The Gospel of John Chapter 11

 

JOHN CHAPTER 11

The Death and Ressurection of Lazarus

INTRODUCTION JOHN 11

 

In chapter 10 we studied Jesus the good shepherd.  We discovered why and how Jesus used the metaphor of a shepherd and sheep to describe His relationship with us.  We learned that for a shepherd to be a good shepherd they must have a shepherds heart.  Jesus is the good shepherd because He alone is the only one who can take care of our daily needs and protect us from the evil one.  In chapter 11 we will be learn of the death and resurrection of Lazarus.  We will discover why this act by Jesus is so important, and how this miracle was used by Jesus.  In the later part of the chapter we will see the ruling body of the Jewish theocracy conspiring to put Jesus to death.

The Death and Resurrection of Lazarus John 11: 1-46

 

 

1. Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

• All we know about Lazarus is that his name was derived from the Hebrew Elazar (Eleazar) meaning “God has helped
• We are told that Mary and Martha were sisters and that Lazarus was their brother.

2 It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. (X Luke 7:38; John 12:3)

• Not even the twelve showed this much love and gratitude towards Jesus
• Interesting to note that Lazarus given name means God helped, and so He did

3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
Jesus felt compassion for the sisters of Lazarus (X John 11:5)

• He knew what He was about to do but felt deeply for their sadness

4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

• Although Lazarus did die, Jesus was referring to a permanent condition of death
• This was a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Jesus
• The promise of our resurrection through

MATTHEW HENERY’S COMMENTARY on  John 11:1-6

 

“It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the wrath to come;

however, it behooves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends and relatives when sick and afflicted. Let this reconcile us to the darkest dealings of Providence, that they are all for the glory of God: sickness, loss, disappointment, are so; and if God be glorified, we ought to be satisfied. Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
The families are greatly favoured in which love and peace abound; but those are most happy whom Jesus loves, and by whom He is beloved. Alas, that this should seldom be the case with every person, even in small families. God has gracious intentions, even when he seems to delay. When the work of deliverance, temporal or spiritual, public or personal, is delayed, it does but stay for the right time.” (Quoted from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible) 

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

 

Why did Jesus linger?

• He lingered to ensure Lazarus would be entombed long enough so none could say it was a trick
• Now decomposition would have begun
• The purpose of this miracle was not just a healing but rather a glorification of the Son of man Jesus

 

7 Then after this *He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”

• This miracle was so important, nothing could have prevented Jesus from going
• He knew his life was not in danger at that point
• Jesus answers them in verse 9

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

• Jesus repeated what He said in John 9:4
• He repeated this to remind His disciples that He must be about His Fathers work
• He would not be with them much longer and their was much to show them (X John 12:35 )
• I believe Jesus is also telling us, who do not know our appointed time, must not tarry with Gods work

10 “But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

• Jesus the light of the world shows them and us the way
• Without Jesus’ teachings we would be in spiritual darkness with no hope

11 This He said, and after *that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.” 12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

• Jesus was telling them He would raise Lazarus from the dead.
• They thought He was using the word sleep literally
• We will see this verified in verse 13

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.  14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, …  

• Jesus was in no hurry to aid Lazarus
• His intention was to show his disciples what?
• He was the messiah
• The Father granted Him authority over death

15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”

• They were still reluctant to believe that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God
• They had to be shown who Jesus was by this work He would do, that they may see and believe
• Like the Pharisees the disciples needed to see to believe

16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

• Didymus means double or twin in Hebrew
• Thomas is known as doubting Thomas (X John 20:27)but shows his love for Jesus here

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. 20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.
21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

Now she believed Jesus could have healed her brother

Once Lazarus was dead and entombed she thought no one not even the greatest of prophets could do anything

22 “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

She believed that not only was Jesus sent by God but also had great favor from God

I don’t believe she really understood exactly who Jesus was; but knew there was nothing God would not grant Him

• She showed faith in Jesus without full knowledge of who He was, Why He was sent

24 Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
23. Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

• How did Martha know about resurrection day?
• The prophet Job wrote of a day of great clamity and fury (X Job 21:30 ) 
• The prophet Daniel told of the day of resurrection (X Daniel 12:2 )
• The Jews knew of the day of judgment but did not know Jesus would be the judge
• Daniel did not call the judge by name nor did he use the word Messiah in this verse but rather called the One who would judge as “the Ancient of Days” (X Daniel 7:9 )

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26. and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.

• Jesus is saying that He will be the victor over death (X I Corinthians 15:55)
• Through Jesus we who believe will be resurrected to eternal live
• Jesus is not talking about physical death but rather spiritual death in V26

27 *She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

29 And when she heard *it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.

• We read in John 10:40 Jesus was where John baptized Him
• Jesus was baptized at Bethany beyond the Jordan (X John 1:28)

31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

• She did not ask Jesus to raise her brother from the dead
• She felt death was final and no one had authority over death except God

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” *They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

• Why was Jesus troubled
• I believe He was also saddened by the disbelief in His relationship with the heavenly Father

35 Jesus wept.

• Why was Jesus weeping?
• He felt compassion for the suffering of the grievers
• The shortest verse in scripture which shows the depth of Jesus’ love for them

36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”

37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

• Of course Jesus could have prevented Lazarus death.
• No one believed Jesus could do anything after Lazarus’ death, except morn
• If Jesus had prevented his death then there would not have been the proof of Jesus’ power over death
• Had He performed the healing they would have seen Jesus as a great healer with the power to prevent death

38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
39 Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

• It was this very reason Jesus delayed His arrival
• So know one would say this way a trick or he wasn’t really dead

40 Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Jesus not only demonstrated the power of faith but also the glory of God

41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

• Jesus was praying thankfully to the Father
• The Father knew Jesus’ intention was not just to save a friend from death but to bring glory to God.
• We know when we pray in the name of Jesus our prayers are heard, knowing God will answer
• How many times do we give thanks that our prayers are heard
• We will read in the next verse, …”Jesus knew the Father heard Him

42 “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

• Jesus sensed their disbelief and desired to once again affirm with them, and His relationship with the Father

43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”

• He could have whispered and Lazarus would have come

44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

• Seeing is believing for most people even today
• An example of this can also be seen in John 2:23
• In today’s world you can not believe what you see with your own eyes, you must have faith

46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

Conspiracy to Kill Jesus

47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. 48 “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

• Were they that fearful of Roman retaliation?
• We have looked at the status and power the Pharisees held in Israel.
• I find it difficult to believe the Pharisees were that fearful of the Romans
• The Pharisees were quite secure in their posts
• The Romans were quite content to allow the priests to control the people
• The codependency of the Romans and the Pharisees is quite evident.
• The Pharisees kept the Jews in line
• The Romans provided the prophetic solution to the Pharisees problem (Jesus)

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
51 Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

• The high priest was used by God to do Gods will to fulfill Gods plan of redemption
• There is no limit as to who or how God will use people for His own purpose

52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.  (X John 10:16)

• The nation spoken of here is the Jewish nation
• Gods plan is being revealed here
• Not just the Jewish people but all people all over the world would be given offered the sacrificial Lamb of God.

53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.

• They also were planning to kill Lazarus (X John 12:10)

54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples.