John 11 COMMENTARY

JOHN 11 COMMENTARY
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
INTRODUCTION:
Here is the climax of the series of seven signs. Jesus began his signs at a wedding
and ends them at a funeral. Jesus prevented the wedding from becoming a
disaster, and he changed the disaster of the funeral into the joy of a wedding. In
both miracles Jesus is meeting the needs of a family. This family of three single
people was special to Jesus. They loved him and he loved them. They took him in
and gave him a place of refuge where he could escape from the constant
clamoring of the crowds. They cooked for him, cared for him, conversed with
him, and listened to him teach in that home. There was good reason why he
picked Lazarus for his demonstration of the ultimate power that showed him to
be the Son of God as he claimed.
Constable wrote, “Jesus had presented Himself as the Water of Life, the Bread
of Life, and the Light of Life. Now He revealed Himself as the resurrection and
the life. This was the seventh and last of Jesus' miraculous signs that John
recorded, and it was the most powerful revelation of His true identity. It shows
Jesus' authority over humankind's greatest and last enemy, death."
Pink, "The darker the night, the more manifest the light which illumines it. The
more the depravity and enmity of Israel were exhibited, the brighter the
testimony which God caused to be borne to the glory of His Son. The end was
almost reached, therefore did the Lord now perform His mightiest work of all—
save only the laying down of His own life, which was the wonder of all wonders.
Six miracles (or as John terms them, "signs") had already been wrought by Him,
but at Bethany He does that which displayed His Divine power in a superlative
way. Previously we have seen Him turning water into wine, healing the
nobleman’s son, restoring the impotent man, multiplying the loaves and fishes,
walking on the sea, giving sight to the blind man; but here he raises the dead,
yea, brings back to life one who had lain in the grave four days. Fitting climax
was this, and most suitably is it the seventh "sign" in this Gospel."
R. Brown wrote, "All Jesus’ miracles are signs of what he is and what he has
come to give man, but in none of them does the sign more closely approach the
reality than in the gift of life. The physical life that Jesus gives to Lazarus is still
not in the realm of the life from above, but it is so close to that realm that it may
be said to conclude the ministry of signs and inaugurate the ministry of glory.
Thus, the raising of Lazarus provides an ideal transition, the last sign in the
Book of Signs leading into the Book of Glory. Moreover, the suggestion that the
supreme miracle of giving life to man leads to the death of Jesus offers a
dramatic paradox worthy of summing up Jesus’ career. And finally, if a pattern
of sevens had any influence…, the addition of the Lazarus miracle gave the
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seventh sign to the Book of Signs.
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Now a man named Lazarus was sick.
He was from Bethany, the village of
Mary and her sister Martha.
1. It is surprising that all of the first three Gospels mention these two sisters
Mary and Martha, but they never mention their brother Lazarus. His name
means "God helps, and he receives God's help in a very unusual way, for he was
the most dead person Jesus ever raised from the dead. Others were raised who
were dead, but they were just recently dead when Jesus raised them, but Lazarus
was what we call dead as a door nail. He was so dead he was decaying a smelling
the cave up where his body was placed. He was in a very hopeless condition, and
nobody would even dream of having any hope about his being revived to life
again.
2. You might wonder why Jesus would choose to do this most spectacular miracle
on this man who was seemingly hardly known by the other Gospel writers. It is
not hard to figure it out, for this home of three single people was the place that
Jesus visited most often. He was so loved here that it was his favorite getaway.
He felt right at home, for he was single also, and had much in common with these
three, and so he hung out with them as often as he could. He could relax there
and get away from the clamoring crowds. They were godly people and they
became his best friends. Martha cooked for him and Mary sat at his feet and
listened eagerly to his teaching. We can assume that Lazarus was often involved
in theological conversation with Jesus, for the text says that Jesus loved him. Of
course, Jesus loved everybody, but when it says this of an individual it means
that there was a special relationship involved. He loved strangers as well, and
never turned anyone away, but Lazarus was what we would call a buddy.
3. Jesus loved this family, and because of it he loved to go to this little village of
Bethany. He did his greatest miracle here; he was anointed for his burial here by
Mary; he stayed here just before his crucifixion, and he ascended to heaven near
this village. The site of the house and the tomb of Lazarus can still be seen here.
The village is now named after Lazarus and is called Lazarieh, which is the
Greek form of the Hebrew Eleazer. The Bethany of Mary and Martha was about
two miles east of Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Jesus
loved to get away from Jerusalem to this little village, and, the fact is, the little
town is often much more friendly and hospitable than the big city.
3. BARCLAY "It is one of the most precious things in the world to have a house
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and a home into which one can go at any time and find rest and understanding
and peace and love. That was doubly true for Jesus, for he had no home of his
own; he had nowhere to lay his head (Lk.9:58). In the home at Bethany he had
just such a place. There were three people who loved him; and there he could
find rest from the tension of life."
4. Pink, "Martha was evidently the senior, for we are told "Martha received him
into her house" (Luke 10:38). This is most blessed. There were very few homes
which were opened to the Lord Jesus. He was "despised and rejected of men."
Men hid as it were their faces from Him and "esteemed him not." Not only was
He unappreciated and unwelcome, but He was "hated." But here was one who
had "received him," first into her heart, and then into her home. So far so good.
Of her sister, it is said, "And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at
Jesus’ feet and heard his word" (Luke 10:39). It is indeed striking to note that
each time Mary is mentioned in the Gospel, she is seen at the feet of Christ. She
had the deeper apprehension of the glory of His person. She was the one who
enjoyed the most intimacy with Him. Her’s was the keener spiritual discernment.
We shall yet see how this is strongly confirmed in John 11 and 12."
5. Clarke, “It is surprising that the other evangelists have omitted so remarkable
an account as this is, in which some of the finest traits in our Lord's character
are exhibited. The conjecture of Grotius has a good deal of weight. He thinks that
the other three evangelists wrote their histories during the life of Lazarus; and
that they did not mention him for fear of exciting the malice of the Jews against
him. And indeed we find, from John 12:10, that they sought to put Lazarus to
death also, that our Lord might not have one monument of his power and
goodness remaining in the land. Probably both Lazarus and his sisters were dead
before St. John wrote."
6. There are those who have tried to say that this Lazarus is the same one that we
read about in Luke 16, but Pink in his study makes it clear that they are two very
distinct persons. He wrote, "There are only two mentioned in the New Testament
which bear this name. Here again the ‘law of comparison and contrast’ helps us.
The Lazarus of Luke 16 was a beggar, whereas everything goes to show that the
Lazarus of John 11 (cf. John 12:2, 3) was a man of means. The Lazarus of Luke
16 was uncared for, for we read of how the dogs came and licked his sores; but
the one in John 11 enjoyed the loving ministrations of his sisters. The Lazarus of
Luke 16 was dependent upon the "crumbs" which fell from another’s table;
whereas in John 12, after his resurrection, the Lazarus of Bethany is seen at "the
table" where the Lord Jesus was. The one in Luke 16 died and remained in the
grave, the one in John 11 was brought again from the dead."
7. J. C. Ryle points out that the three people in this family were quite different in
their personalities, but Jesus loved them all in a special way. He wrote, "We
must never forget that there are varieties in character, and that the grace of God
does not cast all believers into one and the same mold. Admitting fully that the
foundations of Christian character are always the same, and that all God's
children repent, believe, are holy, prayerful, and Scripture-loving, we must make
allowances for wide varieties in their temperaments and habits of mind. We must
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not undervalue others because they are not exactly like ourselves. The flowers in
a garden may differ widely, and yet the gardener feels interest in all. The
children of a family may be curiously unlike one another, and yet the parents
care for all. It is just so with the Church of Christ. There are degrees of grace,
and varieties of grace; but the least, the weakest, the feeblest disciples are all
loved by the Lord Jesus. Then let no believer's heart fail because of his
infirmities; and, above all, let no believer dare to despise and undervalue a
brother."
8. PINK 1-10. "Below is an Analysis of the first ten verses of John 11.
1. Lazarus and his sisters, verses 1, 2.
2. Their appeal to the Lord, verse 3.
3. God’s design in Lazarus’ sickness, verse 4.
4. The delay of love, verses 5, 6.
5. Christ testing His disciples, verse 7.
6. The disciples’ trepidation, verse 8.
7. The Lord re-assuring the disciples, verses 9, 10.
Before taking up the details of the passage which is to be before us a few words
need to be said concerning the principle design and character of John 11 and 12.
In the preceding chapters we have witnessed the increasing enmity of Christ’s
enemies, an enmity which culminated in His crucifixion. But before God suffered
His beloved Son to be put to death, He gave a most blessed and unmistakable
witness to His glory. "We have seen, all through John, that no power of Satan
could hinder the manifestation of the Person of Christ. He met with incessant
opposition and undying hatred, the result, however, being that glory succeeds
glory in manifestation, and God was fully revealed in Jesus. That was His
purpose, and who could hinder its accomplishment? ‘Why do the heathen rage
and the people imagine a vain thing?’ Man’s rage against Christ, only served as
an occasion for the manifestation of His glory. Here in John 11 the Son of God is
glorified, the glory of God answering to the rejection of the Person of Christ in
the preceding chapters" (R. Evans: Notes & Meditations on John’s Gospel).
It is indeed a striking fact, and one to which we have not seen attention called,
that the previous chapters show us Christ rejected in a threefold way, and then
God answering by glorifying Christ in a threefold way. In verse 16 we read,
"Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had
done these things on the sabbath day": this was because of His works. In John
8:58 we are told, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
Abraham was, I am"; and immediately following, it is recorded, "Then took they
up stones to cast at him"; this was because of His words. While in John 10:30 the
Lord affirmed, "I and my Father are one," which is at once followed by, "Then
the Jews took up stones again to stone him": this was on account of the claim
which He had made concerning His person.
The threefold witness which God caused to be borne to the glory of Christ in
John 11 and 12 corresponds exactly with the threefold rejection above, though
they are met in their inverse order. In John 10:31 it was Christ in His absolute
Deity, as God the Son, who was rejected. Here in John 11 His Divine glory shines
forth most manifestly in the raising of Lazarus. In John 8 He was rejected
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because He declared "Before Abraham was, I am." There it was more in His
Messianic character that He was despised. Corresponding to this, in John
12:12-15 we find Him in full Messianic glory entering Jerusalem as "King of
Israel." In John 5 Christ is seen more in His mediatorial character, in
incarnation as "the Son of man"—note verse 27. Corresponding to this we find
in the third section of John 12 the Gentiles seeking the Lord Jesus, and to them
He answered: "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified" (John
12:23)!
Man had fully manifested himself. The Light had shone in the darkness, and the
darkness comprehended it not. The deep guilt of men had been demonstrated by
their refusing the sent One from the Father, and their deadness in trespasses and
sins had been evidenced by the absence of the slightest response to the eternal
Word then tabernacling in their midst. They had seen and hated both Him and
His Father (John 15:24). The end of Christ’s public ministry was, therefore, well-
nigh reached. But before He goes to the Cross, God gave a final testimony to the
glory of His beloved. Beautiful is it to behold the Father so jealously guarding the
honor of His Son in this threefold way ere He left the stage of public action. And
solemn was it for Israel to be shown so plainly and so fully WHO it was they had
rejected and were about to crucify.
The darker the night, the more manifest the light which illumines it. The more
the depravity and enmity of Israel were exhibited, the brighter the testimony
which God caused to be borne to the glory of His Son. The end was almost
reached, therefore did the Lord now perform His mightiest work of all—save
only the laying down of His own life, which was the wonder of all wonders. Six
miracles (or as John terms them, "signs") had already been wrought by Him, but
at Bethany He does that which displayed His Divine power in a superlative way.
Previously we have seen Him turning water into wine, healing the nobleman’s
son, restoring the impotent man, multiplying the loaves and fishes, walking on
the sea, giving sight to the blind man; but here he raises the dead, yea, brings
back to life one who had lain in the grave four days. Fitting climax was this, and
most suitably is it the seventh "sign" in this Gospel.
It is true that Christ had raised the dead before, but even here the climax is
again to be seen. Mark records the raising of Jairus’ daughter, but she had only
just died. Luke tells of the raising of the widow’s son of Nain, but he had not
been buried. But here, in the case of Lazarus, not only had the dead man been
placed in the sepulcher, but corruption had already begun to consume the body.
Supremely true was it of the just One (Acts 3:14) that His path was as the
shining light, which shone "more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18).
The same climactic order is to be seen in connection with the state of the natural
man which John’s "signs" typically portray. "They have no wine" (John 2:3),
tells us that the sinner is a total stranger to Divine joy (Judg. 9:13). "Sick" (John
4:46), announces the condition of the sinner’s soul, for sin is a disease which has
robbed man of his original health. The "impotent man" (John 5:7), shows us that
the poor sinner is "without strength" (Rom. 5:6), completely helpless, unable to
do a thing to better his condition. The multitude without any food of their own
(John 6:5), witnesses to the fact that man is destitute of that which imparts
strength. The disciples on the storm-tossed sea (John 6:18), before the Savior
came to them, pictures the dangerous position which the sinner occupies—
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already on the "broad road" which leadeth to destruction. The man blind from
his birth (John 9:1), demonstrates the fact that the sinner is altogether incapable
of perceiving either his own wretchedness and danger, or the One who alone can
deliver him. But in John 11 we have that which is much more solemn and awful.
Here we learn that the natural man is spiritually dead, "dead in trespasses and
sins." Lower than this we cannot go. Anything more hopeless cannot be
portrayed. In the presence of death, the wisest, the richest, the most mighty
among men have to confess their utter helplessness. This, this is what is set
before us in John 11. Most suitable background for Christ to display Himself as
"the resurrection and the life." And most striking is this climax of the "signs"
recorded in the fourth Gospel, displaying both the power of Christ and the
condition of the natural man.
"Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and
her sister Martha" (John 11:1). The object of our Lord’s resurrection-power is
