JOHN 11

Survey of the chapter
We come now to the climax of the miracle ministry of the Lord Jesus. He has already raised a girl from the dead who had just died, and a man from the dead who was about to be buried, but Lazarus had been dead four days when the Lord raised him, and was in a state of corruption. We learn in the chapter that the Lord Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and we find illustrated here the truth expressed by the apostle Paul when he wrote that Christ has “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”, 2 Timothy 1:10.

But that same apostle also wrote that Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Romans 1:4. This resurrection from the dead, or literally “the resurrection of dead persons”, includes not only Himself, but also all those, past and future, who shall rise from the dead, including Lazarus. Indeed, the Lord Himself indicated that the raising of Lazarus would be the sign that He could raise anyone, for He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.” John 5:25. Note the expression “and now is”, for the Lord is asserting that He had the present power to raise the dead, as He would show throughout His ministry.

The raising of Lazarus is the pivotal point in Christ’s ministry. It brings into sharp focus the issues involved in His coming into the world. Either men will believe when they see this miracle, or they will not, and thus they will be divided. We see this in verses 45 and 46.

Structure of the chapter

(a) Verses 1-16
The manifestation of the effects of the fall of man

(b) Verses 17-44
The manifestation of the glory of the Son of God.

(c) Verses 45-57
The manifestation of the wickedness of the Council.

(a)    Verses 1-16
The manifestation of the effects of the fall of man

11:1
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus- the chapter opens in a way that has become common during the ministry of the Lord Jesus, for He was everywhere confronted by the infirmities of men. As the incident unfolds, it becomes evident that much more than the healing of sickness is involved. In fact, Lazarus will not be healed of his sickness at all, but a far greater thing will happen. John does not record the healing of Malchus’ ear in the garden of Gethsemane at His arrest, no doubt because he does not wish to spoil the climax that this chapter represents, for the raising of Lazarus, not just from his deathbed, as happened with Jairus’ daughter, nor from his funeral bier, as with the widow of Nain’s son, but from the corruption of the tomb, is a fitting finale to John’s accounts of miracles before the cross. This fits in well with John’s theme, for as the apostle Paul wrote, in connection with the person of Christ, (as we have already noticed), He was “declared to the the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”, Romans 1:4. So it came to pass that the Son of God was glorified by the raising of Lazarus from the dead, John 11:4.

Of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha- this was, and is, a very small hamlet the other side of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem. The home of Martha and Mary was a haven of rest and peace for Christ, where He was welcomed and loved. During the last days before the crucifixion He lodged at Bethany, Matthew 21:17. When He was about to ascend to heaven, He led His disciples out as far as to Bethany, Luke 24:50,51. So it was that His last view of earth was of Bethany.

It is Mary who is put first by John, whereas when Luke records a visit of Christ to the home he puts Martha first. Perhaps she was the older sister; she welcomed Him to her house and served. But here Mary is first in connection with the town. Was it that John, writing years afterwards, indicates that the whole district had heard of her worship of the Saviour as she soon afterwards broke the alabaster box of ointment, John 12:1-3? The place is noted for that supreme act of devotion, for she had left her mark on the district.

11:2
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) While Martha was “cumbered about much serving”, Luke 10:40, Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and heard His word, verse 39. And she took that word in, for later on she would anoint His body for the burial, Matthew 26:12.

Matthew puts two significant events together in His gospel. The first is the plotting of the Jewish authorities to put Christ to death, the second is the anointing by Mary for His burial, Matthew 26:1-13. So she had insight into the fact that He would have a burial, but she anointed Him for it when still alive, for she realised that He would not need to be preserved from corruption by fragrant spices. This is why she did not come to the tomb with the other women. But she believed more than that He would die and be buried. She anointed His head, for while the authorities were rejecting His Messiahship, refusing to accept that He was God’s Anointed One, she anointed Him as Israel’s Messiah and King.

In John’s account in chapter 12:1-8, and also in his reference to it here, the emphasis is not on His head, but the feet of Christ. If His head represents His supreme place as Lord of heaven and earth, His feet represent the fact that He had come to earth to walk before His Father and before men, and make His way to the cross. Mary anointed them, and wiped them with her hair. She had done as John the baptist had exhorted, and looked upon Jesus as He walked, John 1:36. Filled with appreciation, she used her glory, (for a woman’s hair is part of her glory, 1 Corinthians 11:15), to wipe His feet, bowing low before Him as she did so.

The apostle distinguishes clearly between the woman of whom Luke tells us in Luke 7:36-50, (who stood behind Him weeping, and washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and then anointed them), and Mary. One incident is the worship of a repentant soul, the other the worship of a believing soul. Both were appreciated by the Lord. And both women were set up as an example by Christ, the one of appreciation for forgiveness, Luke 7:47, the other of valuation of His person and work, John 12:7,8.

11:3
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

Therefore his sisters sent unto him- the Lord was beyond Jordan, 10:40, a very significant place, for He would come from beyond Jordan to bring back Lazarus to life, just as He will one day come from heaven to bring His people over death into resurrection life. John has already told us that any resorted to Him there, 10:41, so it would not be difficult for the messenger to locate Him.

Saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick- just like Mary His mother at the marriage in Cana, they do not go beyond describing the situation. Mary did not suggest He supply some wine, and these sisters do not ask Him to come away from His ministry. They simply inform Him for His interest and intercession. In the event, He did more than they expected.

11:4
When 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.

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God- like the case of the blind man of chapter 9, the Lord takes the high view of the situation, and sees it as an opportunity to glorify His Father. The statement about the sickness not being unto death was not proved wrong, even though Lazarus died. Again, it takes the Divine standpoint, which sees the end from the beginning, and knows that the end is Lazarus raised from the dead. So the ultimate end of the sickness was not Lazarus in a grave, but Lazarus raised from the dead to the Father’s glory. If this message was sent back to the concerned sisters, how comforted they would be. But their faith would be tested when their brother died. But they passed the test, for they do not reproach Him when they meet Him again.

That the Son of God might be glorified thereby- note that when the Son is glorified, that does not take away from the glory of the Father, for they are equals, not rivals. As we have noticed from Romans 1:4, the raising of the dead glorifies Christ. The expression used there is not “the resurrection from among the dead”, nor is it simply the resurrection of Christ. The word dead is in the plural, and Paul is speaking of the raising of dead persons, whether it be Jairus’ daughter, or the widow of Nain’s son, or Lazarus, or the resurrection of Christ, or the resurrection of the saints at the first resurrection, or even the resurrection of the unsaved dead at the end of time. All these resurrections are in some way to the glory of the Son of God, and they declare His Deity.

11:5
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus- what happens next is going to seem unkind and uncaring, therefore John safeguards the reputation of Christ by asserting this overriding fact. The order in which they appear now is the order in which He deals with them when He returns to Bethany. Martha meets Him first, and He shows He loves her by giving her truth that she had not heard before. Next He will meet Mary, and will show He loves her by weeping with her as she wept. And then He shows His love for Lazarus by rescuing Him from death and corruption, and restoring him to his sisters. These are different ways in which He shows His love, and He is still the same. It is love to His people that causes Him to teach them, to sympathise with them, and to eventually raise them from the dead.

11:6
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where He was.

When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was- to the unbeliever this would seem heartless, which is why John wrote the previous verse. His stay beyond Jordan had a design, for He knew Lazarus was about to die. This, strangely, was why He said that his sickness was not unto death. Knowing that he would die, He also knew that He would raise Him to the glory of His Father.

It is noticeable that in each of the three instances of the Lord raising the dead that are recorded, there was always some sort of apparent delay. In the case of the widow of Nain and her son, He stopped to speak briefly with the mother before dealing with her son, Luke 7:11-13. With Jairus’ daughter, He stopped to deal with the woman with the issue of blood, Luke 8:43-48, and then the message came that the girl had died, verse 49. It was as if He had waited to bless another so that the girl could die and be raised again. In the case of Lazarus the delay was longer. These delays show the total control that the Lord had, even in the face of death.

This contrasts with what happened with the widow of Shunem’s son, for when the child died she ran unto the man of God, 2 Kings 4:22, said to her driver, “Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee”, verse 24. Then Elisha commanded his servant to run to meet her, verse 26. Gehazi was commissioned to go to the child without stopping to greet anyone on the way, verse 29. All these facts show that there is a sense that things need to be done at the earliest moment, or it will be too late. All this is totally lacking in the case of the three the Lord raised. He was totally in control, and did not panic.

How significant was “the same place where He was”, for it was beyond Jordan, “where John at first baptized”, says John, 10:40. There are strong reminders of His own baptism, when He committed Himself not just to a life’s ministry, but a ministry in death. But when He was baptised, He had come up out of the water, (which we do not read the others did that John baptised), and He had done so straightway, Matthew 3:16. It was not possible that death could hold Him any longer than His Father ordained, and therefore it was straightway that He came up out of the figurative waters of Jordan. So it is The Committed Man that abides beyond Jordan, and then The Man Who Will Conquer Death who goes to Bethany to deliver His friend from its grasp.

Note that He does not learn that Lazarus is sick, but hears it from the messenger. He had communed with His Father at the start of the day, and they had gone over what would happen. It is no surprise that He already knew Lazarus is sick, just as He knew when he had died, verse 14.

11:7
Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again- He does not say “to Bethany”, although that is His intention. He gently introduces the idea to His disciples so that He can prepare them for a journey into hostile territory.

11:8
His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

His disciples say unto Him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone Thee; and goest thou thither again? This is a reference to what happened at the feast of dedication, when He claimed, “I and my Father are one”, John 10:30,31. The Jews had taken up stones to stone Him, and then, when He repeated His claim, “they sought again to take him”, verse 39. His response was to “escape out of their hand, and went away again beyond Jordan”. It had always been so, for the Lord had never invited danger. This is why the disciples are so surprised He seems to be inviting it now. He will go to reinforce the truth He set forth at Jerusalem that “I and my Father are one”, for both He and the Father raise the dead, John 5:21.

11:9
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.

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? The Jews reckoned that the day lasted from sunrise to sunset, regardless of how long the period of daylight was. They divided this period into twelve. As a consequence, their hours were of different lengths throughout the year. Every day, then, had twelve hours.

If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world- the day and the night are turned into a metaphor here. The light of this world shines during the day, and men are able to go about without stumbling. For Him, the light was the word of His Father as He had communed with Him at the break of day. As the prophet Isaiah had foretold, the day began with the Perfect Servant speaking with His Father. “He wakeneth morning by morning. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back”, Isaiah 50:4,5. So it was that since He was fully in line with the will of His Father, He would not be interrupted, (“stumbled”), in His pathway by the designs of men, for it was His Father’s will that He should die at Jerusalem at the time of His appointment. He will walk amongst men for the full twelve hours, and not be cut off before His time.

11:10
But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him- those who live their lives without the light of Divine guidance, they are in the night-time of ignorance, and it is no surprise that they stumble. Christ is not like that, for every day started with the light of His Father’s presence, and He knew that presence throughout the day. He never walked in darkness, nor was He ever without the light in Him, because His ear was opened to hear, as Isaiah said it would be. Because these things are so, He can safely go to Judea without stumbling, for His Father is guiding Him to go there.

11:11
These 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.

These things said he- noting the colon at the end of this phrase, and also the “after that”, we may say that He stated the things of verses 9 and 10 and then allowed the disciples time to reflect upon them before breaking the news about Lazarus to them.

