John — Chapter 11
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1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4When 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.
5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
8His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9Jesus 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.
10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
11These 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.
12Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
16Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
18Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31The 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.
32Then 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.
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35Jesus wept.
36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37And 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?
38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39Jesus 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.
40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41Then 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.
42And 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.
43And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44And 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.
45Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
46But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
54Jesus 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.
55And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56Then 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?
57Now 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.
1Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby.
5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode at that time two days in the place where he was.
7Then after this he saith to the disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
8The disciples say unto him, Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.
11These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover.
13Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spake of taking rest in sleep.
14Then Jesus therefore said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
16Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.
18Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off;
19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
20Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary still sat in the house.
21Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee.
23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live;
26and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, [even] he that cometh into the world.
28And when she had said this, she went away, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Teacher is her, and calleth thee.
29And she, when she heard it, arose quickly, and went unto him.
30(Now Jesus was not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met him.)
31The Jews then who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going unto the tomb to weep there.
32Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews [also] weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
34and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see.
35Jesus wept.
36The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him!
37But some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die?
38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
39Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time the body decayeth; for he hath been [dead] four days.
40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heardest me.
42And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the multitude that standeth around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me.
43And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45Many therefore of the Jews, who came to Mary and beheld that which he did, believed on him.
46But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.
47The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many signs.
48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.
49But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50nor do ye take account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51Now this he said not of himself: but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation;
52and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad.
53So from that day forth they took counsel that they might put him to death.
54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed thence into the country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there he tarried with the disciples.
55Now the passover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, to purify themselves.
56They sought therefore for Jesus, and spake one with another, as they stood in the temple, What think ye? That he will not come to the feast?
57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given commandment, that, if any man knew where he was, he should show it, that they might take him.
1Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.
2(Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.”
4When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5(Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.)
6So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days.
7Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
8The disciples replied, “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death! Are you going there again?”
9Jesus replied, “Are there not 12 hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world.
10But if anyone walks around at night, he stumbles because the light is not in him.”
11After he said this, he added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to awaken him.”
12Then the disciples replied, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
13(Now Jesus had been talking about his death, but they thought he had been talking about real sleep.)
14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,
15and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16So Thomas (called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.”
17When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already.
18(Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
19so many of the Jewish people of the region had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.)
20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house.
21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”
23Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.”
24Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies,
26and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27She replied, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.”
28And when she had said this, Martha went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.”
29So when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.
30(Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.)
31Then the people who were with Mary in the house consoling her saw her get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep there.
32Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed.
34He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.”
35Jesus wept.
36Thus the people who had come to mourn said, “Look how much he loved him!”
37But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?”
38Jesus, intensely moved again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.)
39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell because he has been buried four days.”
40Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?”
41So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me.
42I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”
45Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him.
46But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done.
47So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs.
48If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.”
49Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all!
50You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.”
51(Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation,
52and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.)
53So from that day they planned together to kill him.
54Thus Jesus no longer went around publicly among the Judeans, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.
55Now the Jewish Feast of Passover was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually.
56Thus they were looking for Jesus, and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?”
57(Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should report it, so that they could arrest him.)
1Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.
2It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick.
3The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
4But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.
7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”
8The disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?”
9Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
10But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”
11He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.”
12The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.
14So Jesus said to them plainly then, “Lazarus is dead.
15I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”
16Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go also, that we may die with him.”
17So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.
18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.
19Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
20Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house.
21Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.
22Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
26Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
28When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here, and is calling you.”
29When she heard this, she arose quickly, and went to him.
30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.
31Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
32Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
34and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35Jesus wept.
36The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!”
37Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?”
38Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
41So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me.
42I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude standing around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”
45Therefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him.
46But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.
47The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.
48If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
49But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
50nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
51Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
52and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
53So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.
54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.
55Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
56Then they sought for Jesus and spoke one with another, as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that he isn’t coming to the feast at all?”
57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, that they might seize him.
Summary
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb, declaring "I am the resurrection and the life" — this greatest sign triggers the Sanhedrin's final plot to kill Him.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Bethany (v.1): A village about 2 miles east of Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Jesus raised Lazarus here.
- Ephraim (v.54): After raising Lazarus, Jesus withdrew to a town called Ephraim near the wilderness — about 15 miles north of Jerusalem.
- Jerusalem (v.55): The Passover feast was near. The Jews were looking for Jesus, asking "Will he come to the feast?"
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines why Jesus delayed two days, the significance of four days dead, the meaning of "Jesus wept," and Caiaphas' unwitting prophecy.
- Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "Jesus Wept" on v.35 (MTP Vol. 35, No. 2091) "Two words — and yet what a world of meaning. He wept. Not because He did not know what He was about to do. He wept because He felt what they felt. He entered into their grief. The tears of Jesus are the tears of God — and they tell us that God is not indifferent to our sorrow." Sermon: "I Am the Resurrection" on v.25 (MTP Vol. 20, No. 1157) "He does not say 'I will give you resurrection' — He says 'I AM the resurrection.' The life is not a gift He bestows from a distance; it is a life that flows from union with Him."
Videos
David Guzik — Enduring Word Video Series (John)
YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_QIfO0mxbX4zgQH4vuK6q1q7gu8Ok6tz John 11:1-27 - Opposed by Grief: John 11:28-57 - Opposed by Death:
Reflection
- 1. Jesus deliberately waited two days before going to Lazarus (v.6) — even though He loved him. God's delays are not denials. Is there something you've been waiting on God for that feels like abandonment? How does this story reframe that waiting?
- 2. "Jesus wept" (v.35). He wept even knowing He was about to raise Lazarus. He entered fully into the grief of the moment. God is not distant from your pain. He weeps with you. How does knowing that change how you bring your grief to Him?
- 3. Martha said "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (v.21). Have you ever said something similar to God — "Where were you? Why didn't you stop this?" That is an honest prayer. Jesus didn't rebuke Martha for it. What is the "if you had been here" prayer of your life right now?
- 4. Jesus asked Martha "Believest thou this?" (v.26) — a direct, personal question about resurrection faith. Not "do you know this doctrine" but "do you believe this for yourself, right now, in the middle of your grief?" What is your answer to that question today?
- 5. Jesus said Lazarus' sickness was "for the glory of God" (v.4). He then waited two days, allowing Lazarus to die. What does this tell you about how God sometimes works — allowing painful things to happen for a greater purpose? How do you hold onto faith in those waiting periods?
- 6. Thomas said "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (v.16). It was gloomy and fatalistic — but he went. Imperfect loyalty is still loyalty. Where in your life are you showing up for Christ even when you're afraid or uncertain?
- 7. Mary and Martha both said the same thing: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (vv.21,32). But Martha engaged Jesus in theological conversation; Mary fell at His feet weeping. Both responses were valid. How do you tend to respond to God in grief — with questions or with tears? Which do you need more of right now?
- 8. The religious leaders saw the same miracle and responded by plotting murder (v.53). Miracles don't automatically produce faith — the heart must be willing. What is the condition of your heart toward Jesus? Are you open to what He is showing you, or are you protecting your own position?
- 9. "Loose him, and let him go" (v.44). Lazarus was alive but still bound. Are there areas of your life where you've been made alive in Christ but are still bound by old habits, old identities, old fears? What needs to be loosed?