XI. [(3) LIFE, TRUTH, LIGHT, AND LOVE ‘MORE FULLY MANIFESTED. CORRESPONDING INCREASE OF THE UNBELIEF OF THE JEWS (John 11:1 to John 12:50). (_a_) _Lazarus restored to life_ (John 11:1). (_α_) The journey to Bethany. Sleep and death (John 11:1). (_β_) The interview with Martha. The Resurrectio... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW A CERTAIN MAN WAS SICK. — This is connected with the preceding narrative to introduce the reason for our Lord’s leaving His retirement to go again into the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. NAMED LAZARUS, OF BETHANY. — For the name “Lazarus,” comp. Note on Luke 16:20, where it occurs as the solitary i... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS THAT MARY WHICH ANOINTED THE LORD. — Comp. Notes on Matthew 26:6 _et seq.,_ and Mark 14:3 _et seq._ John himself relates the anointing in John 12:3 _et seq._ Here he simply mentions it as distinguishing Mary from others of the same name. and assumes it as a well-known incident which had been,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE HIS SISTERS SENT UNTO HIM. — Better, _The sisters therefore sent unto Him_ — _i.e.,_ because of the fact of the illness, which has been repeated at the close of the last verse, and also because of the intimacy between our Lord and this family, of which the anointing was a proof. (Comp. Joh... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JESUS HEARD THAT, HE SAID. — These words are not simply an answer sent to the sisters, but the uttered thought which arose in our Lord’s mind as He heard that Lazarus was ill, and were spoken in the presence of the disciples who were with Him, and doubtless in that of the messengers also. THIS... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW JESUS LOVED MARTHA. — It is not easy to see the connection of this verse with that which precedes, or with that which immediately follows. The fact of His abiding two days where He was, seems indeed opposed to the thought of _His_ special love for the family. The most probable explanation is tha... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE HAD HEARD THEREFORE. — Better, _When He heard therefore_... HE ABODE TWO DAYS STILL. — It is usual to explain this delay as caused by His wish to test the faith of the sisters, or by the nature of the work which He was then doing, and was unwilling to leave. But the first reason passes over... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US GO INTO JUDÆA AGAIN. — He does not mark out the place more definitely, and the word “again” recalls the dangers from which they had escaped at the close of their last visit to Jerusalem.... [ Continue Reading ]
MASTER, THE JEWS OF LATE SOUGHT TO STONE THEE. — Better, _Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone Thee._ (Comp. Notes on John 1:39; John 10:31.) They think of the danger to Him, and are not without thought of the danger to themselves (John 11:16). It shows that the hatred of the Jews had now... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE THERE NOT TWELVE HOURS IN THE DAY? — Or more exactly, _Are not the hours of the day twelve?_ They had expressed their fears that danger and death would be the result of going into Judæa. His answer would say that the darkness of the night which they dreaded could not come yet. The natural night... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF A MAN WALK IN THE NIGHT... — He passes in this verse from the material to the spiritual truth. This first clause still holds of the natural night, and the danger to men who walk in it, but it holds, too, of the darkness in which men walk who do not see, as He is seeing, the light of heaven fa... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR FRIEND LAZARUS SLEEPETH. — Better, _Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep._ They had probably understood the words of John 11:4 to express that the illness was not mortal, and that Lazarus would recover. They have seen, therefore, no reason for facing the danger of Judæa (John 11:7). He now suppli... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID HIS DISCIPLES. — Better, _Therefore_... Their remark immediately arises out of what our Lord has said. They are glad to catch at any reason for not going to Judæa. IF HE SLEEP, HE SHALL DO WELL. — More exactly, _If he be fallen asleep, he shall be saved._ There could be, therefore, no rea... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THOUGHT THAT HE HAD SPOKEN OF TAKING OF REST IN SLEEP. — These words forbid the thought that they really understood that Lazarus was dead, but did not wish to seem to know it. Three of them, indeed, had heard our Lord apply the word “sleep” to death before (Matthew 9:24), but this instance of m... [ Continue Reading ]
