John 11:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

NIV: When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

NASB: So then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house.

CSB: As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

NLT: When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house.

KJV: Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

NKJV: Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.

Several passages in Scripture show the contrast between the personalities of Mary and Martha. In summary, Martha is a "doer," and Mary is a "thinker." Martha comes across as practical and direct, and Mary is passionate and devoted. In an earlier meeting (Luke 10:38–42), Martha was frustrated by Mary's choice to sit and listen to Jesus while she was busy as a hostess. Mary was also involved in anointing Jesus with expensive oil; that happened at least once (John 12:1–7), and possibly on two separate occasions (Mark 14:3–9). A similar incident involving a prostitute, however, is not the same person as Martha and Lazarus' sister (Luke 7:36–50).

The unique character of these women is also reflected in their reaction when Jesus arrives. This verse explicitly says that Martha was aware that Jesus was approaching. Whether or not Mary knew, at this moment, the Bible does not say. It would be consistent with their respective personalities, however, for Martha to rush to meet Jesus while Mary sits and cries.

Later verses suggest that Mary might not have known, yet, that Jesus was coming. Martha's comment in a later verse might mean Mary waited until Jesus specifically called for her (John 11:28). Or, it might imply that Martha went to see Jesus without telling her sister that He had arrived. As the next verse shows, Martha immediately confronts Jesus with her heartache—she may have wanted to do this without the added drama of her sister's tears. The presence of many other people, also, might have inspired Martha to attempt a private meeting with Jesus, rather than announcing His presence (John 11:30–31).

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.

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.