Our friend Lazarus sleepeth- they had no doubt got to know Lazarus as a friend as they accompanied the Lord on His travels. Indeed, it may have been that when Martha received Him into her house in Luke 10:38, the disciples were with Him, (“as they went”), and this is what made her cumbered about much serving.

When Mary and Martha spoke of what had happened, they said Lazarus had died, and this was true. But something else was true, that for the believer death is but sleep. This refers to the state of the body only. There is no such thing as soul-sleep in scripture. Just as sleep comes when the day’s work is done, and after a while sleep gives way to work on a fresh day, so the believer sleeps when his work for God is done, and will wake to serve Him again in the new and eternal day. So Lazarus had died in the sense that his spirit had left his body and gone back to God, but as far as his physical person was concerned, he was asleep. No doubt the Lord speaks like this to soften the blow of the bad news about their friend.

But I go, that I may awake him out of sleep- to raise the dead is as easy as rousing someone from sleep as far as the Lord is concerned. He will one glad day wake those who sleep in Jesus, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, and they shall never sleep again.

11:12
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well- this high view of death is not as yet shared by the disciples, even though they must have known about Jairus’ daughter, whom the Lord said was “not dead, but sleepeth”, Luke 8:52. They should also have known from Daniel 12:2, where we read, “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake”. To the disciples, to wake up a sick man would be to hinder his recovery.

11:13
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep- perhaps they reasoned that if all Lazarus needed was to be woken up from his sleep, then his sisters could do it.

11:14
Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead- he must have died the same day the messenger came, for if we call that Day 1, and the two days with the Lord remaining where He was, Days 2 and 3, and the day He travelled to Bethany Day 4, then when He arrived at the grave, as Martha said, “he hath been dead four days”, verse 39. No messengers have had time to bring Him this news, but He is “walking in the day”, and there is “light in Him”. No doubt the sickness and death of Lazarus was discussed at the beginning of the day by the Father and the Son, for “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints”, Psalm 116:15.

11:15
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe- the Lord is always working for the highest good. If the disciples, and, for that matter, Mary and Martha, can come to a better appreciation of Him through this sad event, then it would be worthwhile going through the experience. No doubt He was sad not to be with Lazarus in his hour of need, but the glory of God is of greater importance than feelings.

Nevertheless let us go unto him- when it comes to the matter of a person being dead, we must realise that it depends on what we are thinking of as to where he is. When Stephen died, he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”, Acts 7:59. So as far as Stephen’s spirit was concerned, he would be with the Lord Jesus. But then we read that “devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him”, Acts 8:2. How could they carry him if he was with Christ? The answer is that, as far as the body was concerned, Stephen was carried by them, and lamented over by them. But as far as the spirit side of his person was concerned, he was in heaven. So it is here, for the Lord is going to raise the sleeping body of Lazarus, so He goes to him.

11:16
Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him- he misunderstands “go to him”, and thinks it means, “go into death so as to be with him”. We might think lightly of his lack of understanding, but we ought to think highly of his readiness to go into death, if that meant they could all still be with the Lord. Perhaps Thomas did not say this in the hearing of the Lord, so He, not needing to reply, says nothing, even though He can understand the thoughts of men afar off. He knows that it will all become clear to them in a few hours time.

(b)    Verses 17-44
The manifestation of the glory of the Son of God

11:17
Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already- this is a summary of the situation when He arrived in Judea. It was not that He only learned at this point that Lazarus had been dead four days, for He had declared to His disciples that he was dead, even when they were beyond Jordan. If He could say that definitely, then He must have known when it happened. So John is highlighting the situation as it was when Christ crossed into Judea, thus emphasising the gravity of the position, for it meant that corruption had well and truly set in.

11:18
Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off- John tells us this to explain why so many people had come to comfort the sisters, as we learn in the next verse. Fifteen furlongs is just over two English miles.

11:19
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother- the household of the sisters is now joined by Jews from Jerusalem. They knew them well enough for them to be in the house, as we see from verse 31. That it was Jews who came is remarkable, for usually in John’s gospel this means the authorities, as distinct from the common people. We know from verse 46 that some were hostile to Christ, even among those who gathered at the graveside.

11:20
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him- it is understandable that she should wish to speak with Christ without the other mourners being present. Had she sensed that some of them were not sympathetic to Christ, and would soon be reporting the raising of Lazarus to the Pharisees, verse 46? We are given another clue about this in verse 28.

But Mary sat still in the house- she seems the more thoughtful of the two sisters, less impulsive, so whereas her sister rushed out to meet the Lord, Mary was content to wait for Him to come. It is good to keep calm in the crises of life, and let Him move according to His own way. We do not read that the Lord went into the house, certainly not before He had raised Lazarus; as we shall see, He sensed a certain amount of opposition from the mourners. Perhaps Mary sat still to allow Martha the opportunity to meet the Lord alone. If they had both left together the Jews would have followed, as they did later on, verse 31.

11:21
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died- this is not a criticism of His delay in coming, for she knew that Lazarus had died the day the message came to the Lord. She is affirming her confidence in His miracle-working ability. The tense of the verb “died” is the pluperfect, and she is focussing on an event that happened before Christ could have come anyway.

11:22
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee- her faith has risen higher than to think of Him just as a miracle worker. She knows Him to be in a special relationship with God; so special that whatever He might ask He would be given.

The only flaw in her statement is the word she used for “ask”, for it is the word that is used when an inferior asks of a superior. As the Son of God, Christ is not inferior to the Father, although having come into manhood He is subject. We are assured in verse 42 that He was confident of His relationship and communion with the Father.

Note that she does not presume to tell the Lord what He should do in this situation, but simply states what the situation is. Like Mary His mother at the marriage in Cana, she is content to leave the matter with Him, and not direct Him, John 2:3. The Lord had said, in connection with resurrection, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.” John 5:21. So when the Lord Jesus raised the dead, He was doing so in full fellowship with His Father, and His will and the Father’s coincided.

