John 11:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,

NIV: So then he told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead,

NASB: So Jesus then said to them plainly, 'Lazarus died,

CSB: So Jesus then told them plainly, "Lazarus has died.

NLT: So he told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.

KJV: Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

NKJV: Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

To this point, Jesus has waited two days after receiving word about Lazarus' illness. He sent back a reassuring message to Lazarus' sisters. What the disciples don't know is that Lazarus was dead before the messenger arrived to speak with Jesus. They do know that the religious leaders of Judea want to kill Jesus, and so He has stayed out of that area. So when Jesus says it's time to go to Judea, to "awaken" Lazarus, they are confused.

Jesus' words here don't provide much explanation for the disciples. Jesus flatly tells them that His friend is dead. The disciples were hesitant to risk death just to wake a sleeping man. To go see a man who's already dead seems even less sensible. At the same time, these men know that Jesus has power. Even when others have fallen away, they've been faithful, even when they don't fully understand (John 6:66–69). The following verses will show that even if they're fearful, they're loyal (John 11:16).

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 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 5/8/2024 4:54:54 PM