John 11:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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."

NIV: 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."

NASB: But when Jesus heard this, He said, 'This sickness is not meant for death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.'

CSB: When Jesus heard it, he said, "This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

NLT: But when Jesus heard about it he said, 'Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Mary and Martha are supporters of Jesus (Luke 10:38–42), though they do not travel with Him. They live in Bethany, around two miles or three kilometers from Jerusalem. Jesus is in Bethabara, twenty miles away, when a messenger from the sisters comes saying His beloved friend is sick (John 11:1–3). A dedicated messenger could cover that distance in less than one day.

Later verses will indicate that Jesus delays two full days, then travels to Bethany, which takes somewhat more than a day. If Jesus eventually arrives four days after Lazarus has died, it means that when the messenger reaches Jesus, Lazarus is already dead. He would have passed shortly after the message was dispatched. And yet, Jesus sends him back with a comforting reply, implying that Lazarus' illness won't lead to death!

This apparent paradox presents many questions and lessons. The statement would have been extremely difficult to understand, at first. Mary and Martha would have mourned and buried their brother, then gotten word from Jesus saying Lazarus' illness would not lead to death. It's possible to translate the Greek of Jesus' reply as "this sickness is not to end in death," and later events show that this is likely what He meant. The reaction from Mary and Martha probably would have been the same either way.

Similarly, God's command for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac would have been difficult to understand without the benefit of hindsight (Genesis 22:1–2, 12–14). Jesus' response shows that God's love is not condescending or indulgent. Pain still happens, and we will not always understand. And yet, despite our ignorance, God works out everything for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

John 11:1–16 sets up the most spectacular of Jesus' earthly miracles: the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus is given word that Lazarus is sick but delays several days before leaving to see the family. As it turns out, by the time this message gets to Jesus, Lazarus has already died. The disciples assume Jesus won't go back to Judea, since local religious leaders want to kill Him. When Jesus plans to head into dangerous territory, His followers are frightened and pessimistic. The following passage will show Jesus arriving four days after Lazarus had passed away.

Jesus has left the vicinity of Jerusalem to avoid hostile religious leaders. While gone, He receives word that a good friend, Lazarus, is sick. In fact, Lazarus has died by the time this message reaches Jesus. He purposefully waits a few days before returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus' burial. In front of Lazarus' mourning sisters—who Jesus weeps with—and an assembled crowd, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in a stirring and spectacular miracle. This is the seventh of John's seven ''signs'' of Jesus' divine power. In response, religious leaders coordinate in their effort to have Jesus murdered.

After giving sight to a man born blind (John 9), Jesus sparred with religious leaders on at least two occasions (John 10). After another failed arrest attempt, Jesus left the area and went out where Jerusalem's politics had little influence. In this chapter, He returns to resurrect a recently-departed friend, Lazarus. That results in a renewed commitment from Jerusalem's religious leaders to have Jesus murdered. As the crucifixion draws near, Jesus will stage His triumphal entry in chapter 12, and then begin His final teachings to the disciples.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.