11:23
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again- this is a statement of truth, but is also designed to lead on to the revelation of further truth. Instead of discussing whether His presence before Lazarus had died would have made a difference, the Lord leads Martha on to higher things. After all, if He had come to Bethany and healed Lazarus’ sickness, they would not have seen His power over death and corruption.

In His first discourse in John’s gospel the Lord had declared that “all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth”, John 5:28,29, but prior to that He had said, “the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live”, verse 25. This second statement relates to believers alone. But whether believers or unbelievers, all shall rise from the dead, some to blessing, the rest to judgment.

11:24
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day- the Jews divided time into two large periods which they called “The Age before the Messiah”, and “The Age of the Messiah”. They saw clearly that God’s plan for the earth was that the Messiah should reign. They did not know anything about this present period of time when God is calling out a heavenly people. So the end of the world or age is the end of the “Age before the Messiah”, which comes at the close of the seven-year Tribulation Period. So the last day that Martha refers to is the last day of the age before the Messiah, (a day of twenty four hours), and Daniel 12:1,2 had taught her that believers would be raised then, and she was confident that Lazarus was a believer. Old Testament saints, (and Martha was in practice one of these at that point in time), did not know of this present age when God is not dealing with Israel as such, and is calling men to repent and believe and become part of the church which is Christ’s body. See Ephesians 3 for the explanation of these things. The church is a heavenly company, being linked to Christ in heaven. He is coming as the Lord from heaven to take His church saints to be with Himself in the Father’s house, and then coming afterwards to the earth to reign.

11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life- note there is no “Verily, verily” at the beginning of this statement. That expression introduces truth not revealed before, but the discourse of John 5:19-29 had set out these things, and this statement is a summary of them. It is not simply that Christ is able to raise the dead and give life, but more than this, the raising of the dead and the giving of life are expressions of what He is in Himself, and manifest His glory. He enlarges a little on the idea of resurrection in this verse, and on life in the next verse.

He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live- this follows on from Martha’s expression of confidence that her brother would rise at the resurrection of the righteous. Because resurrection was vested in Christ personally, though, He could choose when it happened. More than this, His presence with the grieving sisters indicated that He was about to demonstrate His ability to raise the dead. This is the perfect answer to Martha’s statement about Lazarus not dying if the Lord had been there. He had deliberately not been there to show a greater glory.

11:26
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die- having affirmed that He personally is the resurrection, He now declares that He is the life. He is the full expression and personification of eternal life. If we wish to know what eternal life is like, we must look to Him. He was that eternal life which was with the Father, but was manifest to the apostles as He came into the world, and through them we can contemplate Him in that capacity also, see 1 John 1:1-4.

Notice that before it was “believeth…live”, whereas here it is “liveth…believeth”. In the former case it is the believer going into physical death, and then living again. In this case it is the believer possessing eternal life, and death having no real claim over him. He never dies as unbelievers die, for eternal life overwhelms death, since it is the life of the God who cannot be touched by death. The Lord had said “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death”, John 8:51. The Jews misunderstood this, verse 52, thinking He was referring to never dying in any sense, whereas He meant never seeing death as sinners see it.

Believest thou this? Martha believed in principle the content of verse 25, for it concerns resurrection, and she had stated her belief about that in verse 24. But she was not so familiar with the truth of this verse, hence the Lord asks her if she believes this new truth.

11:27
She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

She saith unto him, Yea, Lord- she has taken in the new truth presented to her, recognising that He is Lord, and therefore is able to bring in the things He has spoken of.

I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world- Martha not only affirms that she believes what He has just said, but repeats the word believe to emphasise it, and goes on to define her belief. Before, she believed in general terms the principle of resurrection; now she demonstrates that she realises that the accomplishing of it is in His hands as Lord.

As the Christ He had shown Himself to have fulfilled the criteria Isaiah had set out, for he predicted that the true Messiah would open the eyes of the blind, unstop deaf ears, cause the lame to walk, and unloose the tongue of the dumb, Isaiah 35:5,6. Unlike the wicked Pharisees who, unable to deny these things had happened, attributed them to the power of Satan, she accepted the testimony of these miracles. But she went further, and not only linked Him with Israel as the Messiah, but linked Him with God as His Son. John tells us that his object in writing about the miracles that Christ had done was “that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name”, John 20:31. Martha is a good example of one who has believed these things about Him.

Martha describes this Christ the Son of God as the one who “should come into the world”. Is this her commentary on the “I am” of His statement about being the resurrection and the life? Has she understood that as one who says “I am”, He was present, and this supposes He had come into the world so as to be present, so that He may show Himself to be what He claimed to be? She recognises Him as the long-promised Messiah.

11:28
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly- the Saviour is clearly content with her answer for He does not need to expand upon His words, for she has shown that she understood. That she called her sister secretly is a sign that not all who had come to mourn with them were sympathetic to Christ. His coming to Bethany represented a risk, as the conversation four days earlier had shown, verses 7 and 8, and also verse 16. No doubt He had warned Martha of this danger, even if she had not sensed it herself, hence she called Mary secretly.

Saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee- when she first greeted Him she called Him Lord, thus recognising that, despite the fact that He had not been present before Lazarus had died, He was in control of the situation. Clearly He had indicated that He wished Mary to come out to where He was, so that He could speak to her outside the village, at least for a little while, before the Jews followed on behind. She has appreciated the teaching He has just given her, and calls Him Teacher now. Mary was used to sitting at His feet to hear His word, so she was responsive to Him as Teacher.

11:29
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him- she most probably already knew that the Lord was on His way, for Martha had heard of it, verse 20. But Mary had stayed behind in the house for the reason suggested in the comment on the previous verse. She rises up quickly not only to obey the Lord’s summons, but also to avoid the Jews following her too closely. She comes to Him outside the village.

