:16 Greek Didymus
[3] 11:18 Greek fifteen stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
[4] 11:25 Some manuscripts omit and the life
[5] 11:33 Or was indignant; also verse 38
[6] 11:56 Greek were seeking for

Commentary

v1-3: We are introduced to a family, Mary and Martha and Lazarus, evidently dear friends of Jesus, living at Bethany, not far from Jerusalem.

The incident is dated during Jesus' journey from Galilee to Jerusalem (Luke 9-19); at some point He journeyed to Bethany, ,and then returned beyond the Jordan, continuing the journey.

The sisters' message was simple, just telling the Lord what the problem was, no demand, not even a request, as to what Jesus should do; they trusted Him who does all things well.

Elsewhere Jesus healed strangers. Almost uniquely, Jesus restored a disciple to life; healings were not intended to maintain Jesus' followers in constant physical strength, for we are called to bear the ordinary trials of life, and often more besides.

v4-6: The sickness, and the delay, was for the glory of God, as in 9.3, "that you may believe" (v15) and "for the benefit of the people" (v42) that others might see that Jesus is the Messiah.

Jesus deliberately delayed His coming, for real purpose;

Christ delayed going to the disciples struggling through the storm on the sea of Galilee;
Paul and Joseph were both delayed in prison;
Jacob was delayed when Laban deceived him about Leah.

In all these things, we must see something of the greater plan of God for individual lives.

v7: Jesus was beyond the Jordan, see 10.40.

v8-10: The Twelve were doubtful about returning to near Jerusalem, where Jesus' life seemed to be at risk. Christ does not refer to specific geographic places which are places of darkness. Rather darkness is when we fail to walk in faith.

v11-16: Sleep and death; each is temporary for the one who believes in Jesus Christ. Even before arriving in Bethany, Jesus explained that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. Nobody needed to tell Jesus that Lazarus was dead.

Thomas, reflecting the views of the Twelve, expected that they would all be put to death.

v17-20: Martha met Jesus before He came into Bethany. She sought the presence of Jesus, as did Mary, v29.

v21-22: Martha addressed Jesus as Lord, as did Mary, v32; she believed in Jesus' power, as did Mary, v32 also. Both Martha and Mary expressed emotions; anger and sadness. The Lord dealt with them sensitively. The Bible gives permission to have emotions. Indeed, the book of Psalms encourages us to bring those emotions to God by giving us words to help us do so.

v23-26: The promise of resurrection. Martha, like any faithful Jew, believed in a future resurrection. But that promise had come to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. In Him is resurrection and life, 6.39-54; 1 Cor 15.52. His subsequent action, in raising Lazarus, proved His words true. He has life in himself, and He gives life.

v27: Martha expressed her personal faith in Christ.

v28-32: Martha returned to find Mary, and sent her to meet Jesus, again outside the village. His words to both sisters were private. Although, when Mary went out, some mourners followed her.

v33-37: Jesus' compassion and concern, sharing in their sorrows. He was confident in His power to raise Lazarus, but neither ostentatious nor uncaring in His attitude. Here is power and grace in action. In Ps 126.6, tears are linked with power and fruitfulness.

v38-42: Jesus at the tomb. First the stone had to be rolled away. Many see this as a picture of unbelief, which so often prevents powerful prayer in our lives.

The glory of God was to be revealed afresh to these witnesses, first to Mary and Martha, and then to the Jews who had gathered round.

v43: Jesus' shout, 1 Thess 4.16, releasing from the bondage of death. The picture here is of the Jewish nation, in death until Jesus Christ calls them forth once more.

v44: The very appearance of Lazarus, still wrapped in grave clothes, was doubtless a dramatic sight. The call here is simple: get involved in the mess of life, to bring life from the dead.

v45: For some, they had to believe first, v40, for others, the sight of the "glory of God" inspired faith in Christ. John does not lay down a fixed route to faith, but He does insist that faith must be in God through Jesus Christ.

v46-48: Some from the funeral reported events to the Pharisees, in response to which they called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. Jesus' signs could not be denied, however, the Pharisees still refused to believe in Him.

John carefully selected signs which clearly demonstrate Christ's uniqueness and deity, showing Him to be the Son of God. The option of unbelief, preferred by the Pharisees, is seen to be illogical.

The Sanhedrin feared Jesus, something they never expressed directly to Him. But no one could match His works and words.

v49-53: Caiaphas, high priest, seemed annoyed. The might of the Jewish Sanhedrin was frustrated by an itinerant Galilean preacher! His prophecy was that Christ would die; 'God would never allow the nation to be removed.' Since he was high priest, his words carried authority; the Pharisees and chief priests, freshly inspired by his words, went out to fulfil his words.

v54: Jesus returned beyond the Jordan for a time, before returning to Jerusalem for the last time during His ministry.

v55-57: Introducing chapter 12, and Jesus' arrival into Jerusalem. It was common practice for Jews to travel to Jerusalem ahead of Passover to purify themselves. Paul may refer to this in 1 Cor 11.27-28.