John 11:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

NIV: So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,

NASB: So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

CSB: So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was.

NLT: he stayed where he was for the next two days.

KJV: When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

NKJV: So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

Jesus has been given an urgent message from some close friends, indicating that Lazarus is desperately ill (John 11:1–3). This message is coming from Bethany, two miles—about three kilometers—from Jerusalem, to Bethabara, about ten times as far away. This is a about two days of regular travel, a little less than one day for a rushed messenger. According to the timeline given in this passage, for Jesus to arrive four days after Lazarus' death (John 11:17), Lazarus is already dead when the news reaches Jesus in Bethabara. And yet, Jesus sends back a reply comforting the sisters (John 11:4), which they would not have gotten until after Lazarus was expired and buried.

Even so, Jesus' decision to wait two more days was probably taken by the disciples to mean He had no plans to return to Bethany. That city was very close to the religious leaders of Jerusalem, making it a dangerous location for Jesus and His followers (John 5:18; 10:39; 11:8). What they don't realize is Jesus is acting out the promise given in His response to Mary and Martha—that this event is meant to showcase the glory of God. By the time Jesus arrives in Bethany, there will be absolutely zero doubt that Lazarus is entirely, completely, and undoubtedly dead. His resurrection will be a spectacular miraculous sign.

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.