11:30
Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him- so again He had not hurried. It is important for Mary to have time with Him alone without onlookers.

11:31
The 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.

The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her- whether all of these were genuine mourners we do not know, but from the reaction of some to the raising of Lazarus it seems that some at least were hostile, and had been planted to spy out the situation. This will happen again, as Luke records, for we read of the chief priests and the scribes that they “watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor”, Luke 20:20.

When they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there- they intend to keep close by Mary, especially if they have heard that Jesus was coming, so as to seek an occasion against Him. We are not told if the Lord was near the place where Lazarus was laid or not.

11:32
Then 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.

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet- we do not read that Martha did this, but that is not to say that she did not. The emphasis with Martha was on the teaching she received. With Mary it was on the worship she gave. She no doubt had enquired of Martha where He was, and came to the spot. Then she saw Him. Does this suggest that He had hidden Himself to avoid drawing attention to Himself before He had spoken with Mary?

Saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died- what she said reads the same in English as what her sister said, but there is a slight difference in that Martha used the pluperfect tense, whereas Mary used the aorist. The pluperfect puts the action further back, and tells us that Martha is taking into account the four days that have elapsed, but she also taking account of the fact that Lazarus at that moment was in a state of death, which is the force of the verb to die which she uses. She will return to this subject later on when she declares that “by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days”, verse 39.

Mary, on the other hand, uses a verb which emphasises the act of dying, as if the coming of Christ has brought the moment Lazarus died all back to her. Mary, is concentrating on the very fact that he died, as if the shock of it remains with her. By His answer to Martha, the Lord has already made provision for both these ideas. The idea of being in corruption will be dealt with by He who is the resurrection. The fact that he had died will be dealt with by He who is the life. He had come “to bring life and immortality to light through the gospel”, 2 Timothy 1:10.

11:33
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her- overwhelmed by grief at the mention of the death of her brother, Mary gave way to weeping. The Jews also wept, but it remains to be seen if all of them were genuinely sympathetic. The time that Mary had alone with the Lord was no doubt very brief, for now the crowd has caught up with her. Perhaps they went to the grave first, and not finding her there, have searched out where she was.

He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled- there is a double response here. The word for “groaned” has an element of indignation about it, and could well be a reaction to the hypocritical weeping of the Jews, or some of them at least, for He knew their hearts. He was also troubled. This could be because He knew that some of those weeping would soon report what had happened to the Pharisees, and as a direct result of this a decision would be made to have Him killed, verse 53.

11:34
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

And said, Where have ye laid him? This is His way of saying that He was about to deal with the matter. It is important that this climax-miracle should be done publicly. He was totally capable of raising Lazarus from a distance, but it must be made very clear who has effected this miracle. Peter could say on the Day of Pentecost, “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs”, Acts 2:22.

Note the Lord does not say, “I will come and raise him”, as He had said, “I will come and heal him” to the centurion, Matthew 8:7. This would prevent the fact that Lazarus was in corruption being highlighted. Nor does He say, “Go thy way, Lazarus is raised”, as He had said “Go thy way, thy son liveth” to the nobleman, John 4:50. He must be present at the tomb to remove all reasonable doubt.

They said unto him, Lord, come and see- presumably the “they” is Martha and Mary, especially as they call Him Lord. They say “Come and see”, but He is coming to work.

11:35
Jesus wept.

Jesus wept- this is the word for weeping which means to “silently shed tears”, and contrasts with the ostentatious and loud wailing and beating of breasts that the professional wailers engaged in, as in Matthew 9:23-25. The Lord put such people out, for He had no time for the artificial.

There is expressed here the true and sympathetic manhood of the Lord Jesus, even more remarkable for being in the gospel which emphasises His Deity. Many a grieving soul has been comforted by the fact that the Lord does indeed know the feelings of deep sorrow that we experience. He has taken His sympathetic heart to heaven.

It has often been said that this verse is the shortest in the Bible. In English it is, but it is worth pointing out that there is a shorter one in Greek, which reads, “Rejoice evermore”, 1 Thessalonians 5:16. The one has sixteen letters, and the other fourteen. But do not these two verses sum up all that Christ was, and will be. He was the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, yet by His work at Calvary He has triumphed over all that brings in sorrow, so that His people may rejoice evermore.

11:36
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! Is this a genuine expression of admiration, or is it laced with sarcasm? As if to say “He makes a show of loving him now, but stayed two days where He was even though He knew His friend was sick”.

11:37
And 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?

And 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? Coming from Jerusalem as they did, verses 18 and 19, they mention the last miracle in the city, that of John 9, rather than refer to previous occasions when He raised the dead. We might think this is similar to what Martha and Mary had said, but the sisters made a statement of faith, but these are casting doubt on His abilities, and are seeking to encourage a spirit of disbelief. It is as if they are saying, “He may have cured a blind man, but that is the limit of His powers, and He admitted it by being reluctant to come”. “Even this man” suggests that Lazarus was a hard case to heal. They do not mention the idea of raising the dead.

11:38
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave- this is the second time He has groaned at the attitude of the Jews. Their statements did not bode well for the future.

It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it- the contrasts presented here between the raising of Lazarus and the resurrection of Christ are several:

1. Lazarus’ resting-place was in a cave, but no particulars are given about it, whereas we are given details about the tomb of Christ which assure us of its suitability for His unique and sinless person. His was a new tomb, and no-one else had ever lain there, so only He could emerge from it. Moreover, the grave of Christ was the subject of prophecy, Isaiah 53:9.

2. Lazarus’ tomb was not sealed, whereas Christ’s was, for the authorities feared that His disciples would steal the body.

3. Lazarus’ tomb was not guarded, for no one had any interest in taking his body away.

4. The stone at the entrance had to be removed to allow Lazarus out, for he was given his old body back, with all its physical limitations. The resurrection body of Christ is a spiritual body, and is not subject to the laws that govern physical objects. He could enter the upper room even when the doors were shut, John 20:19,26.