first presented to our notice. His name was Lazarus. At once our minds revert
back to Luke 16, where another "Lazarus" is seen. But how striking the
contrast, a contrast most evidently designed by the Holy Spirit. There are only
two mentioned in the New Testament which bear this name. Here again the ‘law
of comparison and contrast’ helps us. The Lazarus of Luke 16 was a beggar,
whereas everything goes to show that the Lazarus of John 11 (cf. John 12:2, 3)
was a man of means. The Lazarus of Luke 16 was uncared for, for we read of
how the dogs came and licked his sores; but the one in John 11 enjoyed the
loving ministrations of his sisters. The Lazarus of Luke 16 was dependent upon
the "crumbs" which fell from another’s table; whereas in John 12, after his
resurrection, the Lazarus of Bethany is seen at "the table" where the Lord Jesus
was. The one in Luke 16 died and remained in the grave, the one in John 11 was
brought again from the dead.
The Holy Spirit has been careful to identify the Lazarus of John 11 as belonging
to Bethany—a word that seems to have a double meaning: "House of Figs," and
"House of Affliction." It was the "town" (more accurately "village") of Mary
and her sister Martha. Though not mentioned previously by John, this is not the
first reference to these sisters in the Gospel records. They are brought before us
at the close of Luke 10, and what is there recorded about them sheds not a little
light upon some of the details of John 11.
Martha was evidently the senior, for we are told "Martha received him into her
house" (Luke 10:38). This is most blessed. There were very few homes which
were opened to the Lord Jesus. He was "despised and rejected of men." Men hid
as it were their faces from Him and "esteemed him not." Not only was He
unappreciated and unwelcome, but He was "hated." But here was one who had
"received him," first into her heart, and then into her home. So far so good. Of
her sister, it is said, "And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’
feet and heard his word" (Luke 10:39). It is indeed striking to note that each
time Mary is mentioned in the Gospel, she is seen at the feet of Christ. She had
the deeper apprehension of the glory of His person. She was the one who enjoyed
the most intimacy with Him. Her’s was the keener spiritual discernment. We
shall yet see how this is strongly confirmed in John 11 and 12.
Next we are told, "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to
him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?
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bid her therefore that she help me" (Luke 10:40). The word "cumbered" means
"weighted down." She was burdened by her "much serving." Alas, how many
there are like her among the Lord’s people to-day. It is largely due to the over-
emphasis which has been placed upon "Christian service"—much of which is,
we fear, but the feverish energy of the flesh. It is not that service is wrong, but it
becomes a snare and an evil if it be allowed to crowd out worship and the
cultivation of one’s own spiritual life: note the order in 1 Timothy 4:16, "Take
heed unto thyself, and to thy teaching."
"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and
troubled about many things" (Luke 10:41). This is very solemn. The Lord did
not commend Martha for her "much serving." Instead, He reproved her. He tells
her she was distracted and worried because she had given her attention to
"many things." She was attempting more than God had called her to do. This is
very evident from the previous verse. Martha felt that her load was too heavy to
carry alone, hence her "bid her therefore that she help me." Sure sign was this
that she had run without being sent. When any Christian feels as Martha here
felt, he may know that he has undertaken to do more than the Lord has
appointed.
"But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not
be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42). Though the Lord reproved Martha, He
commended Mary. The "one thing needful" is "that good part" which Mary had
chosen, and that is to receive from Christ. Mary sat at His feet "and heard his
word." She was conscious of her deep need, and came to Him to be ministered
unto. Later, we shall see how she ministered unto Christ, and ministered so as to
receive His hearty commendation. But the great lesson for us here is, that we
must first be ministered unto before we are qualified to minister unto others. We
must be receivers, before we can give out. The vessel must be filled, before it can
overflow. The difference then between Martha and Mary is this: the one
ministered unto Christ, the other received from Him, and of the latter He
declared, she "hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from
her." This brief examination of Luke 10, with the information it gives about the
characters of the two sisters of Lazarus will enable us to understand the better
their respective actions and words in John 11.
"It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet
with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick" (John 11:2). This explains why
Mary is mentioned first in the previous verse—the only time that she is. The
commentators have indulged in a variety of conjectures, but the reason is very
obvious. John’s Gospel was written years after the first three, one evidence of
which is supplied in the verses before us. The opening verse of our chapter
clearly supposes that the reader is acquainted with the contents of the earlier
Gospels. Bethany was "the town (village) of Mary and her sister Martha." This
Luke 10:38 had already intimated. But in addition, both Matthew and Mark
record how that Mary had "anointed" the Lord with her costly ointment in the
house of Simon the leper who also resided in Bethany. It is true her name is not
given either by Matthew or Mark,[1] but it is very clear that her name must have
been known, for how else could the Lord’s word have been carried out: "Verily I
say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole
world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her"
(Mark 14:9). It is this which explains why Mary is mentioned first in John 11:1—
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she was the better known!
It was at Bethany that Lazarus lived with his sisters. Bethany was but a village,
yet had it been marked out in the eternal counsels of God as the place which was
to witness the greatest and most public miraculous attestation of the Deity of
Christ. "Let it be noted that the presence of God’s elect children is the one thing
which makes towns and countries famous in God’s sight. The village of Martha
and Mary is noticed, while Memphis and Thebes are not named in the New
Testament. A cottage where there is grace, is more pleasant in God’s sight than a
palace where there is none." (Bishop Ryle). It was at Bethany there was to be
given the final and most conclusive proof that He who was on the point of
surrendering Himself to death and the grave was none other than the
resurrection and the life. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem (John
11:18), the headquarters of Judaism, so that the news of the raising of Lazarus
would soon be common knowledge throughout all Judea.
"Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest
is sick" (John 11:3). This must not be regarded as a protest; it was not that
Martha and Mary were complaining against Christ because He suffered one
whom He loved to fall sick. Instead, it was simply an appeal to the heart of One
in whom they had implicit confidence. The more closely this brief message from
the sisters is scrutinized, the more will their becoming modesty be apparent.
Instead of prescribing to Christ what should be done in their brother’s case, they
simply acquainted Him with his desperate condition. They did not request Him
to hasten at once to Bethany, nor did they ask Him to heal their brother by a
word from a distance, as once He had restored to health the nobleman’s son
(John 4). Instead, they left it for Him to decide what should be done.
"Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." Each word in this touching message
of Martha and Mary is worthy of separate consideration. "Lord" was the
language of believers, for no unbeliever ever so addressed the despised Nazarene.
"Lord" acknowledged His Deity, owned His authority, and expressed their
humility. "Lord, behold": this is a word which arrests attention, focalizes
interest, and expressed their earnestness. "He whom thou lovest." This is highly
commendable. They did not say, "he who loves thee." Christ’s fathomless love
for us, and not our feeble love for Him, is what we ever need to keep steadily
before our hearts. Our love varies; His knows no change. It is indeed striking to
note the way in which the sisters refer to Lazarus. They did not blame him! They
did not even say, "our brother," or "thy disciple," but simply "he whom thou
lovest is sick." They knew that nothing is so quick in discernment as love; hence
their appeal to the omniscient love of Christ. "He whom thou lovest is sick."
There are two principle words in the Greek to express sickness: the one referring
to the disease itself, the other pointing to its effects—weakness, exhaustion. It is
the latter that was used here. As applied to individual cases in the N.T. the word
here used implies deathly-sick—note its force in Acts 9:37 and Philippians 2:26,
27. In John 5:3 and 7 it is rendered "impotent." It is not at all likely that Martha
and Mary would have sent to Christ from such a distance had not their brother’s
life been in danger. The force, then, of their message was, "He whom thou lovest
is sinking."
The verse now before us plainly teaches that sickness in a believer is by no means
incompatible with the Lord’s love for such an one. There are some who teach
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that sickness in a saint is a sure evidence of the Lord’s displeasure. The case of
Lazarus ought forever to silence such an error. Even the chosen friends of Christ
sicken and die. How utterly incompetent then are we to estimate God’s love for
us by our temporal condition or circumstances! "No man knoweth either love or
hatted by all that is before them" (Ecclesiastes 9:1). What then is the practical
lesson for us in this? Surely this: "Therefore judge nothing before the time" (1
Cor. 4:5). The Lord loves Christians as truly when they are sick as when they are
well.
It is blessed to mark how Martha and Mary acted in the hour of their need. They
sought the Lord, and unburdened their hearts to Him. Do we always act thus? It
is written, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Ps.
46:1); yet, to our shame, how little we know Him as such. When the people
murmured against Moses, we are told that, "he cried unto the Lord" (Ex. 15:25).
When Hezekiah received the threatening letter from Rabshakeh, he "spread it
before the Lord" (Isa. 37:14). When John the Baptist was beheaded his disciples
"went and told Jesus" (Matthew 14:12). What examples for us! We have not an
High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. No, He is
full of compassion, for when on earth He, too, was" acquainted with grief." He
sympathizes deeply with His suffering people, and invites them to pour out the
anguish of their hearts before Him. What a blessed proof of this we find in John
20. When He met the tearful Mary on the morn of His resurrection, He asked
her, "Woman, why weepest thou?" (John 20:15). Why ask here such a question?
Did He not know the cause of her sorrowing? Certainly He did. Was it a
reproach? We do not deem it such. Was it not rather because He wanted her to
unburden her heart before Him! "Cast thy burden upon the Lord" is ever His
word. This is what Martha and Mary were doing. The Lord grant that every
tried and troubled reader of these lines may go and do likewise.
The action of these sisters and the wording of their appeal afford us a striking
example of how we should present our petitions to the Lord. Much of the
present-day teaching on the subject of prayer is grossly dishonoring to God. The
Most High is not our servant to be brought into subjection to our will. Prayer
was never designed to place us on the Throne, but to bring us to our knees before
it. It is not for the creature to dictate to the Creator. It/s the happy privilege of
the Christian to make known His requests with thanksgiving. But, "requests"
are not commands. Petitioning is a very different matter from commanding. Yet
we have heard men and women talk to God not only as if they were His equals,
but as though they had the right to order Him about. Coming to the Throne of
Grace with "boldness" does not mean with impious impudence. The Greek word
signifies "freedom of speech." It means that we may tell out our hearts as God’s
children, never forgetting though, that He is our Father.
The sisters of Lazarus acquainted the Lord with the desperate condition of their
brother, appealed to His love, and then left the case in His hands, to be dealt with
as He saw best. They were not so irreverent as to tell Him what to do. In this they
have left all praying souls a worthy example which we do well to follow.
"Commit thy way unto the Lord": that is our responsibility. "Trust also in
him"; that is our happy privilege. "Trust also in him," not dictate to Him, and
not demand from Him. People talk of "claiming" from God. But grace cannot be
"claimed," and all is of grace. The very "throne" we approach is one of grace.
How utterly incongruous then to talk of "claiming" anything from the Sitter on
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such a throne. "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall
bring it to pass." But it must ever be kept in mind that He will "bring it to pass"
in His own sovereign way and in His own appointed time. And oftentimes,
usually so in fact, His way and time will be different from ours. He brought it to
pass for Martha and Mary, though not in the time and way they probably
expected. The Apostle Paul longed to preach the Gospel in Rome, but how slow
he was in realizing his desire and in what an altogether unlooked-for manner
went he there!
"When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the
glory of God" (John 11:4). We take it that this was our Lord’s answer to the
messenger, rather than a private word to His disciples, though probably it was
spoken in their hearing. And what a mysterious answer it was! How strangely
worded! How cryptic! What did He mean? One thing was evident on its surface:
Martha and Mary were given the assurance that both the sickness of Lazarus
and its issue were perfectly known to Christ—how appropriately was the record
of this reserved for John’s Gospel; how perfectly in accord with the whole tenor
of it!
"This sickness is not unto death." This declaration is similar in kind to what was
before us in John 9:3, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that
the works of God should be made manifest in him"—compare our comments
thereon. The sickness of Lazarus was "not unto death" in the ordinary sense of
the word, that is, unto abiding death—death would not be the final end of this
"sickness." But why not have told the exercised sisters plainly that their brother
would die, and that He would raise him from the dead? Ah! that is not God’s
way; He would keep faith in exercise, have patience developed, and so order
things that we are constantly driven to our knees! The Lord said sufficient On
this occasion to encourage hope in Martha and Mary, but not enough to make
them leave off seeking God’s help! Bishop Ryle has pointed out how that we
encounter the same principle and difficulty in connection with much of
unfulfilled prophecy: "There is sufficient for faith to rest upon and to enkindle
hope, but sufficient also to make us cry unto God for light"!
"This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God." What a word was
this! How far, we wonder, had those two sisters entered into such a thought
concerning the sickness of their brother. But now they were to learn that it was
Divinely ordained, and from the sequel we are shown that Lazarus’ sickness, his
death, the absence of Christ from Bethany, and the blessed issue, were all
arranged by Him who doeth all things well. Let us learn from this that God has a
purpose in connection with every detail of our lives. Many are the scriptures
which show this. The case of the man born blind provides a parallel to the
sickness and death of Lazarus. When the disciples asked why he had been born
blind, the Savior answered, "That the works of God should be manifest in him."
This should teach us to look behind the outward sorrows and trials of life to the
Divine purpose in sending them.
"This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God
might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4). How this shows that the glory of God is
one with the glory of the Son! The two are inseparable. This comes out plainly,
again, if we compare John 2:11 with John 11:40. In the former we are told, "This
beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his
10

