John11

Jesus, upon hearing of his friend Lazarus's sickness, intentionally delays his arrival in Bethany. When he finally comes, Lazarus has been dead for four days. After comforting Martha and Mary and declaring himself "the resurrection, and the life," Jesus miraculously calls Lazarus forth from the tomb, raising him from the dead. This profound sign leads many to believe, but also prompts the chief priests and Pharisees to plot Jesus's death.

Lazarus is Sick; Jesus Delays

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

It was that Miriam who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick.

The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”

But when Yeshua heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”

Now Yeshua loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.

Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”

The disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Judeans were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?”

Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”

He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.”

The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

Now Yeshua had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.

So Yeshua said to them plainly then, “Lazarus is dead.

I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”

Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go also, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Encounters Martha and Mary

So when Yeshua came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.

Many of the Judeans had joined the women around Martha and Miriam, to console them concerning their brother.

Then when Martha heard that Yeshua was coming, she went and met him, but Miriam stayed in the house.

Therefore Martha said to Yeshua, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.

Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”

Yeshua said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Yeshua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.

Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”

When she had said this, she went away, and called Miriam, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Rabbi is here, and is calling you.”

When she heard this, she arose quickly, and went to him.

Now Yeshua had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.

Then the Judeans who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Miriam, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”

Therefore when Miriam came to where Yeshua was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”

When Yeshua therefore saw her weeping, and the Judeans weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.”

Yeshua wept.

The Judeans therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!”

Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?”

"Lazarus, Come Forth!"

Yeshua therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

Yeshua said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

Yeshua said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”

So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Yeshua lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me.

I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Yeshua said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Therefore many of the Judeans, who came to Miriam and saw what Yeshua did, believed in him.

But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Yeshua had done.

The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.

If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,

nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the nation,

and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.

Jesus Withdraws; Passover Approaches

Yeshua therefore walked no more openly among the Judeans, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.

Now the Passover in Judea was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

Then they sought for Yeshua and spoke one with another, as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that he isn’t coming to the feast at all?”

Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, that they might seize him.

Study Notes for John 11

Verse 1

Bethany was a small village near Jerusalem. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were clearly beloved friends of Jesus, setting the stage for one of John’s seven great “signs.”

Verse 2

This parenthetical note identifies this Mary as the one who later anointed Jesus (John 12:3), suggesting the recipients of the Gospel were already familiar with her story.

Verse 3

The sisters’ message is simple and trusts Jesus' love for Lazarus, but it is not a direct command, leaving the response entirely up to the Lord.

Verse 4

Jesus defines the purpose of the delay: this event is designed not merely to heal, but to manifest God's *glory* and confirm Jesus' divine identity as the Son of God.

Verse 6

The deliberate two-day delay is crucial. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been dead four days, ensuring that no one could claim he was merely in a coma (a common Jewish belief was that the soul lingered for three days).

Verse 8

The disciples express legitimate fear. Jesus had recently narrowly escaped stoning in Jerusalem (John 10:31), highlighting the danger of returning to Judea.

Verse 9

This analogy of walking during the day refers to following God's appointed time and will. As long as Jesus is acting within God's timing, he is safe from stumbling or harm.

Verse 11

Jesus uses 'sleep' as a common euphemism for death, a usage the disciples misunderstand (v. 12). The New Testament often uses this metaphor to emphasize that death for believers is temporary, awaiting resurrection.

Verse 14

Jesus uses plain language to clarify the situation, emphasizing the reality of the death necessary for the subsequent miracle to have its full impact on their faith.

Verse 16

Thomas (meaning 'twin,' *Didymus* in Greek) shows a mixture of pessimism and fierce loyalty, believing they are all walking toward certain death alongside their friend Lazarus.

Verse 17

The fact that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days confirms the definitive nature of his death, removing any possibility of resuscitation or misdiagnosis in the eyes of Jewish tradition.

Verse 18

Fifteen furlongs is about 1.8 miles. This proximity to Jerusalem explains the large number of Jewish mourners present (v. 19), making the miracle a public, verifiable event.

Verse 20

Martha’s action shows her characteristic energy and initiative, contrasting with Mary, who remains passive in the house (a reflection of typical mourning customs).

Verse 21

Martha’s statement reflects the common belief that Jesus’ power was limited by physical distance, yet it is immediately followed by a profound affirmation of faith (v. 22).

Verse 24

Martha affirms the orthodox Jewish belief in a general resurrection at the end of time, showing her hope is theological but generalized, not specific to this moment.

Verse 25

Jesus’ seventh and greatest 'I Am' statement in John: 'I am the resurrection and the life.' He is not merely the agent of resurrection, but the source and embodiment of eternal life itself.

Verse 27

Martha’s confession is one of the most complete in the Gospels, paralleling Peter's confession (Matt 16:16). She recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.

Verse 33

The Greek word translated 'groaned in the spirit' (*embrimaomai*) suggests deep indignation and emotional turmoil, often directed against the power of death and the sorrow it causes.

Verse 35

Jesus wept. This shortest verse in the Bible shows Jesus' perfect humanity and empathy. He grieves not only for Lazarus but for the pain and destruction that death brings to humanity.

Verse 37

The mourners, having witnessed Jesus' previous signs, question why his power did not extend to prevention, revealing their limited understanding of God's timing.

Verse 38

Jesus again groans, indicating the great spiritual conflict involved in confronting death, the final enemy (1 Cor 15:26).

Verse 39

Martha’s pragmatic concern confirms that decomposition had begun, reinforcing the reality of the miracle about to occur and highlighting her momentary lapse of faith.

Verse 40

Jesus reminds Martha of the foundational principle of faith necessary to witness the display of God's power, linking belief directly to seeing the divine glory.

Verse 41

Jesus’ public prayer is instructional, not necessary for God to hear Him. It confirms that the ensuing miracle is performed through the authority granted by the Father.

Verse 44

Lazarus emerged still bound in linen grave clothes, indicating the immediate and complete restoration of life. The command to 'Loose him' symbolizes the church’s role in freeing those called to new life.

Verse 45

This spectacular miracle immediately divides the witnesses: many believe, but others rush to inform the hostile religious authorities.

Verse 48

The council fears that a popular uprising centered on Jesus will provoke a violent reaction from Rome, resulting in the loss of their limited self-governance ('our place and nation').

Verse 49

Caiaphas, the high priest, speaks cynically, advocating for political expediency—sacrificing one man to preserve the status quo.

Verse 51

John interprets Caiaphas's political calculus as divine prophecy. Because of his office, the high priest unknowingly declared God’s plan for the sacrificial death of Jesus.

Verse 52

The scope of Jesus' death extends beyond Israel ('that nation') to include all of God's 'scattered children'—a reference to the future inclusion of Gentiles into the unified body of Christ.

Verse 54

Jesus withdraws from public ministry near Jerusalem to the city of Ephraim, demonstrating careful timing before His final voluntary entrance into Jerusalem for the Passover.

Verse 55

The Passover pilgrimage required ritual purification, explaining why many people arrived early in Jerusalem, creating a public atmosphere of anticipation regarding Jesus’ whereabouts.

Verse 57

The chief priests and Pharisees formalize their hostility by issuing a public warrant for Jesus' arrest, confirming the high level of danger He faced.

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John11

Lazarus is Sick; Jesus Delays

Jesus Encounters Martha and Mary

"Lazarus, Come Forth!"

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Jesus Withdraws; Passover Approaches

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