5. The body of Lazarus saw corruption, as the next verses show, but the body of Christ was neither inwardly corrupt, nor was it subject to corruption from without when He was in the tomb, Acts 2:27,31;13:37.

6. Lazarus was dependent on the power of Christ to be raised from the dead. Christ took His life again in accordance with the command of His Father, John 10:18.

7. Lazarus came forth bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, whereas Christ rose from the dead and left His grave-clothes undisturbed, John 20:6,7.

8. Lazarus was raised, but died again, whereas Christ could say to John, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death”, Revelation 1:18. And the apostle Paul can write, “Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God”, Romans 6:9,10.

11:39
Jesus 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.

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone- they may have thought that He was about to enter the cave to view the body of His friend. We see the reluctance of the Lord to have contact with the place of corruption. In Old Testament times a man who came into contact with a dead body or a grave needed to be cleansed by a special sin offering, Numbers 19. The Lord touched the hand of the dead daughter of Jairus, however, so He cannot be defiled by physical contact, for the virtue of His person is superior to the defilement.

We see also that neutral persons are called on to assist in this matter, just as servants were used to carry the water-made-wine to the governor at the wedding in Cana. Everything is done so that it is clear there is no trickery.

Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days- Martha wishes to shield Him from the stench of death, whereas Mary will go further and honour Him with the sweet savour of worship as she anoints Him, John 12:3. Mary does not believe that His dead body will need to be preserved, so she anoints Him whilst He is alive, in view of His death. Martha thinks the stink of death will be too much for Him, whereas He is about to deliver Lazarus from the corruption that produced the stench. This is a clear indication of His power to raise His people, for at that moment “the dead shall be raised incorruptible”, 1 Corinthians 15:52. This means they will have a body that is not only not corrupt, but is incorruptible, never to be corrupted, and moreover, unable to be corrupted.

The words of Martha literally are, “for it is four days”, as if she cannot bring herself to say the word “dead”, it is too painful. All such pain is about to be removed, just as all sadness will be removed in a day to come, for we read, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

11:40
Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Martha speaks of corruption, but Christ speaks of glory. It seems from this that the words of verse 4 were spoken when the messenger who brought word that Lazarus was sick was still present, and he conveyed this statement of the Lord to the sisters. There is the omission of “that the Son of God might be glorified thereby”, perhaps to avoid emphasising Himself in the presence of those who might be hostile. They would claim to be interested in the glory of God, but they were not ready to believe that He was the Son of God. Martha and Mary were, but not necessarily all the Jews present.

11:41
Then 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.

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid- the Lord was prepared to touch the bier of the widow’s son, and touch the hand of Jairus’ daughter, but He will not enter the place of the dead. In any case, there must be nothing done in hiding, so He remains out in the open. After His resurrection, women were invited by the angel to enter into the tomb, but it was then empty, for Christ had robbed it of its power.

And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me- it is remarkable that in this gospel of the Son of God we are told here of His complete dependence on His Father. There is no discord between being the Son of God with Divine power, and being a dependant man in subjection to God.

Whether this means that the Father heard Him at the start of the day as He communed with Him, and as they surveyed the events of the day together, as Isaiah 50:4,5 would indicate, or that He prayed as He walked along to the grave, we are not told. There is no reason why both should not be true. We are assured that the Son was ever in full communion with His Father, being at all times “in the bosom of the Father”, and therefore close to His heart, John 1:18. He was privy to His Father’s secrets, as not even a Moses was.

The physical act of lifting up His eyes signifies concentration on heaven’s interests, and the looking away from the disturbing scenes of earth. The act also drew the attention of the people to the fact that He was moving according to the will of heaven. When they had taken away the stone, all eyes would have been on Him, but His eye was on His Father.

11:42
And 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.

And I knew that thou hearest me always- a reference to His knowledge in the more distant past, not just in the present, since it is “knew”, not “know”. In other words, the communion and answers He knew as He stood by the grave were His constant experience during His life.

But because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me- being heard was not a new experience for Him, but He expressed the fact for the spiritual welfare of the people. If they took note of the truth that He was ever in harmony with His Father, they would come to realise that He had sent Him. They would do this because He is making the raising of Lazarus a test. If he does not emerge from the grave at the command of Christ, then the people would be justified in saying that He was not sent of God. On the other hand, if he did emerge, it would be proof that He was acting as the Sent One.

11:43
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth- in His discourse on the subject of His Deity, the Lord indicated that one of the signs of His equality with God the Father was His ability to raise the dead. (After all, when a man dies his spirit goes back to God that gave it, Ecclesiastes 12:7, and when he is raised it returns. He must be God if He has control of that process). His words were, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” John 5:25. In the previous verse He had told of His ability to give eternal life, but now He speaks of resurrection. But notice the “now is”, for this would refer to His present power, as opposed to His power to raise the dead in the future at His coming. A prime example of this is the raising of Lazarus.

Note that the man to be raised needs to be named, or else others might rise. Because he was a believer, Lazarus heard the voice as the voice of the Son of God. So there must be some mysterious connection still between the spirit of a dead person and his body, for a dead person heard. The unsaved in the day of resurrection will hear the voice of the Son of man, John 5:27-29, for that title tells of His authority over all men, believers or not. The loud voice tells of confidence in what He is doing. It is not a whisper so that if Lazarus does not come forth the excuse could be given that the bystanders misheard Him.

11:44
And 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.

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes- that he came forth shows that the corruption which had set in was now reversed. Christ rose and left the grave clothes behind, for His body was spiritual now, and left the wrappings without them being removed from His body. It was this that convinced John that He was risen. Lazarus has been returned to his former state, and therefore he is still restricted. The fact that he was able to move suggests that each limb was wrapped separately. John says of the wrapping of the body of Christ, “as the manner of the Jews is to bury”, John 19:40.