glory." In the latter we find Him saying to Martha, as He was on the point of
raising Lazarus, "Said I not unto thee, that. if thou wouldest believe, thou
shouldest see the glory of God." The same truth is taught once more in John
14:13, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may
be glorified in the Son." What then is the lesson for us? This: "All men should
honor the Son, even as they honor the Father" (John 5:23).
"Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus" (John 11:5). Here the
order of their names is reversed from what we have in verse 1. Martha is now
mentioned first. Various conjectures have been made as to why this is. To us it
appears the more natural to mention Mary first at the beginning of the
narrative, for she would be the better known to the readers of the Gospel
records. In John 11:5, and so afterwards, it was suitable to name Martha first,
seeing that she was the senior. But in addition to this, may it not be the Holy
Spirit’s design to show us that each sister was equally dear to the Savior! It is
true that Mary chose the better part, whilst Martha struggled with the needless
unrest of her well-meaning mind. But though these sisters were of such widely
dissimilar types, yet were they one in Christ! Diverse in disposition they might
be, yet were they both loved with the same eternal, unchanging love!
"Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." A precious thought will
be lost here unless we mark carefully the exact place in the narrative that this
statement occupies. It is recorded not at the beginning of the chapter, but
immediately before what we read of in verse 6, where we are told that the Lord
Jesus "abode two days still in the place where he was." Such a delay, under such
circumstances, strikes us as strange. But, as we shall see, the delay only brought
out the perfections of Christ—His absolute submission to the Father’s will. In
addition to that, it is beautiful to behold that His delay was also in full keeping
with His love for Martha and Mary. Among other things, Christ designed to
strengthen the faith of these sisters by suffering it to endure the bitterness of
death, in order to heighten its subsequent joy. "His love wittingly delays that it
may more gloriously console them after their sufferings" (Stier). Let us learn
from this that when God makes us wait, it is the sign that He purposes to bless,
but in His own way—usually a way so different from what we desire and expect.
What a word is that in Isaiah 30:18, "And therefore will the Lord wait, that he
may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have
mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that
wait for him"!
"When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the
same place where he was" (John 11:6). The Lord knows best at what time to
relieve His suffering people. There was no coldness in His affection for those
tried sisters (as the sequel clearly shows), but the right moment for Him to act
had not then come. Things were allowed to become more grievous: the sick one
died, and still the Master tarried. Things had to get worse at Bethany before He
intervened. Ofttimes God brings man to the end of himself before He comes to
his relief. There is much truth in the old proverb that "Man’s extremity is God’s
opportunity." Frequently is this the Lord’s way; but how trying to flesh and
blood! How often we ask, with the disciples, "Master, carest thou not that we
perish?" But how awful to question the tender compassion of such a One! And
how foolish was the question of these disciples: how could they "perish" with
Christ on board! What cause we have to hang our heads in shame! "When
11

