John 11:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

NIV: and then he said to his disciples, 'Let us go back to Judea.'

NASB: Then after this He *said to the disciples, 'Let’s go to Judea again.'

CSB: Then after that, he said to the disciples, "Let's go to Judea again."

NLT: Finally, he said to his disciples, 'Let’s go back to Judea.'

KJV: Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

NKJV: Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

In prior verses, Jesus was given a rushed message stating that his beloved friend Lazarus was ill (John 11:1–3). That came from Mary and Martha in Bethany, about twenty miles or 32 kilometers from Jesus' current location in Bethabara. Rather than leave, Jesus sent the messenger back with words of comfort (John 11:4). The disciples probably assumed that Lazarus would recover, and that Jesus was not returning to Judea since local religious leaders were looking to have Him killed (John 5:18; 10:39; 11:8). What they don't know is that Lazarus was dead before the messenger even reached Jesus, and that God has a spectacular miracle in mind.

Jesus' unexpected order to return to Bethany in Judea a full two days later would have been shocking to His disciples. In their minds, the time to attempt a rescue mission for Lazarus is long over. Returning would only put Jesus at risk of arrest or stoning. His purpose, as seen later, is to ensure that Lazarus' miraculous resurrection is entirely credited to the glory of God (John 11:4, 41–44).

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 5/5/2024 11:46:56 AM