Verse by Verse

⁵³ Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

⁵⁴ Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

⁵⁵ And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

⁵⁶ Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?”

⁵⁷ Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

Ephraim (v. 54) — also known as Ophrah, near Bethel, east of the Jordan in the hill country.

purify (v. 55) — Exodus 12:14-20; 13:1-9. The Jews went to Jerusalem before the Passover to give them time to be purified.

Jesus knew of the council's decision to kill Him. The Holy Spirit has recorded, through John, the council's very words.

Jesus had been to past Passovers — John 2:13; 6:4, 15

⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

⁴⁶ But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.

⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.

⁴⁸ If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”

⁴⁹ And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,

⁵⁰ nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”

⁵¹ Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

⁵² and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

council (v. 47) — the Sanhedrin — the high priest and seventy members, most of them Sadducees.

The council admitted that Christ did many miracles (v. 47).

They feared (v. 48) that the Romans, if Christ were proclaimed king, woudl take away the temple and destroy Israel as a nation — all of which happened after they put Christ to death.

Caiaphas (v. 49) — son-in-law to Annas. Both were Sadducees and high priests — Acts 5:17; Luke 3:2. Caiaphas was high priest over an 18-year span, A.D. 18-36.

high priest that year (v. 49). It was supposed to be a position held for life, but the Romans sold it each year to the highest bidder.

Caiaphas told the Pharisees that they knew nothing (v. 49). He said Jesus should be killed for expediency's sake, the truth notwithstanding. The Sadducees and Pharisees were theological rivals, but they came together to withstand Jesus (Psalm 2:2).

Caiaphas spoke out of wickedness (v. 49-50), but God used him as a prophet to utter truth. He said the one Man should die that the nation might live (Isaiah 53).

Verse 52 was added by the Holy Spirit through John.

The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ.’ [quote from Psalm 2:2] “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done (Acts 4:26-28).

³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”

⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”

⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

see the glory of God (v. 40) — referring back to verse 4. With the Jews, it was see first, then believe — Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Jesus thanks the Father (v. 42) — His prayer was answered before it was even spoken (John 5:19).

You sent Me (v. 42) — Again, Jesus spoke of His one-ness with the Father and that the Father sent Him.

with a loud voice (v. 43) — 1 Thessalonians 4:16; John 5:25

He asked the people to loose Lazarus (v. 44). He could have done it Himself miraculously, but He uses us to accomplish His work.

In the traditional belief of orthodox Jews is held a theory which may shed light on the four days; why the Lord permitted Lazarus to remain buried not for three days, but four days. the tradtition asserts the following: after a person dies, the spirit of the dead person lingers about the burial place, waiting to see if there might be a chance to return to the body. But when the countenance changes, and the signs of decomposition appear, then the spirit disappears and goes to its place. Therefore orthodox Jews did not certify the actuality of death till three days were gone, for they said then the countenance changes and after the third day the spirit of the deceased leaves the sepulchre and there is no hope of the dead coming back to life. Now this is a tradition only, but if it was held by the Jews in the days of our Lord, as it probably was, it may explain the reason why Lazarus was not raised on the third day, but on the fourth. — The Gospel of John, by Arno Clemens Gaebelein, page 205.

It is striking to note that Christ here did nothing except to say, "Lazarus, come forth." It was the last great public witness to Christ as the incarnate Word. And, too, it perfectly illustrated the means which God employs in regeneration. Men are raised spiritually, pass from death unto life, by means of the written Word, and by that alone. Providences, personal testimonies, loss of loved ones, deeply as these sometimes may stir the natural man, they never "quicken" a soul into newness of life. We are born again, "not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abident forever" (1 Peter 1:23). — Exposition of the Gospel of John, by Arthur W. Pink, page 205-206.

³³ Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.

³⁴ And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

³⁵ Jesus wept.

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

³⁷ And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

³⁸ Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

troubles (v. 33) = The outward expression of His inward emotion — For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses … (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was sympathizing with the sorrow of His friends.

weeping (v. 33) = loud lament

Where have you laid him? (v. 34) — Jesus knew, but He never made a show of His omniscience.

wept (v. 35) = silent weeping

Three times Jesus wept — each time over the consequences of sin. He is … a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). — Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep (Romans 12:15).

1. Here at Lazarus's tomb
2. Over Jerusalem (Luke 19:14)
3. In Gethsemane (Hebrews 5:7)

Could not this Man (v. 37) — sarcasm —  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls (Hebrews 12:3).

Jesus's groaning (v. 38) may have included indignation at the chaos caused by sin and the lack of faith surrounding Him.

cave (v. 38) = a horizontal chamber carved into rock.

