John 11 - Printer Friendly

What does John 11 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

This passage contains one of the most famous stories of the Bible: the resurrection of Lazarus. Scripture gives few details about the relationship between Jesus and the three siblings: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. We know that Jesus spent some time in their home (Luke 10:38–42), was greatly honored by Mary (Mark 14:3–9), considered a teacher by the two sisters (John 11:28), and that His love of the family was well-known (John 11:36). Despite that closeness, this narrative opens with Jesus some distance away, avoiding the hostile religious leaders of Jerusalem (John 10:39–40).

When Lazarus falls ill, the sisters send word to Jesus. Their hope is probably that Jesus would return immediately and heal their brother before he succumbs. On a first reading, Jesus' reply seems encouraging. However, He has a plan in mind that's not so simple. Looking at the timeline involved, it's clear this message gets to Jesus after Lazarus is already dead: with a two-day delay, Jesus will arrive four days after Lazarus' burial. That makes these words, which would have gotten back to Mary and Martha after their brother died, initially seem absurd (John 11:1–4).

Jesus has a purpose building for this incident. He has even hinted at this moment in His prior arguments with religious critics (John 5:28). He knows, well in advance, that a resurrection is at hand. The response of Jesus to Lazarus' illness is meant, in part, to help us understand how God views our circumstances. That view is often much, much different than ours. The disciples can't understand why Jesus would go back into hostile territory. They don't understand the point of trying to "wake up" a dead man. God, however, knows exactly what He's doing. The disciples are typically confused, but they also demonstrate their loyalty. Even if he's gloomy, Thomas shows resolve to follow Jesus anywhere and everywhere (John 11:5–16).

By the time Jesus makes it back to Bethany, there is absolutely no doubt that Lazarus is dead. The first person Jesus encounters in Bethany is Martha. She apparently sneaks away from the many mourners and can see Jesus with some level of privacy. This suits the practical, no-nonsense attitude she shows in other Scriptures. Her statement expresses more faith than criticism; she is not complaining, but she is mourning. Jesus further tests her beliefs, resulting in her beautiful expression of trusting reliance on God, and in Christ (John 11:17–27).

In contrast to Martha, Scripture implies that Mary is more emotional and impulsive. When she hears that Jesus has arrived, she makes a rapid and dramatic exit. This inspires curiosity in the mourners, who follow her and form the crowd who later witness the miracle. Mary echoes Martha's comment that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus' death (John 11:28–34).

Here, Jesus demonstrates great compassion and quietly weeps with Mary and Martha. This moment is crucial in our understanding of the nature of God. Jesus has purposefully arranged this situation in order to make a clear point. This miracle is another "sign" of His divine nature. Moments from now, Jesus will bring Lazarus back from the dead. And yet, He expresses clear emotion out of love for His friends. This is a milestone moment in the Bible, reminding us that God really, truly understands the pain we feel while we wait to see His plans unfold (John 11:35–37).

The raising of Lazarus is much more theatrical than some of Jesus' other miracles. At the wedding in Cana, few people even knew a miracle had occurred (John 2:7–11). When feeding thousands, it took time for people to become aware of what was happening (John 6:9–11). The man born blind gained his sight without Jesus even being there for the key moment (John 9:6–7). In this case, Jesus has purposefully waited until death is undeniable—Martha is understandably worried about her brother's corpse rotting. There is a crowd, and for the sake of that crowd Jesus openly declares that He is acting on the power and authority of God. Then He calls a dead man to life (John 11:38–44).

The response of witnesses to this miracle parallels other Scriptures about our approach to evidence. Some correctly interpret signs (John 20:30–31). Others are unsure, and yet others insist on resisting the truth, no matter what. Jesus' religious critics convene, but only to figure out how to counter Jesus' message—they have no interest in learning from His power. Caiaphas, a Sadducee installed as High Priest by the Romans, makes an accidental prophecy. That statement summarizes the reason Jesus came in human form: to serve as a perfect sacrifice atoning for human sin (Romans 5:12–19). The Council's decision is as extreme as their rejection: they agree, collectively, that Jesus must die (John 11:45–53).

As He has done in the past, Jesus moves outside of the religious leaders' immediate influence. This leads some to wonder if He'll keep His custom of attending the required feasts—such as Passover—in Jerusalem. What they don't know is that Jesus will soon enter the city hailed as a Messiah, then face arrest and death at the hands of His enemies (John 11:54–57).

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.

John 11:17–27 describes Jesus' encounter with Martha, Lazarus' brother. By the time Jesus got word of Lazarus' illness, His friend had already died, but Jesus delayed a further two days before coming to see the family. Martha is both heartbroken and resigned. She is confident that her brother will see eternal resurrection. Jesus confirms His role in salvation as He comforts her; she responds by affirming Him as the Messiah. This is the fifth of seven ''I Am'' statements by Jesus in this gospel. In the following passage, Jesus will meet with Martha and Lazarus' sister, Mary, expressing His sorrow for their pain.

John 11:28–37 contains the meeting between Lazarus' sister, Mary, and Jesus. Lazarus had died even before word reached Jesus that he was sick. Even so, Jesus waited until four days had passed to arrive in Bethany. Mary repeats her sister Martha's lament that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus from dying in the first place. The crowd—probably including mourners and hostile observers loyal to local religious leaders—say the same thing. Heading to the tomb, Jesus weeps: expressing sorrow for the pain of others, despite knowing that His visit here will end in Lazarus' resurrection.

John 11:38–44 describes the seventh and final miraculous ''sign'' recorded in the gospel of John. This is by far the most spectacular, as Jesus restores life to a man who has been dead for four days. Lazarus' death is confirmed to the point that his family hesitates to open his tomb, fearing what a putrefying corpse will smell like. For the benefit of the crowd, Jesus prays loudly, then commands Lazarus to arise. Lazarus does so, still wrapped in his burial shrouds. This display of divine power only increases the resolve of Jesus' enemies to have Him killed as soon as possible.

John 11:45–57 follows Jesus' seventh and most spectacular miraculous ''sign,'' the resurrection of Lazarus. Amazingly, Jesus enemies are so hardened against Him that this miracle only inspires them to have Jesus killed even more quickly. This is one of many examples disproving the claim that non-believers merely lack sufficient evidence. Critics claim Jesus may incite rebellion and invite destruction from Rome. For the most part, however, Jesus is a threat to their pompous arrogance and positions of power. When Jesus maintains a low profile, the religious leaders give orders to find Him so He can be arrested. This sets in motion the critical events completing Jesus' sacrificial death.

Chapter Summary:

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.

Chapter Context:

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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 4/27/2024 10:18:39 PM