John 11
People's New Testament
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
11:1 Lazarus Raised from the Dead

SUMMARY OF JOHN 11:

Lazarus Sick Unto Death. Jesus Sent For. Lazarus Dead and Buried When He Comes. The Resurrection and the Life. Lazarus Comes Forth at the Word. Many Jews Believe. The Sanhedrin Takes Counsel Against Christ. The Prophecy of Caiaphas. The Passover at Hand.

A certain man... named Lazarus. He is not named in the other Gospels, though his sisters are.

Bethany. About two miles east of Jerusalem, on the eastern slope of Mount Olivet.

The town of Mary... and Martha. John speaks of the sisters as well known in the church. They had been named by Luke, who wrote before him (Lu 10:38-42).

(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
11:2 It was that Mary. As there are several New Testament Marys, John points out this one by the well known incident of the anointing described in Joh 12:1-11.
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
11:3 His sisters sent unto him. Unto Jesus who was now beyond Jordan. In their distress they turn to the Lord.
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
11:4 This sickness is not unto death. That is, death shall not prevail, but God shall be glorified by his rescue from death.
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
11:6 He abode two days still in the same place. Because his work there was not yet done. He was in Perea; Lazarus was at Bethany in Judea.
Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
11:9 Are there not twelve hours in the day? This is his answer to the protest of his disciples against going to Judea again, where the Jews seek his death. He sees his course clearly and is walking in the day.
But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
11:11 Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Jesus before called death a sleep (see Mt 9:24 Mr 5:39 Lu 8:52), because it was only a temporary slumber.
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
11:16 Let us also go, that we may die with him. The Jews were so hostile when they left Jerusalem that they expect him to be put to death.
Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
11:19 Many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary. Jews from Jerusalem, of which Bethany was a suburb. As Jews in John's usage means the ruling classes, the fact that they came shows that the family of Lazarus was influential. These came to comfort; that is, to sit with and talk to the mourners. The mourning was kept up thirty days.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
11:21 If thou hadst been here. Martha's faith made her believe that Jesus would have healed Lazarus, but even she did not expect him to call back from the grave one already buried.
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
11:23 Thy brother shall rise again. She takes this as an allusion to the final resurrection.
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
11:25 I am the resurrection, and the life. Christ makes the grand, striking declaration that he is the RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE, words that never could have fallen from the lips of a sane mortal. They mean that he is the power which opens every grave, gives life to the sleepers, and calls them forth to a new existence; that the life that endows men with eternal being is in him and proceeds from him. In the light of his own resurrection they mean that when he burst open the tomb, he did it for humanity and in him humanity has won the victory over death.
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
11:26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Those dead, who believed in him, shall be raised and live, and those living who believe, shall never perish. Death will only be a change to a better existence.
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
11:27 I believe that thou art the Christ, etc. He asks about her faith. She responds by the good confession that embraces all, Martha's creed, Peter's creed (Mt 16:16 Mr 8:29), the true Apostles' creed, the only creed of the Apostolic church. See also Mt 14:33 Joh 1:34,49 20:31 Ac 7:56 9:20.
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
11:28-30 Called Mary her sister secretly. The Lord had evidently directed her to do this, for she said, The Master calleth for thee. At once, with a promptitude that shows her joy, Mary arose and hastened out of the town to the place where the Lord still tarried.
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
11:28-30 Called Mary her sister secretly. The Lord had evidently directed her to do this, for she said, The Master calleth for thee. At once, with a promptitude that shows her joy, Mary arose and hastened out of the town to the place where the Lord still tarried.
Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
11:28-30 Called Mary her sister secretly. The Lord had evidently directed her to do this, for she said, The Master calleth for thee. At once, with a promptitude that shows her joy, Mary arose and hastened out of the town to the place where the Lord still tarried.
The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
11:31 She goeth unto the grave to weep there. The message to Mary was secret. When she suddenly arose and left hurriedly, the only explanation that suggested itself to the Jews was that she had gone to weep at the tomb, a custom of Jewish women.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
11:33,34 He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. The Greek word embrimaomai, rendered groaned here, undoubtedly means was moved with indignation, and is so rendered in the margin of the Revised Version. Jesus was deeply moved by the grief of Mary, but the hypocritical weeping of the Jews who followed her, and who were acting according to the rules, filled him with indignation.
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
11:33,34 He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. The Greek word embrimaomai, rendered groaned here, undoubtedly means was moved with indignation, and is so rendered in the margin of the Revised Version. Jesus was deeply moved by the grief of Mary, but the hypocritical weeping of the Jews who followed her, and who were acting according to the rules, filled him with indignation.
Jesus wept.
11:35 Jesus wept. The shortest verse in the Bible and one of the most touching. For the only other occasion when Jesus wept, see Lu 19:41.
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
11:36 Behold how he loved him! Some of the Jews were touched by the evidence of tender affection.
And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
11:37 Could not this man, etc. Others, remembering the healing of the blind man right there at Jerusalem (Joh 9:1-13), asked if he could not have saved Lazarus from death.
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
11:38 Jesus... cometh to the grave. Graves in Palestine were caves in the rock, either natural or cut, and the mouth was closed by a great stone. Such graves are still seen there. For references to graves, see Ge 23:9 35:08:00 1Ki 2:34 Isa 14:15 22:16 Mt 27:60 Joh 19:41.
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
11:39,40 Take ye away the stone. The large stone that closed the entrance, and which several persons would be required to remove.

