The Gospels · New Testament
John 11
John 11: Lazarus raised at Bethany and a council's decision
General context
Lazarus of Bethany is sick, and his sisters Martha and Mary send word. Jesus says the sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God, and stays two days where he is before proposing to return to Judea. The disciples remind him that the Jews lately sought to stone him. He says Lazarus sleeps, then says plainly that Lazarus is dead, and Thomas called Didymus proposes that they go and die with him. Arriving, Jesus finds Lazarus four days in the grave. Martha meets him and says her brother would not have died had he been there; he says he is the resurrection and the life, and she answers that she believes he is the Christ. Mary comes and says the same words, and Jesus groans, is troubled, and weeps. At the cave he has the stone taken away, thanks the Father aloud for the sake of those standing by, and calls Lazarus out. Many believe; others report to the Pharisees. A council meets, Caiaphas says one man should die for the people, and from that day they plan his death.
Cited passages: John 11:1, John 11:3, John 11:4, John 11:6, John 11:8, John 11:11, John 11:14, John 11:16, John 11:17, John 11:21, John 11:25, John 11:27, John 11:32, John 11:33, John 11:36, John 11:39, John 11:41, John 11:43, John 11:44, John 11:47, John 11:50, John 11:53
John 11 (KJV)
1Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judæa again.
8His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9Jesus 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.
10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
11These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
16Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
18Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
32Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35Jesus wept.
36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
46But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
55And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
57Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.
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Historical context
The narrator identifies Mary by an anointing that the book has not yet narrated, so the note points forward rather than back. He also states plainly that Jesus loved Martha, her sister and Lazarus, and that Jesus spoke of death while the disciples heard sleep. Bethany's distance from Jerusalem is given as about fifteen furlongs. Caiaphas is named as high priest that same year, and the narrator adds that he did not speak of himself but prophesied, extending the words past what Caiaphas meant. The council's stated fear concerns the Romans taking away their place and nation. Martha's objection at the grave that the body has been dead four days is hers, and the chapter reports no words from Lazarus at all.
Cited passages: John 11:2, John 11:5, John 11:13, John 11:18, John 11:49, John 11:51, John 11:48, John 11:39, John 11:44
Literary context
Delay is built into the story: two days of waiting, four days in the grave, and both sisters saying the same sentence about what might have been. The chapter withholds nothing about grief, reporting weeping by Mary, by the Jews who came with her, and by Jesus himself, whose weeping draws a remark from the bystanders. Sleep and death are set side by side and then separated by a plain statement. The prayer at the grave is spoken aloud for the bystanders, which the speaker says outright. The chapter's last movement turns the raising into the reason for a death: the same act that makes many believe leads the council to decide, and Caiaphas's calculation is quoted in his own words.
Cited passages: John 11:6, John 11:17, John 11:21, John 11:32, John 11:31, John 11:33, John 11:36, John 11:11, John 11:14, John 11:42, John 11:45, John 11:46, John 11:53
Key moments
- Two days of waiting (John 11:6). After hearing of the sickness Jesus stays where he is for two days.
- Sleep and death (John 11:14). He tells the disciples plainly that Lazarus is dead.
- Martha meets him (John 11:21). Martha says her brother would not have died had Jesus been there.
- I am the resurrection (John 11:25). Jesus tells Martha he is the resurrection and the life.
- Jesus wept (John 11:35). Seeing the weeping, he groans in spirit and weeps.
- Lazarus, come forth (John 11:43). He calls with a loud voice and the dead man comes out bound in graveclothes.
- The council decides (John 11:53). From that day the chief priests and Pharisees plan to put him to death.
For reflection
Both sisters say the same sentence about what would have happened had he come sooner, and neither is corrected. What room does the chapter leave for that complaint alongside what follows?