John 11:1

CHAPTER XI.

Account of the sickness of Lazarus, 1.

His sisters Martha and Mary send for Christ, 2.

Our Lord's discourse with his disciples on this sickness and

consequent death, 3-16.

He arrives at Bethany four days after the burying of Lazarus,

17, 18.

Martha meets Christ-their conversation, 19-27.

She returns and Mary goes out to meet him, in great distress,

28-33.

Christ comes to the grave-his conversation there, 34-42.

He raises Lazarus from the dead, 43-46.

The priests and Pharisees, hearing of this, hold a council, and

plot his destruction, 47, 48.

The remarkable prophecy of Caiaphas, and the consequent

proceedings of the Jews, 49-53.

Jesus withdraws into a city called Ephraim, 54.

They lay wait for him at the passover, 55-67.

NOTES ON CHAP. XI.

Verse John 11:1. Lazarus, of Bethany] St. John, who seldom relates any thing but what the other evangelists have omitted, does not tell us what gave rise to that familiar acquaintance and friendship that subsisted between our Lord and this family. It is surprising that the other evangelists have omitted so remarkable an account as this is, in which some of the finest traits in our Lord's character are exhibited. The conjecture of Grotius has a good deal of weight. He thinks that the other three evangelists wrote their histories during the life of Lazarus; and that they did not mention him for fear of exciting the malice of the Jews against him. And indeed we find, from John 12:10, that they sought to put Lazarus to death also, that our Lord might not have one monument of his power and goodness remaining in the land. Probably both Lazarus and his sisters were dead before St. John wrote. Bethany was situated at the foot of the mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem. Bishop Pearce observes that "there is a large gap in John's history of Christ in this place. What is mentioned in the preceding chapter passed at the feast of the dedication, John 10:22, about the middle of our December; and this miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead seems to have been wrought but a little before the following passover, in the end of March, at which time Jesus was crucified, as may (he thinks) be gathered from verses John 11:54 and John 11:55 of this chapter, John 11:54-43, and from John 12:9." John has, therefore, according to the bishop's calculation, omitted to mention the several miracles which our Lord wrought for above three months after the things mentioned in the preceding chapter.

Calmet says, Christ left Jerusalem the day after the dedication took place, which was the 18th of December. He event then to Bethabara, where he continued preaching and his disciples baptizing. About the middle of the following January Lazarus fell sick: Christ did not leave Bethabara till after the death of Lazarus, which happened about the 18th of the same month.

Bishop Newcome supposes that our Lord might have stayed about a month at Bethabara.

The harmonists and chronologists differ much in fixing dates, and ascertaining times. In cases of this nature, I believe men may innocently guess as well as they can; but they should assert nothing.