Lord, by this time he stinketh. The practical Martha suggests that decomposition has begun, not understanding his purpose.

Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
11:39,40 Take ye away the stone. The large stone that closed the entrance, and which several persons would be required to remove.

Lord, by this time he stinketh. The practical Martha suggests that decomposition has begun, not understanding his purpose.

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
11:41 And Jesus lifted up his eyes. The Son always sought to honor the Father and to show that the Father was in him as he was in the Father.

I thank thee that thou hast heard me. Constantly in communion with the Father, he had the Father's answer already and assent to what he was about to do.

And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
11:42 Thou hearest me always. Even in Gethsemane, when the cup was not taken away (Mt 26:39,42,44 Mr 14:36,39).
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
11:43 He cried with a loud voice. A suggestion of the voice like the sound of many waters (Re 1:15), at which all who are in their graves shall come forth (1Th 4:16). It was the voice of authority.
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
11:44 And he that was dead came forth. The earth had never beheld a more wonderful or startling sight. At once the sleeper arose, came forth, bound with his grave clothes, with the napkin still upon his face that had been bound under his jaw to keep it from falling. The lookers-on, astonished, dazed, were only recalled to themselves when the Lord bade them, Loose him and let him go. He spoke as the Divine Word, and death obeyed. As he cried to Lazarus, Come forth (Joh 11:43), so shall he speak with the voice of an archangel to all that are in their graves, and they shall come forth and live (1Th 4:16).
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
11:45,46 Many of the Jews... believed on him. They could not doubt after such a display of Divine power. There were, as usual, two classes. The others went and reported to the Pharisees.
But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
11:45,46 Many of the Jews... believed on him. They could not doubt after such a display of Divine power. There were, as usual, two classes. The others went and reported to the Pharisees.
Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
11:47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council. The Sanhedrin met at once. The crisis was an alarming one. Unless something was done the nation would follow Jesus.
If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
11:48 The Romans shall come. Their idea was that if the nation followed Jesus there would be rebellion against the Roman authority, and the Romans would, as a result, destroy Jerusalem, the temple, and their ecclesiastical authority. This was done a generation later by the Romans, but what led to it was the rejection of Christ, not his reception.
And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
11:49 Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year. The year the Savior died. He was a Sadducee, crafty, cruel, sensual, had been high priest for fifteen years, and was deposed three years later.

Ye know nothing at all. Don't understand what the crisis requires.

Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
11:50 That one man should die. His proposition is to slay one man, Jesus, rather than have the Romans come and destroy the whole nation for making Jesus King.
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
11:51 This spake he not of himself. He thought he spoke of himself, but without his knowledge, God used the lips of the high priest for a prophecy.
And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
11:52 Not for that nation only. It did behoove Jesus to die, in order to save, not that nation only, but that he should gather together in one the children of God.
Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
11:53 From that day. From that day his death was the official decree of the Sanhedrin.
Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly. He avoided them until his hour was come (Joh 13:1), and retired to

Ephraim, a city sixteen miles northeast of Jerusalem on the borders of the wilderness.

And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
11:55 The Jews' passover was near. It was only a few weeks before the passover that he went to Ephraim.

To purify themselves. From ceremonial uncleanness. See Ex 19:10,11.

Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
11:56 Then sought they for Jesus. He was in the thoughts of all men now.
Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.
11:57 The chief priests and the Pharisees. The Sanhedrin had commanded that any man who could direct them to Jesus should bring word. The hostility that began three years before, on the Lord's first visit after his ministry began, had now fully ripened, and the hour was at hand (Mt 26:45).
The People's New Testament by B.W. Johnson [1891]

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