circumstances look dark, our hearts begin to question the love of the One who
permits such to befall us. Oh, let me press upon you this important truth: the
dealings of the Father’s hand must ever be looked at in the light of the Father’s
heart. Grasp this. Never try to interpret love by its manifestations. How often
our Father sends chastisement, sorrow, bereavement, pressure! How well He
could take me out of it all—in a moment—He has the power, but He leaves me
there. Oh, may He help us to rest patiently in Himself at such times, not trying to
read His love by circumstances, but them, whatever they may be, through the
love of His heart. This gives wondrous strength—knowing that loving heart, and
not questioning the dealings of His hand" (C.H.M.).
But why did Christ abide two days still in the same place where He was? To test
the faith of the sisters, to develop their patience, to heighten their joy in the
happy sequel. All true; but there was a much deeper reason than those. Christ
had taken upon Him the form of a servant, and in perfect submission to the
Father He awaits His orders from Him. Said He, "I came down from heaven, not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6:38). Most
beautifully was this demonstrated here. Not even His love for Martha and Mary
would move Him to act before the Father’s time had come. Blessedly does this
show us the anti-typical fulfillment of one detail in a most wondrous type found
in Leviticus 2. The meal offering plainly foreshadowed the incarnate Son of God.
It displays the perfections of His Divine-human person. Two things were rigidly
excluded from this offering: "No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the
Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in
any offering of the Lord made by fire" (Lev. 2:11). The leaven is the emblem of
evil. "Honey" stands for the sweetness of natural affections, what men term "the
milk of human kindness." And how strikingly this comes out here.
How differently Christ acted from what you and I most probably would have
done! If we had received a message that a loved one was desperately sick, would
we not have hastened to his side without delay? And why would we? Because we
sought God’s glory? or because our natural affections impelled us? Ah! in this,
as in everything, we behold the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus. The Father’s glory
was ever dearest to the heart of the Son. Here then is the force of the
"therefore." "When therefore he heard that he is sick, then indeed he remained
in which he was place two days" (Bagster’s Interlinear-literal translation). The
"therefore" and the "indeed" look back to verse 4—"this sickness... is for the
glory of God." And how what we read of in the intervening verse serves to
emphasize this—Christ’s love for His own never interfered with His dependence
on the Father. His first recorded utterance exhibited the same principle: to Mary
and Joseph He said, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?"
The Father’s claims were ever supreme.
"Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again" (John
11:7). Notice the manner in which the Lord expressed Himself. He did not say,
Let us go to Lazarus, or to Bethany. Why not? We believe the key to the Lord’s
thought here lies in the word "again": note the disciples’ use of the same word in
the following verse. The Lord was trying the disciples: "Let us go into Judea
again." If we refer back to the closing verses of John 10 the force of this will be
more evident. In John 10:39 we read that His enemies in Judea "sought again to
take him." Judea, then, was now the place of opposition and danger. When, then,
the Lord said, "Let us go into Judea again," it was obviously a word of testing.
12

And how this illustrates a common principle in the Lord’s way of dealing with
us! It is not the smooth and easy-going path which He selects for us. When we
are led by Him it is usually into the place of testing and trial, the place which the
flesh ever shrinks from.
"His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and
goest thou thither again?" (John 11:8). The Greek is more definite and specific
than the A.V. rendering here. What the disciples said was, "Master, the Jews just
now sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?" The attempt of His
enemies to stone Christ was still present before the eyes of the disciples, though
they had now been some little time at Bethabara. The disciples could see neither
the need nor the prudence of such a step. How strange the Lord’s ways seem to
His shortsighted people; how incapable is our natural intelligence to understand
them! And how this manifests the folly of believers being guided by what men
term "common sense." How much all of us need to heed constantly that word,
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths"
(Prov. 3:5, 6). God often leads His own into places which are puzzling and
perplexing and where we are quite unable to perceive His purpose and object.
How often are the servants of Christ today called upon to fill positions from
which they naturally shrink, and which they would never have chosen for
themselves. Let us ever remember that the One who is our Lord and Master
knows infinitely better than we the best road for us to travel.
"Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the
day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world" (John 11:9). This
verse has proved a puzzle to many, yet we believe its meaning can be definitely
fixed. The first thing to bear in mind is that the Lord Jesus here was answering
the timidity and unbelief of the disciples. They were apprehensive: to return to
Judea, they supposed, was to invite certain death (cf. John 11:16). Christ’s
immediate design, then, was to rebuke their fears. "Are there not twelve hours in
the day?" That is, Has not the "day" a definitely allotted time? The span of the
day is measured, and expires not before the number of hours by which it is
measured have completed their course. The night comes not until the clock has
ticked off each of the hours assigned to the day. The application of this well-
known fact to the Lord’s situation at that time is obvious.
A work had been given Him to do by the Father (Luke 2:49), and that work He
would finish (John 17:4), and it was impossible that His enemies should take His
life before its completion. In John 10:39 we are told that His enemies "sought
again to take him," but "he went forth out of their hand"—not simply
"escaped" as in the A.V. What the Lord here assures His disciples, is, that His
death could not take place before the time appointed by the Father. The Lord
had expressly affirmed the same thing on a previous occasion: "The same day
there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart
hence; for Herod will kill thee." And what was His reply? This, "Go ye, and tell
that fox, Behold, I cast out demons, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the
third day I shall be perfected" (Luke 13:32)! "As a traveler has twelve hours for
his day’s journey, so also to Me there is a space of time appointed for My
business" (Hess). What we have here in John 11:9 is parallel to His statement in
John 9:4—"I must work the works of him that. sent me, while it is
13

day"—"must" because the Father had decreed that He should!
This word of Christ to His disciples had more than a local significance: it
enunciated a principle of general application. There is no need for us to enlarge
upon it here, for we have already treated of it in our remarks upon John 7:30.
God has allotted to each man a time to do his life’s work, and no calamity, no so-
called accident can shorten it. Can man make the sun set one hour earlier?
Neither can he shorten by an hour his life’s day.
In the second part of the ninth verse the Lord announced another reason why it
was impossible for men to shorten His life: "If any man walk in the day, he
stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world." To walk in the day is to
walk in the light of the sun, and such an one stumbleth not, for he is able to see
the obstacles in his way and so circumvent them. Spiritually, this means, It is
impossible that one should fall who is walking with God. To "walk in the day"
signifies to walk in the presence of Him who is Light (1 John 1:5), to walk in
communion with Him, to walk in obedience to His will. None such can stumble,
for His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It is beautiful to
see the application of this to the Lord Jesus in the present instance. When He got
word that Lazarus was sick, He did not start at once for Bethany. Instead, He
tarried where He was till the Father’s time for Him to go had come. He waited
for the "light" to guide Him—a true Israelite watching for the moving of the
Cloud! Christ ever walked in the full light of God’s known will. How impossible
then for Him to "stumble."
"But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him"
(John 11:10). Very solemn and searching is this in its immediate application to
the disciples. It was a warning against their refusing to accompany Him. Christ
was the true Light, and if they continued not with Him they would be in the
dark, and then "stumbling" was inevitable. The thought here is different from
what we get at the close of John 9:4. There Christ speaks of a "night" in which
no man could "work"; here of a "night" in which no believer should "walk."
The great lesson for us in these two verses is this, No fear of danger (or
unpleasant consequences) must deter us from doing our duty. If the will of God
clearly points in a certain direction our responsibility is to move in that direction
unhesitatingly, and we may go with the double assurance that no power of the
Enemy can shorten our life till the Divinely appointed task is done, and that such
light will be vouchsafed us that no difficulties in the way will make us "stumble."
What shall we say to such a blessed assurance? What but the words of the
apostle Jude, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present
you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise
God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
Amen" (verses 24, 25).
2
This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now
lay sick, was the same one who poured
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perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet
with her hair.
1. Mary had the deepest devotion to Jesus, and the account of her anointing the
feet of Jesus and wiping them with her hair is the way John begins the next
chapter. She was filled with admiration for Jesus, and made a costly sacrifice to
communicate her love and devotion to him. Matthew 26:6-13 also records this
event and says, " Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the
leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious
ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples
saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this
ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus
understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath
wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me
ye have not always. 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she
did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be
preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be
told for a memorial of her." Mark 14 tells the same story and ends with verse
8 ,"She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to
the burying."
2. Jesus honored this Mary as few others, and he assured her of being one of the
most talked about people in the Bible, for this anointing was to be told as far and
wide as the Gospel itself. So here we have a sister, and a brother who are treated
in a special way by Jesus, and we get a clear picture of the love they had for him,
and the love he had for them. These were special people in the life of Jesus, and it
speaks highly of the love that singles can have without there being any need for
sexual implications. A man and a woman, and two men can have marvelous
fellowship and love one another without all of the implications we see today that
smacks of sex and homosexuality.
3. It is a sad reality that you can be the best friend of Jesus and still get sick, and
so sick that it kills you. Lazarus is a fairly young man. Tradition says he was 30
years old, and that he lived for 30 more and died at 60. He was in the prime of
life, and had a personal friendship with the Son of God, and yet he died at age
30. This is considered a tragedy in just about every time of history. It has an
important message we need to give heed to as Christians. We sometimes get the
idea that being a child of God, and being one who puts their trust in Jesus as
Savior, means we will escape the suffering that afflicts the human race. There
are many who preach this sort of thing, and they are called the health and wealth
preachers. They say Christians are not to be sick and poor, for that is not
consistent with being children of the King of kings. It is lack of faith that leads to
believers being sick and having financial problems. The only weakness in this
theory is that it it just not true.
The Bible will not support this nonsense that can only be accepted in an affluent
15