And his face was bound about with a napkin- despite being able to move out of the cave, Lazarus has not enough freedom to remove his head covering. No doubt this is a practical thing, for to emerge out of a pitch-black cave into bright sunlight would be a shock. It also shows the reality of his death, for how could he breathe with grave clothes wound around his face?

It does also serve to remind us of the contrast at the resurrection that will take place at Christ’s coming, for whereas Lazarus could not see Christ at first, as soon as believers are raised “we shall see him as he is”, 1 John 3:2, even though at present it can be said, “whom having not seen ye love”, 1 Peter 1:8. Job could say, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” Job 19:25-27.

The word for napkin is also used for a sweat-cloth in Luke 19:20, a grim reminder of God’s words to Adam after he had sinned, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return”, Genesis 3:19.

Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go- when the saints arise at the Lord’s coming they shall be freed from all limitations, including “the bondage of corruption”, and they will enjoy the “glorious liberty of the children of God”, Romans 8:21. This will be the signal for the whole of creation to be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Lazarus, however, was still to an extent in bondage.

To let him go is perhaps more than simply unwind the wrappings to allow him to move freely. We have noticed that there are some hostile persons in the crowd, and the Lord ensures the safety of Lazarus by sending him away. We know from the next chapter that the chief priests wanted to kill Lazarus also, 12:10,11. The very people that should have welcomed God’s power in their midst, were those who sought to destroy both Christ and Lazarus. And of course later on they will turn their attention to all believers, as the history of Saul of Tarsus shows. Far from letting the believers go, he dragged them off to prison, Acts 8:3.

(c)    Verses 45-57
The manifestation of the wickedness of the Council

11:45
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him- as always, the person and work of Christ causes a division, as we see from this verse and the next. It is not possible to be neutral about Christ. As He said Himself, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided; three against two, and two against three.” Luke 12:51,52.

The faith of these people is the desired result of the miracles of Christ. If men were not prepared to believe Him simply by Him declaring who He was, then they should believe because of what He did. The Lord said to Philip, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” John 14:11. John tells us why he wrote his gospel, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:30,31.

11:46
But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees- such is the hardness of the heart of man that even seeing a man rise from death and corruption with their own eyes does not convince them. Some people say today that they would believe if God intervened in the world. We see from the reaction of the men in this passage that this would not happen. The saying in the world is “Seeing is believing”, whereas the word of Christ in this very passage is “if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see”, verse 40. John has recorded the miracle so that as we read his account it is as if we were there at the time. So we do not need a repeat miracle. What we do need is to believe the record that God has given to us of His Son.

And told them what things Jesus had done- no doubt this was why some of them had been to Bethany in the first place, pretending to be sympathetic towards Mary and Martha, but having a hidden agenda.

11:47
Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council- this may not have been a formal meeting of the Sanhedrim, (a word which simply means “a sitting together” of the leaders in Israel), but a hastily arranged gathering. The chief priests were most likely Sadducees, and the Pharisees, although opposed to them on many points, (including whether there was such a thing as the resurrection of the body, Acts 23:8), agreed with them when it came to rejecting Christ.

And said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles- this is an important testimony from the enemies of Christ that He did, in fact, perform miracles. The only way they could excuse themselves from believing in Him was to say that He did the works by the power of Satan. They would rather blaspheme His name than believe on His name; such is the human heart. And in this case, such is the religious heart.

11:48
If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him- “let him thus alone” means “let Him alone as we have done in the past”. A great change has come about, for the raising of Lazarus is so dramatic that they realise matters have come to a climax. By “all men” they mean the common people, those who, on their own admission, they feared, Matthew 21:26.

And the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation- they held their positions only because it suited the Romans to allow it. The high priests were appointed by the Romans. Pilate was governor of Judea, but left the running of Jerusalem to the priests and Pharisees. They are more interested in holding on to their position and power than they are to bow to the truth and believe Christ. This is another way of saying, “We have no king but Caesar”, John 19:15. They had “climbed up some other way” to gain a place as rulers in Israel, John 10:1, but they had no moral authority.

Note the claim they make here, that the nation is their nation. Thus they are in direct opposition to Christ who, being the rightful heir to the throne and the land, “came unto his own”, that is, His own things, but, sadly, “his own received him not”, John 1:11. Matthew had made the claim of Christ to the throne and the nation in his first chapter, and the passage ends with a reference to “his people”, Matthew 1:21.

11:49
And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year- it is not that Caiaphas was high priest only during that year. In fact, he was high priest from about AD 18 to 36. The point that John is making is that he was the high priest the year the Lord was crucified. As such, he had the final decision regarding Christ, and therefore was the most guilty. As the Lord said to Pilate, “he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin”, John 19:11. In theory, as high priest, he should have been in touch with God more than a heathen like Pilate, but it was not so. So because of his privileged position he was the more guilty.

Said unto them, Ye know nothing at all- something of the arrogance of the Sadducee comes over here, as he asserts his high priestly authority, and labels his fellow council members ignorant. The concept of “let each esteem other better than themselves”, Philippians 2:3, is foreign to him.

11:50
Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

Nor consider that it is expedient for us- this is their whole concern, what is convenient for them. They are the complete opposite of Christ, who looked not on His own things, but the things of others, Philippians 2:4.

That one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not- he does not mean “die for the people” in the sense that the apostle Paul used the term when he wrote “Christ died for us”, Romans 5:8. What Caiaphas means is that they will hand Christ over to death if that will appease the Romans and cause them to not take away their place and nation, enabling them to continue in their positions of power and prestige. Christ’s death for us in the gospel sense is the ultimate in self-sacrifice on His part. Christ’s death in the Caiaphas sense is the ultimate in selfishness on their part.