LAZARUS IS DEAD. — The words of deeper truth, “Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep,” have conveyed no true meaning to their minds. He uses words, therefore, which fall short of that truth, but are the only words which they can understand.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I AM GLAD FOR YOUR SAKES THAT I WAS NOT THERE. — The words are at first sound startling, as following immediately upon the plain statement, “Lazarus is dead.” The utterance is not of sorrow, but of joy; but the joy is not at the fact of death, but at the fact that He was not there. Had He been t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN (or, better, _therefore_) SAID THOMAS, WHICH IS CALLED DIDYMUS. — The second of these names is the Greek translation of the first, which is Hebrew. Both mean “twin.” Both are found together again in John 20:24; John 21:2. Comp. Notes on the Catalogues of the Apostles in Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18;... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WHEN JESUS CAME — _i.e.,_ to the neighbourhood of Bethany. He did not at once enter the village itself (John 11:20; John 11:30). HE FOUND THAT HE HAD LAIN IN THE GRAVE FOUR DAYS ALREADY. — The Jewish custom was to bury on the day of death. (Comp. Acts 5:6.) The whole tone of the narrative place... [ Continue Reading ]
BETHANY WAS NIGH UNTO JERUSALEM. — This way of speaking of places in the past tense is not found in the other Gospels. (Comp., in this Gospel, John 18:1; John 19:41; and, on the other hand, Note on John 5:2.) The explanation may be that from St. John’s point of view, writing after the destruction of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY OF THE JEWS CAME TO MARTHA AND MARY. — Better, _and many of the Jews had come... — _They had come before our Lord’s arrival. The word “Jews” is to be understood in St. John’s general sense (comp. Note on John 1:19) of those opposed to our Lord, who had lately sought to stone Him (John 10:31... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN MARTHA, AS SOON AS SHE HEARD THAT JESUS WAS COMING... — This is partly to be explained from the position in which they stood towards Him, and partly from the fact of the presence of the Jews at the house. She goes forth to meet Him in a place where she can speak her heart’s thoughts, apart from... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, IF THOU HADST BEEN HERE, MY BROTHER HAD NOT DIED. — We have exactly the same words spoken by Mary in John 11:32. They are the utterance of the thought which had already been expressed in their message (John 11:3), and had, we may think, been spoken more than once by the sisters to each other.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I KNOW, THAT EVEN NOW, WHATSOEVER THOU WILT ASK OF GOD. .. — The words express a half-formed hope, which she dare not utter, perhaps dare not even think, that her brother may be restored to life again. She had heard probably of the young maid whose body was reanimated by the life which had but j... [ Continue Reading ]
THY BROTHER SHALL RISE AGAIN. — These words, spoken as they were by our Lord after the purpose of His journey, as expressed in John 11:11, and immediately before the accomplishment of it, cannot be taken to exclude the restoration of Lazarus to physical life. At the same time, the form of the words... [ Continue Reading ]
I KNOW THAT HE SHALL RISE AGAIN IN THE RESURRECTION... — Her answer expresses something of disappointment. Her whole heart had been fixed on one thought, and in all that had passed her hopes had found a support which seemed to warrant the hope for its accomplishment. She is now reminded of a general... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE RESURRECTION, AND THE LIFE. — She has spoken of the resurrection as a truth which she believes, and as an event in the far-off future, so remote from the present life indeed, as to be powerless to comfort her now. The two first words of His answer, expressed in the fulness of emphasis, teac... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSOEVER LIVETH AND BELIEVETH IN ME. — This is to be understood of the physical life answering to “though he have died” of the last verse. SHALL NEVER DIE. — Comp. especially Note on John 8:51. He _shall by no means die for ever._ Not through the infinite course of ages shall there be that whi... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE SAITH UNTO HIM, YEA, LORD. — This is her assent to the question He asked. She believed all that He had told her. It is not that she expresses her belief, in answer to His question, in the remainder of this verse. The answer is simply “Yea, Lord.” Then she proceeds to give the foundation on which... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CALLED MARY HER SISTER SECRETLY. — It was done secretly to avoid attracting the notice of the Jews who were with her (John 11:19; John 11:31). This, we have seen (John 11:20), accounts for the fact that our Lord did not Himself go to the house. That the care was not unnecessary is seen from John... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE AROSE QUICKLY. — She was sitting in the house (John 11:20), after the manner of mourners. The news she now hears tells her that their true Comforter was at hand, and she at once goes forth to meet Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW JESUS WAS NOT YET COME INTO THE TOWN. — Better, as before, _into the village_ (John 11:1). WHERE MARTHA MET HIM. — Comp. John 11:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND COMFORTED HER. — Better, _were comforting her_ — _i.e.,_ were engaged in the prescribed ceremonial of those who were called comforters. SAYING, SHE GOETH UNTO THE GRAVE TO WEEP THERE. — The better reading is, _thinking, She goeth._.. The practice was and is common among the Orientals, as well a... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, IF THOU HADST BEEN HERE. — The words are precisely the same as those which Martha had uttered (John 11:21). She adds no more. It may be that she was prevented doing so by the presence of the Jews; but the next verse suggests rather that her emotion was too powerful for words, and that the only... [ Continue Reading ]
HE GROANED IN THE SPIRIT, AND WAS TROUBLED. — The word rendered “groaned” occurs, besides in this verse and John 11:38, three times in the New Testament; in Matthew 9:30 (“and Jesus straitly charged them”); Mark 1:43 (“and He straitly charged him”); and Mark 14:5 (“and they murmured against her”). C... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE HAVE YE LAID HIM? — The question is directed, of course, to the sisters. This is further shown by the answer, “Lord, come and see.” Both question and answer are expressed in the shortest form. Grief speaks in the fewest possible words.... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS WEPT. — The word is different from that which is used to express weeping in John 11:33; but this latter is used of our Lord in Luke 19:41. The present word means not the cry of lamentation nor the wail of excessive grief, but the calm shedding of tears. They are on the way to the sepulchre, ne... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE JEWS — _i.e.,_ part of them. (See the next verse.) The term “Jews” is repeated with a frequency (John 11:31; John 11:33) which makes prominent their hostile position. BEHOLD HOW HE LOVED HIM! — Or, more exactly, _how He used to love him._ The word used is the strong word for love whic... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOME OF THEM SAID. — Better, _But some of them said_ — _i.e.,_ another party of the Jews, differing from those mentioned in the last verse. COULD NOT THIS MAN, WHICH OPENED THE EYES OF THE BLIND ..? — They refer to the greatest miracle which had taken place within the limits of their own knowle... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS THEREFORE AGAIN GROANING IN HIMSELF. — See Note on John 11:33. Their evil thoughts, expressed in John 11:37, are the cause of this new emotion of anger. COMETH TO THE GRAVE. — Comp. John 11:31. Here, as there, it would be better to render it _sepulchre._ The same word occurs again in John 12:... [ Continue Reading ]
MARTHA, THE SISTER OF HIM THAT WAS DEAD. — This fact of close relationship is mentioned again to account for her remark. We know, from the whole narrative, that she was his sister; but this verse would say, not simply that Martha spoke, but that that in Martha which was sister to him who was dead sp... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU WOULDEST BELIEVE, THOU SHOULDEST SEE THE GLORY OF GOD. — He takes her back to the promise which she had heard from the messengers (John 11:4), and which had led to her brightest hopes, and reminds her too of His own teaching and her own faith (John 11:21). Her last remark had more of the hum... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY TOOK AWAY THE STONE. — This could be done without difficulty, for it would be nothing more than a rough slab placed at the entrance of the cave, to prevent the approach of jackals or other beasts of prey. FROM THE PLACE WHERE THE DEAD WAS LAID is omitted by all the better MSS. It is an un... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I KNEW THAT THOU HEAREST ME ALWAYS. — The meaning depends upon the emphatic position of the pronoun, “I, for My part, knew.” “It is not for My own sake that I speak these words.” This union of the will of the Father and the Son, by which every prayer of the Son was an expression of the will of t... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE. — Comp. John 5:25; John 5:28, and Notes there. These verses lead to the opinion that it was at the moment of the cry, and not before, as some have thought, that life returned. This is the only passage where the word rendered “cried” is used of our Lord. (Comp. Matthew 12:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT WAS DEAD CAME FORTH. — “Wonder at a wonder within a wonder!” is Basil’s comment on these words; and many of the older expositors regard the power to move, when bound hand and foot, as itself a miracle. But this seems not to be necessary, and if not necessary, is not to be resorted to. (C... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN MANY OF THE JEWS WHICH CAME TO-MARY, AND HAD SEEN... — Better, _Many therefore of the Jews, which had come to Mary and seen._.. The comma should be placed after the word Jews. The Greek cannot mean, “Then many of the Jews, _i.e., of those_ which came to Mary.” It must mean, “Many therefore of t... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT SOME OF THEM WENT THEIR WAYS TO THE PHARISEES — _i.e.,_ necessarily, some of those who had been with Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, and had believed. But why did they then go and tell the Pharisees? It is contrary to their position as believers to think that they did this as info... [ Continue Reading ]
[(3) LIFE, TRUTH, LIGHT, AND LOVE MORE FULLY MANIFESTED. CORRESPONDING INCREASE OF THE UNBELIEF OF THE JEWS (_continued_). (_b_) _The council of the Jews. The decree of death against the Giver of Life_ (John 11:47). (c) _The withdrawal to Ephraim. Many seek for Jesus_ (John 11:54). (_d_) _The... [ Continue Reading ]
IF WE LET HIM THUS ALONE, ALL MEN WILL BELIEVE ON HIM. — He who but a short time since had escaped from their stones and violence, and had retired to Bethany, was now within two miles of Jerusalem. One work had carried conviction to the minds of all who had seen it, though many of them were of their... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ONE OF THEM, NAMED CAIAPHAS. — Comp. Notes on Matthew 26:3; Luke 3:2. His proper name was Joseph, and the name Caiaphas is the Syriac form of Cephas. He, like Peter, took the name of “Rockman,” as a title to indicate his work! For the succession of high priests at this time, see Jos. _Ant. xviii... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR CONSIDER THAT IT IS EXPEDIENT FOR US... — This remarkable counsel has linked itself in St. John’s thoughts with the name of Caiaphas. He quotes it again in John 18:14. SHOULD DIE FOR THE PEOPLE, AND THAT THE WHOLE NATION... — Different words are used here in the Greek, as in the English. The fo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS SPAKE HE NOT OF HIMSELF. — There is a moral beauty in the Words, in spite of the diabolical intent with which they are uttered; and St. John adds the explanation that they had an origin higher than him who spake them. Writing after the events, he has seen them fulfilled, and regards them as... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOT FOR THAT NATION ONLY. — Caiaphas had said “die for the people,” using the word which meant the people of the Jews. St. John said, “die for that nation,” using the wider word which meant the nation as one of the nations of the earth. He now passes to a wider meaning still. He has lived to see... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN FROM THAT DAY FORTH THEY TOOK! COUNSEL... — On that day, then, the Sanhedrin officially decreed His death. The remaining question was how they could carry out this decree without exciting a popular tumult, or bringing themselves into collision with the Romans. (Comp. Note on Matthew 26:4.)... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS THEREFORE WALKED NO MORE OPENLY AMONG THE JEWS. — He had heard of the decree of the Sanhedrin which had been publicly made known (John 11:57), and therefore avoided persons who would have carried it into effect. “The Jews” are, as before, the hostile party. The passage is a good illustration... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE JEWS’ PASSOVER WAS NIGH AT HAND. — Comp. Notes on John 2:13; John 6:4. OUT OF THE COUNTRY. — Not the country near Ephraim, but the country generally, as opposed to the city. TO PURIFY THEMSELVES. — The Law ordained no special purifications before the Passover, but on the general principle o... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SOUGHT THEY FOR JESUS, AND SPAKE... — The words imply a continuance of seeking and speaking. They describe the scene as it took place ay after day as they stood in the Temple courts. They had heard rumours of recent events in the various parts from which they had come. Many of them had seen and... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW BOTH THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE PHARISEES. — If the word rendered “both” is regarded as part of the text, it would connect this verse with the fact that the people sought for Jesus — “They on the one hand sought and asked questions about Him; but besides this, the chief priests and the Pharisees... [ Continue Reading ]