country like our own. Millions of Christians live in poverty around the world,
and it has been the case all through history. Most Christians in America are
wealthy compared to the rest of history and the rest of the world, but this has
little to do with what Scripture teaches. One thing is for sure, all Christians still
get sick and they all die, and often they die young just like Lazarus. Ray
Stedman wrote about those who say, "... sickness is never the will of God for a
believer; that it is wrong to be sick, that it is due to lack of faith, some hidden sin
or judgment from God. We have had people in this congregation who have
mistakenly taken that position. I have been in sick rooms where someone was
dying, and his death was made miserable, and much less than it could have been,
because he was tormented by the idea that sickness was a sign of lack of faith on
his part." This false view of suffering and death is hurtful to so many, and it is
all unnecessary because it is not a Biblical perspective.
4. Scripture makes it clear that the good guy does not always win on the earthly
level. It was Adam that dies and sinful Cain lived on. It was John the Baptist
who died young and Herod lived on. It was young Stephen that died and his
stoners lived on. The point is that being a believer does not shield people from
the evils of life. When God's people went to war many of them died even if the
won over the evil enemy, and this history of persecution makes it clear that
Christians can suffer and die at the hands of evil men. Show me one godly person
in the Bible who did not have problems of one kind or another. People often read
Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, and they see all of the marvelous things that
happened to people of faith, and they neglect to read the end of the chapter
where from verse 35 to 38 all of the terrible things that they had to endure are
listed. Being a person of faith is no guarantee that you will escape the suffering of
this world. On a lighter note, the poet points out that even Noah all safe in the
ark still had his problems.
When Noah sailed the waters blue,
He had his troubles same as you;
For forty days he drove the ark
Before he found a place to park.
5. The reason it is important to avoid getting caught up in the hype of Christians
escaping sickness and poverty is that it leads to a faith that is not in Jesus, but in
the culture and its promises of the good life. The Gospel does not promise these
things, and so if you believe it does you will be at risk of losing your faith if
sickness strikes, and you feel you must not have any faith, or not enough to really
be saved. Many fall away from the body of Christ because of a false faith. The
Bible and history reveal that believers have all the problems of a fallen world.
Even faith healers have a history of health problems. Emily Gardiner Neal had a
great ministry of healing even though she went through 6 years of pain due to a
spinal injury. She saw others healed but not herself, and her story can be
repeated over and over among faith healers.
16

3
So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord,
the one you love is sick."
1. This family knew the wherabouts of Jesus, for they had regular contact with
him, and they were in on his ministry and where he was going to be. When they
saw that their brother was more seriously sick than normally one would be, they
sent a messenger to Jesus with this simple note or verbal communication-"Lord,
the one you love is sick." This is about as brief as a message could be. They
thought it would be enough to get Jesus to respond right away and hurry back to
their home and heal Lazarus. They did not flatter Jesus by saying the one who
loves you is sick, but said the one you love is sick. The assumption is that if you
do, in fact, love him, you will be swift in coming to his aid. You don't leave loved
ones hanging in suspense, but rush to their aid. This was the expectation of the
sisters, for they knew Jesus had healed hundreds of sick people, and they had no
doubt he would heal their brother. This was a sure fire thing, and they
anticipated a quick resolving of this sickness problem. I can just hear these
sisters saying to Lazarus, "Don't worry dear, Jesus will soon be here, and so
there is nothing to fear." Augustine said it was sufficient that Jesus should
know; for it is not possible that any man should at one and the same time love a
friend and desert him.
2. You will notice the obvious, that the first thing people do when someone is sick
is to seek for a solution. You try what you have on hand to bring down the fever,
and you seek a doctor if the symptoms do not go away. That is what they are
doing in sending for Jesus, for he was the Great Physician, and they knew he
could heal anything. The point I want to make is that this is the normal response
of all people, and this makes it evident that sickness is of the kingdom of evil, and
it is to be fought and overcome. You do not accept sickness as a valid condition.
You do not say this must be my punishment for some sin I committed. You say
this is bad and I am going to get rid of it one way or another. That is the way
Jesus dealt with all sickness. He did not ask questions about why anyone was
sick. He did not try to figure out who sinned to bring it about, and what sin was
the cause of the problem. He saw all sickness as evil and as something that he
wanted to see disappear as fast as possible. Sickness leads to death, and death is
an enemy. It is the worst enemy of life, and the final enemy to be defeated, and
Jesus demonstrates in this chapter that he is the only person who has the power
to conquer this ultimate enemy of man.
3. You can be loved by Jesus, and yet still get sick and die. I come back to this
subject again because it is so often not understood. The great commentator
Trench said, “Those whom Christ loves are no more exempt than others from
their share of earthly trouble and anguish: rather are they bound over to it more
surely." Bob Deffinbaugh wrote, "Martha and Mary misunderstand something
that has troubled many others before and after them—the place of suffering in
17

the life of the Christian. I am willing to grant that Martha and Mary and
Lazarus are as close to Jesus as any family could be. I believe they enjoy as
intimate a relationship with Him as is possible. I also believe that this was the
very reason Martha and Mary expected Jesus to rush to them, and to keep
Lazarus from dying. They think that being close to God is like an insurance
program, protecting them from suffering. In this, they, like many others, are
wrong. Job had to learn to trust God in the midst of his suffering. And it was by
means of that suffering that Job grew greatly in his understanding of God."
4. Pink has several paragraphs of wisdom on this verse: "The verse now before
us plainly teaches that sickness in a believer is by no means incompatible with
the Lord’s love for such an one. There are some who teach that sickness in a
saint is a sure evidence of the Lord’s displeasure. The case of Lazarus ought
forever to silence such an error. Even the chosen friends of Christ sicken and die.
How utterly incompetent then are we to estimate God’s love for us by our
temporal condition or circumstances! "No man knoweth either love or hatred by
all that is before them" (Ecclesiastes 9:1). What then is the practical lesson for us
in this? Surely this: "Therefore judge nothing before the time" (1 Cor. 4:5). The
Lord loves Christians as truly when they are sick as when they are well."
"It is blessed to mark how Martha and Mary acted in the hour of their need.
They sought the Lord, and unburdened their hearts to Him. Do we always act
thus? It is written, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble" (Ps. 46:1); yet, to our shame, how little we know Him as such. When the
people murmured against Moses, we are told that, "he cried unto the Lord" (Ex.
15:25). When Hezekiah received the threatening letter from Rabshakeh, he
"spread it before the Lord" (Isa. 37:14). When John the Baptist was beheaded
his disciples "went and told Jesus" (Matthew 14:12). What examples for us! We
have not an High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities. No, He is full of compassion, for when on earth He, too, was"
acquainted with grief."
"The sisters of Lazarus acquainted the Lord with the desperate condition of
their brother, appealed to His love, and then left the case in His hands, to be
dealt with as He saw best. They were not so irreverent as to tell Him what to do.
In this they have left all praying souls a worthy example which we do well to
follow. "Commit thy way unto the Lord": that is our responsibility. "Trust also
in him"; that is our happy privilege. "Trust also in him," not dictate to Him, and
not demand from Him. People talk of "claiming" from God. But grace cannot be
"claimed," and all is of grace. The very "throne" we approach is one of grace.
How utterly incongruous then to talk of "claiming" anything from the Sitter on
such a throne. "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall
bring it to pass." But it must ever be kept in mind that He will "bring it to pass"
in His own sovereign way and in His own appointed time. And oftentimes,
usually so in fact, His way and time will be different from ours. He brought it to
pass for Martha and Mary, though not in the time and way they probably
expected."
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4
When he heard this, Jesus said, "This
sickness will not end in death. No, it is
for God's glory so that God's Son may
be glorified through it."
1. Jesus heard this message, and that means it came by means of a messenger and
not just a note handed to him. It was a spoken message. Here is an unknown
person who is carrying a message for Jesus from the sisters that were among his
closest friends. We have no idea about his relationship to the family or to Jesus,
but he represents the many unknown people who play a role in God's plan.
There are many minor roles that are still essential for the history to develop as
God wills. We never know when we may be doing something that is a part of a
greater plan even though we may be doing something that seems trivial and
insignificant. This messenger may have been a friend or someone who was hired
to carry the message, and he would have no idea how significant his task was.
2. Bob Deffinbaugh makes the following points: "The sisters of Lazarus must
expect one of two things. Either they expect to see Jesus coming as quickly as He
can get there, or they expect Him to send word by the messenger that He is
coming shortly. I believe the words recorded in verse 4 are not spoken solely for
the benefit of those who overhear this conversation between Jesus and the
messenger, but as a message for this messenger to take back to Martha and
Mary. Notice our Lord’s words to Martha later in this same account. In verse 39
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied,
“Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried
four days.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would
see the glory of God?” (11:39-40, emphasis mine) "It is my understanding that
verse 4 is our Lord’s response to Martha and Mary, sent back by the same
messenger who brought word to Him of Lazarus’ grave condition."
Our Lord’s words are very carefully chosen: “He responds, ‘This sickness will
not end in death, but is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified
through it.’” Jesus is not assuring these women that Lazarus won’t die. He is
assuring them that even though Lazarus will die, this will not be the end of the
matter. He is also informing them that this crisis has a divinely-intended
purpose—to bring glory to God the Father through the glorification of the Son of
God. If we grant that the words of verse 40 are also sent to the women by the
messenger, Jesus also encourages them to have faith, so that they too will see God
glorified in all these things.
Now I am convinced that this is not what the women “hear” the messenger say
19