11:51
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

And this spake he not of himself- the question is, who motivated Caiaphas to speak like this? It is indeed true that Christ died for the nation of Israel, but as we have seen, not in the sense in which Caiaphas meant it. This utterance cannot be of God, therefore. He was energised by Satan to speak in such a way as most of the council would believe him.

But being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation- John again tells us that Caiaphas was high priest that year, to emphasise that the man who is claiming to prophesy is the one who shall cause Christ to be crucified. The statement “one man should die for the nation” is said to be a rabbinic quotation, so is not original to Caiaphas. Satan knew that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah, and therefore knew He would be “cut off out of the land of the living”, and as Isaiah also said, “for the transgression of my people was he stricken”, Isaiah 53:8. He could deduce from this that Christ would die for the nation, and therefore he could move Caiaphas to say what he did.

11:52
And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad- we see how subtle the enemy is, for it will be the case that the scattered of Israel, the ten tribes that went into captivity, shall indeed be gathered back as the prophets said. For example, Hosea wrote, “Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.” Hosea 1:9-11. There is nothing in the high priest’s “prophecy” that is new; it is the use of Old Testament prophecies to further the wicked agenda of the high priest as he tried to give the impression that he had a word from God.

11:53
Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death- browbeaten by the high priest’s arrogant tone, and impressed by the “prophecy” he had uttered, the council go along with his plan. Jacob uttered a true prophecy about this situation when he foretold what Simeon and Levi would do in the last days. Levi being the tribe that would produce the priesthood, and Simeon, meaning “hearing”, being those who would listen to them. Jacob said, “Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.” Genesis 49:5-7. Notice the two-fold result of the secret council and assembly of these men. They slay a man, condemning Christ to death. But they also dig down a wall, for as a result of them rejecting Christ, God saw to it that the city of Jerusalem was destroyed.

11:54
Jesus 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.

Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews- at the end of chapter 10, when the Jews sought to take Him, He had retired beyond Jordan, and many resorted to Him there, 10:39,40. But the death of His friend Lazarus had brought Him into Judea again. Now however, the official decision has been made to have Him killed, so He withdraws finally, and will only come to Jerusalem again to die at the moment of God’s appointing, and not man’s.

But went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim- He deliberately chose an obscure place, and one near the wilderness, so that if search parties were sent out to find Him He could go into hiding. How sad it is that the most accessible of men, who had come unto His own, is now found distancing Himself from them because of their hostility. God had said through the prophet, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.” Hosea 5:15. There is a sense in which the coming of Christ into the world from the Father was the start of His return to the Father, for that was always in mind. Ephraim is a village in the uncultivated hill-country some thirteen miles north east of Jerusalem, and near to the wilderness, as John observes.

And there continued with his disciples- no doubt He sought to prepare them for what was soon to happen in Jerusalem at Passover time.

11:55
And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand- this is most probably the fourth Passover during the Lord’s ministry. The gospel of John can be looked on as structured around these passovers. How sad to notice that John has to call it the Jew’s passover. Originally given as a feast, it was a feast of the Lord, Leviticus 23:4,5, but had degenerated into a mere religious observance. By fulfilling the passover feast, (for “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us”, 1 Corinthians 5:7), the Lord rescued it from being a ritual, and transformed it into something with deep spiritual meaning.

And many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves- there was a large pool just outside the walls of Jerusalem in which pilgrims could wash before they entered the temple precincts. No doubt Peter and John washed there when they went to the temple to have their passover lamb sacrificed. But the temple courts had dusty floors, (as we know from the fact that the Lord wrote in the dust in John 8:6), so that in between bathing and coming to the altar their feet had become defiled. There were stone foot-baths provided, however, for this specific purpose, and they would have washed their feet in these. (In fact, some of these foot-baths can be seen in Jerusalem even today). So they knew the difference between bathing all over and washing the feet. This gives significance to the words of Christ to them in the upper room after He had washed their feet, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit”, John 13:10.

There is for the believer an all-over washing, the washing of regeneration, as the word of God is applied to the whole person, and defilement is dealt with initially. As the apostle Paul wrote to Titus, “according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”, Titus 3:5. Regeneration is a new state of things, and the word of God, applied by the Holy Spirit, purifies the heart and life from defilement which otherwise would render us unfit for that new state of things. But if fellowship with Christ is to be maintained in its fulness then occasional defilement needs to be dealt with on an ongoing basis. This is again done by the application of relevant scriptures to the defilement in question. As the psalmist asked, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?” and he answered his own question with the words, “by taking heed thereto according to thy word”, Psalm 119:9. Because the believer has this provision, there is no need for ritual washings and purification. Any system that engages in these practices has not realised what is the true Christian position.

11:56
Then 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?

Then 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? They should have known that as a godly Jew the Lord Jesus would obey the requirements of the law which said, “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty”, Deuteronomy 16:16. When the law said “three times” it did not mean attend three feasts out of the seven. The thought is of three seasons, the first being that of passover, unleavened bread and wave sheaf; the second being the feast of weeks; the third, the feast of trumpets, the day of atonement, and the feast of tabernacles.

These people, as they stand talking in the temple courts, wonder if He is brave enough to come back to the place where a few months before they had tried to stone Him, John 10:31. They seem to incline to the view that He would not, such is their lack of understanding of Him. He would in fact come to Jerusalem for the feast, but would become the fulfilment of it as the true passover lamb, the Lamb of God.

11:57
Now 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.

Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment- it seems that separate commandments had been given, for some might not be inclined to listen to priests of the Sadducee party, but they would obey the Pharisees, so both sets of rulers had given commandment. Their commandment is in direct conflict with God’s will, which is that men honour His Son, not take steps to crucify Him.

That, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him- by going away to a remote and obscure spot, the Lord has foiled their plans. It is not wise to deliberately put oneself in danger if it can be avoided in an ethical way. During the wilderness temptation the Lord had refused to put God to the test to see if He would protect Him.