when he returns without Jesus. I believe they “hear” (i.e., understand) the
messenger say, “Jesus told me to tell you that Lazarus will not die.” The problem
is that by the time the messenger returns to the women, Lazarus may already
have died. Can you imagine their bewilderment if this is the case? They have
already suffered the torment of Lazarus’ death and burial. Then, the messenger
returns with word from Jesus which appears to assure them that Lazarus won’t
die! Their faith in Jesus is really put to the test."
3. Pink asks the obvious question and then answers it: "But why not have told
the exercised sisters plainly that their brother would die, and that He would raise
him from the dead? Ah! that is not God’s way; He would keep faith in exercise,
have patience developed, and so order things that we are constantly driven to our
knees! The Lord said sufficient On this occasion to encourage hope in Martha
and Mary, but not enough to make them leave off seeking God’s help! Bishop
Ryle has pointed out how that we encounter the same principle and difficulty in
connection with much of unfulfilled prophecy: "There is sufficient for faith to
rest upon and to enkindle hope, but sufficient also to make us cry unto God for
light"!
4. The response of Jesus to this message has shocked many, for it seems that
Jesus does not take it seriously. "So my good friend is sick. It is no big deal, for it
will not end in death. It is for the glory of God." He is obviously saying this to his
disciples who may be worried about Lazarus, for it had to be serious for the
sisters to send a messenger. Jesus knew that Lazarus would die, but he says it
will not end in death because his dying was not the end of the story. He knew he
would raise him up and death would not have the last word. He knew this whole
event was his final chance to display that he was indeed the Son of God, and had
the power to reverse death. He did die and was so dead he was decaying as he lay
in the grave for 4 days. It seems like the sickness was unto death, but the story is
never over until Jesus has his say in the matter, and he says it is not over until I
say it is over. He said instead, that it is time for a new beginning, and so he came
to restore the body of Lazarus so that all signs of death were eliminated.
5. Barnes wrote, “Those words cannot be understood on any other supposition
than that he expected to raise him up. The Savior often used expressions similar
to this to fix the attention on what he was about to say in explanation. The sense
may be thus expressed: "His sickness is not fatal. It is not designed for his death,
but to furnish an opportunity for a signal display of the glory of God, and to
furnish a standing proof of the truth of religion. It is intended to exhibit the
power of the Son of God, and to be a proof at once of the truth of his mission; of
his friendship for this family; of his mild, tender, peculiar love as a man; of his
power and glory as the Messiah; and of the great doctrine that the dead will
rise."
6. Intervarsity Commentary says, “This response sets the agenda and provides
the approach to what will take place. Just as the man's blindness in chapter 9
was an opportunity for the work of God to be manifested (9:3), so the purpose
here is the glorification of God and his Son through this sickness. In both cases
20

we see a revelation of the divine activities of life-giving and judgment, though
here they are more intense for we are close to the cross and resurrection, the
ultimate glorification (12:23; 13:31).
In all that Jesus does we see the glory of God (1:14), for we see God's love and
life-giving power. Now, in the raising of Lazarus, we will have the most
spectacular manifestation of this glory. God is the one who brings life to the dead
out of his love for those in such need. This is the heart of the Gospel. God's glory
is thus seen in his victory over death--indeed, it is "possible only through death--
first the death of Lazarus, and then the death of Jesus himself!" (Michaels
1989:195).
The close connection between Jesus and the Father clearly presented in chapter 5
and chapters 8--10 is evident here as well. This is one of the few times Jesus
refers to himself explicitly as God's Son (cf. 5:25; 10:36, perhaps 3:18). The Son
of God will be glorified through this illness and thereby the glory of God himself
will be manifested. The Father will be glorified as the source of life, and the Son
will be glorified as the one who acts in obedience to the Father and shares in his
identity as the source of life (cf. 1:3-4, 10; 5:21, 26; cf. Michaels 1989:195)."
5
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and
Lazarus.
1. This is obvious, but it is stated clearly so there is no doubt that these are
special friends to Jesus, for they had a more intimate relationship with Jesus
than the masses that followed him everywhere. Even his own disciples did not
seem to have the oneness with Jesus that these three singles had. It ought to be a
great encouragement for singles to know they can be special to Jesus even if they
never marry, and never have children, following the pattern of the majority of
people. Jesus approves of the saying that one is a whole number. People can be
complete as singles. Jesus was one, and he loved others who were.
2. Gill wrote, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. Not only
with an everlasting love, a love of complacency and delight, an unchangeable
one, and which never varies, nor will ever end, with which he loves all his people
alike; but with a very great human affection, and which was very singular and
peculiar to them: these were the intimate friends, and familiar acquaintance of
Christ, whom he often visited, at whose house he frequently was when in those
parts; they were very hospitable to him; they kindly received him into their
houses, and generously entertained him, and which he returned in love to them."
3. Stedman tells of how we often feel when we know we are loved by Jesus, and
21

yet he does not respond to our prayers. He wrote, "This is the true lesson of these
opening verses. I want to tell you there have been many times when I have cried
out to God for help and said, "Things are so bad it can't get any worse. Lord, do
something. Help us." But no answer came. That is hard. It is hard to believe. It is
hard to wait. But I am gradually learning that that is never the end of the story,
gradually learning what God said so clearly through the prophet Isaiah, "My
thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways," {cf, Isa 55:8}.
That is what is so difficult. God is sovereign. He is not a man that he should act
like we act. There are dimensions of the problems which he sees that we do not
remotely imagine. There are possibilities and opportunities in every situation
that we cannot conceive of. So we must wait and quietly trust, knowing that he is
working out something." Martha and Mary had to have this attitude as well, or
they would be devastated by the lack of response to their message.
4. Pink makes an interesting point based on the order in which these three are
named. He wrote, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus" (John
11:5). Here the order of their names is reversed from what we have in verse 1.
Martha is now mentioned first. Various conjectures have been made as to why
this is. To us it appears the more natural to mention Mary first at the beginning
of the narrative, for she would be the better known to the readers of the Gospel
records. In John 11:5, and so afterwards, it was suitable to name Martha first,
seeing that she was the senior. But in addition to this, may it not be the Holy
Spirit’s design to show us that each sister was equally dear to the Savior! It is
true that Mary chose the better part, whilst Martha struggled with the needless
unrest of her well-meaning mind. But though these sisters were of such widely
dissimilar types, yet were they one in Christ! Diverse in disposition they might
be, yet were they both loved with the same eternal, unchanging love!"
6
Yet when he heard that Lazarus was
sick, he stayed where he was two more
days.
1. Ray Stedman, "I want to talk this morning about the hardest problem to
handle in the Christian life. It would be interesting to poll the congregation here
as to what you think that would be. Your answer might be different than mine.
For me, the hardest problem I have to handle as a Christian is what to do when
God does not do what I have been taught to expect him to do; when God gets out
of line and does not act the way I think he ought. What do I do about that?" This
is the very problem that Martha and Mary have to face in the light of Jesus
deciding that he would just ignore the urgency of their message, and delay his
coming to their aid. Stedman says, "He immediately said to the disciples, "Let's
22

rush over and see him before he dies!" No. it does not say that: ... he stayed two
days longer in the place where he was."
2. Pink wrote, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." A
precious thought will be lost here unless we mark carefully the exact place in the
narrative that this statement occupies. It is recorded not at the beginning of the
chapter, but immediately before what we read of in verse 6, where we are told
that the Lord Jesus "abode two days still in the place where he was." Such a
delay, under such circumstances, strikes us as strange. But, as we shall see, the
delay only brought out the perfections of Christ—His absolute submission to the
Father’s will. In addition to that, it is beautiful to behold that His delay was also
in full keeping with His love for Martha and Mary. Among other things, Christ
designed to strengthen the faith of these sisters by suffering it to endure the
bitterness of death, in order to heighten its subsequent joy. "His love wittingly
delays that it may more gloriously console them after their sufferings" (Stier).
Let us learn from this that when God makes us wait, it is the sign that He
purposes to bless, but in His own way—usually a way so different from what we
desire and expect. What a word is that in Isaiah 30:18, "And therefore will the
Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted,
that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed
are all they that wait for him"!
3. Clarke wrote, “Therefore his staying two days longer in Bethabara was not
through lack of affection for this distressed family, but merely that he might
have a more favorable opportunity of proving to them how much he loved them.
Christ never denies a less favor, but in order to confer a greater. God's delays,
in answering prayers offered to him by persons in distress, are often proofs of
his purpose to confer some great kindness, and they are also proofs that his
wisdom finds it necessary to permit an increase of the affliction, that his
goodness may be more conspicuous in its removal.” The fact is these sisters had
to endure the grief of losing a loved brother, and so the delay of Jesus was costly
for them in terms of the emotions they had to suffer by this loss. It was very
negative, but in the end the joy was all the greater in getting him back from the
dead.
4. Calvin wrote, “And Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus. These
two things appear to be inconsistent with each other, that Christ remains two
days beyond Jordan, as if he did not care about the life of Lazarus, and yet the
Evangelist says, that Christ loved him and his sisters; for, since love produces
anxiety, he ought to have hastened immediately. As Christ is the only mirror of
the grace of God, we are taught by this delay on his part, that we ought not to
judge of the love of God from the
condition which we see before our eyes. When we have prayed to him, he often
delays his assistance, either that he may increase still more our ardor in prayer,
or that he may exercise our patience, and, at the same time, accustom us to
obedience. Let believers then implore the assistance of God, but let them also
learn to suspend their desires, if he does not stretch out his hand for their
assistance as soon as they may think that necessity requires; for, whatever may
be his delay, he never sleeps, and never forgets his people. Yet let us also be fully
23

assured that he wishes all whom he loves to be saved.”
5. Henry put it this way, "He loved them, that is, he designed to do something
great and extraordinary for them, to work such a miracle for their relief as he
had not wrought for any of his friends; and therefore he delayed coming to them,
that Lazarus might be dead and buried before he came. If Christ had come
presently, and cured the sickness of Lazarus, he had done no more than he did
for many; if he had raised him to life when newly dead, no more than he had
done for some: but, deferring his relief so long, he had an opportunity of doing
more for him than for any."
6. When he heard his friend was sick,
He did not respond by going to him quick.
Instead he decided he would delay,
And where he was at, he would just stay.
Their urgent message did not seem to phase,
For he would just linger for two more days.
They wanted Jesus to jump to his feet,
And come with haste every need to meet.
With eyes on the road they waited,
"Why does he not come?", They debated.
"Maybe he will be here tomorrow",
They said as they waited in sorrow.
The agony of waiting for Jesus to come was a curse,
But before things get better they often get worse.
It seems a terrible way to treat a best friend,
But make no judgment until you see the end.
Only Jesus understands that Lazarus will be raised,
So in the end his late coming will be greatly praised. Glenn Pease
7. An unknown author wrote, "That is what is incredible to us. It is a tough thing
to believe that Jesus deliberately waited. We are so used to critical illness being a
signal for immediate action -- mourning sirens, flashing red lights, get him to the
hospital -- that it seems incredible that Jesus, knowing that his dear friend was
ill, or in this case dead, nevertheless stayed right where he was for two more
days. Somebody may well say, "If he knew Lazarus was dead why would he
hurry? There was nothing he could do." But remember Mary and Martha's
hearts were breaking. This was a dearly loved brother, a younger brother
evidently, and his death as a young man was a grievous loss to them. Jesus'
presence with them would have been a tremendous comfort even though he
24

never did a thing about raising Lazarus from the dead. Yet, knowing that they
needed him there to comfort them, knowing that they longed to have him there to
the point that they sent a messenger to let him know the situation, he deliberately
remained two days longer at the place where he was.
Why? That is the question we all ask. Why? Well, we ought to believe what John
tells us. John says, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Therefore, because he loved them, he stayed two days longer where he was."
That is the tough thing to handle. When you have gone to God for help which
you feel you desperately need, your heart is breaking over something and you
need God to intervene, but nothing happens, the heavens are silent, there is no
word at all, that is what is tough. Has that ever happened to you? It has
happened to me several times. When that does happen, we always interpret
God's delays as God's denials. We say, "He didn't answer my prayer. Prayer
doesn't work. What's the use? I've tried it. It doesn't work." This is the usual
reaction. With shameful heart, I have to admit that I have reacted the same way.
But what this is telling us is that a delay in answer like that is not a sign of God's
indifference or his failure to hear. It is a sign of his love. The delay will help us. It
will not hurt us. It will make us stronger. So Jesus deliberately delayed because
he loved them and knew this would strengthen their faith as they learned the
ultimate outcome when God would work."
8. "Loneliness, loss, pain, sorrow: these are disciplines; the are God's gifts to
drive us to his very heart, to increase our capacity for him, to sharpen our
sensitivities and understanding, to temper our spiritual lives so that they may
become channels of his mercy to others and so bear fruit for his Kingdom. But
these disciplines must be seized upon and used, not thwarted. They must not be
seen as excuses for living in the shadows of half-lives, but as messengers, however
painful, to bring our souls into vital contact with the Living God that our lives
may be filled to overflowing with himself in ways that may perhaps be impossible
to those who know less of life's darkness."
9. Think of the reaction in Bethany as the messenger returned with the news that
when he told Jesus that Lazarus was ill, Jesus had said, "This illness is not unto
death." Yet when the messenger got back with that message Lazarus had already
been dead for two days. What do you think the reaction of his sisters was? How
do you think they felt? Not only would there be the heartache caused by the loss
of their dear brother, but doubt as to the power and accuracy of Jesus would fill
their minds and hearts. Obviously he was mistaken; the illness had already
resulted in death. Doubt as to his capacity, his ability, his position must have
filled and clouded their minds and hearts so as to drive them close to despair.
10. Barnes gives us some insight on the timing of the events: “Probably Lazarus
died soon after the messengers left him. Jesus knew that (John 11:11) and did not
hasten to Judea, but remained two days longer where he was, that there might
not be the possibility of doubt that he was dead, so that when he came there he
25

had been dead four days, John 11:39. This shows, moreover, that he intended to
raise him up. If he had not, it could hardly be reconciled with friendship thus to
remain, without any reason, away from an afflicted family. At Bethabara (John
1:28; 10:40), about 30 miles from Bethany. This was about a day's journey, and
it renders it probable that Lazarus died soon after the message was sent. One
day would be occupied before the message came to him; two days he remained;
one day would be occupied by him in going to Bethany; so that Lazarus had been
dead four days (John 11:39) when he arrived."
11. Guzik points out that Jesus was following a pattern here common to the way
he answered requests in his own time. "In John’s gospel, there are three times
when someone near and dear to Jesus makes a request of Him (the other two are
His mother at Cana, and His brothers on their way to Jerusalem). In each of
these three cases, Jesus responded in the same way. He first refused to grant
their request, then He fulfilled it after asserting that He does things according to
the timing and will of God, not man."
12. Jamison points out that we do not like the way God works, but wise we are to
accept that he does not work as we wish, but as he wills. He wrote, "Beyond all
doubt this was just to let things come to their worst, in order to display His glory.
But how trying, meantime, to the faith of his friends, and how unlike the way in
which love to a dying friend usually shows itself, on which it is plain that Mary
reckoned. But the ways of divine are not as the ways of human love. Often they
are the reverse. When His people are sick, in body or spirit; when their case is
waxing more and more desperate every day; when all hope of recovery is about
to expire - just then and therefore it is that “He abides two days still in the same
place where He is.” Can they still hope against hope? Often they do not; but “this
is their infirmity.” For it is His chosen style of acting."
13 Pink adds his comments, "Frequently is this the Lord’s way; but how trying
to flesh and blood! How often we ask, with the disciples, "Master, carest thou not
that we perish?" But how awful to question the tender compassion of such a
One! And how foolish was the question of these disciples: how could they
"perish" with Christ on board! What cause we have to hang our heads in shame!
"When circumstances look dark, our hearts begin to question the love of the One
who permits such to befall us. Oh, let me press upon you this important truth:
the dealings of the Father’s hand must ever be looked at in the light of the
Father’s heart. Grasp this. Never try to interpret love by its manifestations. How
often our Father sends chastisement, sorrow, bereavement, pressure! How well
He could take me out of it all—in a moment—He has the power, but He leaves
me there. Oh, may He help us to rest patiently in Himself at such times, not
trying to read His love by circumstances, but them, whatever they may be,
through the love of His heart. This gives wondrous strength—knowing that
loving heart, and not questioning the dealings of His hand" (C.H.M.).
How differently Christ acted from what you and I most probably would have
26

done! If we had received a message that a loved one was desperately sick, would
we not have hastened to his side without delay? And why would we? Because we
sought God’s glory? or because our natural affections impelled us? Ah! in this,
as in everything, we behold the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus. The Father’s glory
was ever dearest to the heart of the Son. Here then is the force of the
"therefore." "When therefore he heard that he is sick, then indeed he remained
in which he was place two days" (Bagster’s Interlinear-literal translation). The
"therefore" and the "indeed" look back to verse 4—"this sickness... is for the
glory of God." And how what we read of in the intervening verse serves to
emphasize this—Christ’s love for His own never interfered with His dependence
on the Father. His first recorded utterance exhibited the same principle: to Mary
and Joseph He said, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?"
The Father’s claims were ever supreme."
14. The fact is, many people get angry at God for his delays, and even more so
when it is not just a delay, but no answer comes at all. Back in 1949 a man was
finely caught in New Jersey who had robed 55 churches of more than 15,000
dollars over a period of a year and a half. His motive was revenge, for he prayed
for his mother and she died and so he was angry because of unanswered prayer.
We need to recognize that most will not get an answer for Jesus to come and
prevent the death of our loved ones every time we pray for that. Everyone must
die at some point, and so the prayer for survival is always unanswered by
everyone at least once. Many other prayers are also unanswered, for a great
many reasons, and so we need to recognize that prayer is not giving orders to
God. It is a request, and it may or may not be granted. To get angry at God is
folly, for it is getting mad because you cannot control God, and this is the highest
form of idolatry, for you are putting yourself on the throne where only God
reigns. Mary and Martha did not know Jesus would raise their brother when he
did come, and they accepted that as God's will, and that is the example we need
to follow. Not my will, but thine be done.
7
Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go
back to Judea."
1. We have no clue as to what Jesus did for those two days he delayed going back
to see how Lazarus was doing. He knew, of course, that Lazarus had died, and
that Martha and Mary would be is a state of great grief, not only because their
brother had died, but because their greatest friend, who might have saved him,
did not come before he died. Jesus knew what he was doing, and he knew the end
result would be joy and gladness on the part of all the grievers, but he had to
have had some sad emotions knowing what he was making those sisters endure
much sorrow that could have been avoided. It could not have been easy on him
27

knowing he was deliberately causing pain in the lives of those he loved. It is one
of the paradoxes of life that we often have to cause pain in order to do something
wonderful. Jesus was keeping one of the greatest secrets and surprises he ever
had from these sisters, and so often this is the case in life, that you have to keep
good news from those you love until the time is right. It was finally time now,
and Jesus said, "Let us go back to Judea." It was time to let these women know
why he was not there, and what he was going to do to make up for all he had put
them through.
2. We need to keep in mind that going back to Judea was high risk for Jesus. His
enemies among the Pharisees were determined to kill him one way or another. If
he showed his face anywhere near them they would arrest him. We see there was
resistance among the disciples at this point. Jesus says "let us go back", and they
say in the next verse, "yet you are going back." In other words, what do you
mean by us going back. Maybe you are willing to risk you neck this way, but why
drag us into it? They were fully aware of the risk involved, and they did not like
it. In verse 16 Thomas develops a martyr complex and says "let us go and die
with him", but there was not a lot of enthusiasm for this plan among the rest of
them. It just did not make any sense to them, for the timing was all wrong they
thought. In contrast, Jesus said the timing is just right for fulfilling my purpose.
3. Ray Stedman deals with this very issue of the timing of Jesus as he wrote,
"Have you noticed the many times in the gospels when Jesus confounds his
disciples? They do not understand his actions. These are those hard moments
when God does things we do not understand. We cannot figure them out. They
are beyond us. They baffle us and discourage us at times. Yet what they reveal is
how little we understand. It is God who is the realist. He never deceives himself.
He always acts in perfect accord with what the situation demands. He does not
suffer from illusions and fantasies like we do. He does not pursue hopeless aims
like we do. He acts in line with reality.
He is orchestrating this whole procedure. He is, if I may use a very crude
analogy, like a cook barbecuing steaks. First, he puts them on the fire for awhile
until the fat begins to melt and run down. Then the flames leap up and get too
hot and he moves the steaks back for a bit. When the fire dies down he puts them
back on again. That is what Jesus is doing with himself in this case. He removes
himself from the scene because his presence is stirring up antagonism before the
time. Jesus knew that God had appointed an hour when he would die. He knew
that hour was to be the Passover, the great feast of Israel, when he would become
"the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world for the sins of all the
world," {Rev 13:8}. He was moving the opposition, stimulating them by his
presence at times to greater opposition and then moving away for awhile before
coming back again, keeping the fire hot. Therefore it is clear that it is not fear
that drives him or motivates him at all. It is a question of timing."
8
28

"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while
ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet
you are going back there?"
1. The disciples thought that Jesus was not thinking straight at this point. They
reminded him that the Jews tried to stone him the last time he was among them.
The reason we are hiding out is to avoid getting stoned, and so what sense does it
make to go back where you are the prime target? They thought it was a foolish
idea, and were amazed that he even suggested such a move. If we look back at
the previous few chapters we see that it was not a friendly environment that he
was heading back into. In fact, it was close to a suicide plan, for the rocks were
ready to fly when they would see him eye to eye. In John 8:59 we read, "At this,
they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the
temple grounds." In John 10:31 we read, "Again the Jews picked up stones to
stone him.." And in John 10:32 "but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you
many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
Without John's Gospel we would not know that the Jews tried to stone Jesus on
two occasions, for the other Gospels do not tell us this. The disciples were fearful
that Jesus would be stoned to death if he went back to Jerusalem.
2. Jesus had a plan that did not include being stoned to death. His plan involved
making death no longer the final word on the life of man. His going back would
lead to his death, but not before he demonstrated to all that he was the Lord over
death, and could bring the dead back to life. This would be his final miracle
before his own death and resurrection, and it would be the final chance for his
enemies to see who he really was, and choose to follow him. Many did, but
nothing could convince the hard hearted Pharisees who manipulated the laws to
get him crucified. He had to go back, however, for he had to reveal his power
over death before he died himself. It would not be good enough for him to defeat
death for himself, for he had to show that he could defeat it for others as well to
give this hope of eternal life to his followers. His disciples could not grasp this
whole plan, and so it was nothing but nonsense to even dream of going back.
They needed to learn what we all need to learn when we do not understand what
God is doing. Prov. 3:5-6 is the answer, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths"
9
Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve
hours of daylight? A man who walks by
29

day will not stumble, for he sees by this
world's light.
1. Jesus has said this same thing before in different words. He has to work while
it is day, for the night is coming when he can work no more. In other words, it is
still light out, and so I have things that have to get done before the sun sets. I will
not stumble while it is day, for I walk in the light, but if I wait too long and miss
the opportunity of walking in the light, it will be a bad thing, and that is the only
danger that I care about. I care about not fulfilling the work the Father sent me
into the world to achieve. I have to go back while the day of light is still with us,
for nothing can hinder the will of God from being fulfilled if it is done in the time
frame set by my Father. Jesus knew he could not die until his work was done,
and he would not die until he was ready. It would not be decided by his enemies,
but by his choice to lay down his life as a sacrifice. In John 17:4 Jesus said to his
Father, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou
gavest me to do." Only when he could say that was it time to die. Until then he
could see the obstacles before him, and he walked around them, and escaped all
the traps the Pharisees set for him, and dodged all the stones they had to crush
him. He walked in the light and was invincible until his work was done.
2. Constable put it like this: "Metaphorically the daylight hours represented the
Father's will. Jesus was safe as long as He did the Father's will. For the disciples,
as long as they continued to follow Jesus, the Light of the World, they would not
stumble. Walking in the night pictures behaving without divine illumination or
authorization
3. William Hendriksen has provided a helpful paraphrase of this passage: "The
time allotted to Me, to accomplish My earthly ministry, is definitely fixed (just
like the day-time is always exactly twelve hours). It cannot be lengthened by any
precautionary measure which you, My Disciples, would like to take, nor can it be
shortened by any plot which My enemies would like to execute. It has been
definitely fixed in the eternal decree. If we walk in the light of this plan (which
was known to Jesus), willingly submitting to it, we shall have nothing to worry
about (we cannot suffer real injury); if we do not we shall fail.
4.Calvin wrote, "Relying on this protection, therefore, Christ advances boldly
into
Judea, without any dread of being stoned; for there is no danger of going astray,
when God, performing the part of the sun, shines on us, and directs our course."
5. Barclay wrote, "The legend of Dr. Faustus was turned into great drama and
poetry by Christopher Marlowe. Faustus had struck a bargain with the devil.
For twenty-four years the devil would be his servant and his every wish would be
realized; but at the end of the years the devil would claim his soul. The twenty-
four years have run their course, the last hour has come, and Faustus now sees
30

what a terrible bargain he has struck. "Ah, Faustus, Now hast thou but one bare
hour to live, And then thou must be damn'd perpetually; Stand still, you ever-
moving spheres of heaven, That time may cease, and midnight never come. Fair
Nature's eye, rise, rise again and make Perpetual day; or let this hour be but A
year, a month, a week, a natural day, That Faustus may repent and save his soul!
O lente, lente currite, noctis equi! The stars move still, time runs, the clock will
strike, The devil will come, and Faustus must be damn'd."
Nothing in the world could give Faustus more time. That is one of the great
threatening facts in the life of man. There are twelve hours in the day--but there
are only twelve hours in the day. There is no necessity for haste; but, equally,
there is no room for waste. There is time enough in life, but there is never time to
spare." Barclay's words here motivated a little poetry.
There is time enough, so no need for haste,
But there is not so much that there is time to waste.
There is plenty of time to care and share,
but never enough time to spare.
6. Someone wrote this poem that fits the theme here.
The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just where the hands will stop —
At late or early hour.
To lose one's wealth is sad indeed,
To lose one's health is more,
To lose one's soul is such a loss
As no man can restore.
The present only is our own,
Live for Christ with a will;
Place no faith in tomorrow,
For the clock may then be still. Unknown author
10
It is when he walks by night that he
stumbles, for he has no light."
31

John 11 COMMENTARY

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John 11 COMMENTARY