²⁸When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."

 ²⁹And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.

 ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.

 ³¹Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

 ³²Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

Christ tarried two days because He knew the future and wanted to glorify God. This was His divinity. But He wept when He saw His friends' sorrow. This was His humanity.

secretly (v. 28) because the Jews wanted to kill Christ and Martha didn't want word to get out that He was near. But Christ's last great miracle was to have a lot of witnesses.

weep (v. 31) = loud lamenting

my brother would not have died (v. 32) — Mary knew none could die in His presence.

The blending of Christ's Divine glories and human perfections meet us at every turn in this fourth Gospel. If John is the only one of the four Evangelists who enters into the pre-incarnate dignities of Christ, showing Him to us as the One who subsisted in the beginning, both being with God, and God Himself: the Creator of all things; if John is the only one who contemplates Him as the great "I am," equal with the Father; he also brings before us details concerning His humanity which are not to be met with in the Synoptists. John is the only one who tells us of Christ being, wearies with His journey" (4:6), groaning as He beheld the tears of His own, and thirsting as He hung upon the Cross. Christ became Man in the fullest sense of the word, and nowhere do we behold His human sympathies and perfections more blessedly displayed than in this very Gospel which portrays Him as God manifest in the flesh. — Exposition of the Gospel of John, by Arthur W. Pink, page 192

It is beautiful to observe that each time the New Testament presents Mary to us, she is seen "at the feet of Jesus" — expressive of her worshipful spirit. But there is no mere repetition. In Luke 10, at Christ's feet she owned Him as Prophet, hearing His word (v. 39). Here in John 11 she approaches Christ as Priest — that great High Priest that can be "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," who shares our sorrows and ministers grace in every time of need. In John 12:3 Mary, at His feet acknowledged Him as "King" —  this will appear if we compare Matthew 26:7, from which we learn that she also annointed "the head" of the rejected King of the Jews! — Exposition of the Gospel of John, by Arthur W. Pink, page 197

¹⁷So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

 ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off;

 ¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.

 ²⁰Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.

 ²¹Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

 ²²"Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

 ²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

 ²⁴Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."

 ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

 ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

 ²⁷She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."

In addition to family and friends (v. 19), there were probably professional mourners (Mark 5:38) according to rabbinical law.

Martha, consistent with her temperament (v. 20), rushed out to meet Jesus. Mary, consistent with hers, sat still.

Martha's words (v. 21) show faith, disappointment and a touch of reproach (or at least evidence that she underestimated His power), but she knew. Like Abraham in Romans 4:18.

God will give You (v. 22) Martha considered Jeus to have little more power than a prophet.

Martha looked to an event (v. 24), the resurrection. Jesus told her to look to Him, a person. He is the resurrection.

will never die (v. 26) — won't experience the death that lasts forever. For the believer, eternal life is now.

I have believed (v. 27) = I have believed and continue to believe. She didn't fully believe. (See John 11:39).

The greatest evidence that Jesus was who He said He was took place two miles from Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders had no excuse for their unbelief. The delay enabled a crowd to gather to witness Jesus' miracle.

 ¹¹This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."

 ¹²The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

 ¹³Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.

 ¹⁴So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,

 ¹⁵and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him."

 ¹⁶Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him."

asleep (v. 11) — Jesus is omnicient. He knew Lazarus was dead.

I was not there (v. 15) — If Jesus had been there, Lazarus wouldn't have died and the disciples wouldn't have learned the truth about the resurrection.

There is no record of anyone dying in Jesus presence or an any dead person in His presence staying dead. Even the thieves on the cross died after Him.

that we may die with  Him (v. 16) — Thomas thought Jesus would be killed. Thomas had love but not faith.

 ⁷Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."

 ⁸The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?"

 ⁹Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

 ¹⁰"But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

twelve hours in the day (v. 9) — His day (time on earth) was not yet over. His enemies could not take His life before the appointed time (John 9:4).

walks in the day (v. 9) — in His presence

walks in the night (v. 10) — a rebuke to those who don't follow Him.

 ¹Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

 ²It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

 ³So the sisters sent word to Him, saying," Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."

 ⁴But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

 ⁵Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

 ⁶So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

Lazarus = God is help

Mary's annointing (v. 2) — Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9

The sisters made no request (v. 3). They simply imformed Jesus of Lazarus's sickness and trusted Him.

Jesus was at Behabara, two days journey away. Lazarus was probably already dead when Jesus got the message that he was sick.

for the glory of God — as in the case of the blind man (John 9:3)

Jesus waited two days (v. 6) — Lazarus's body had started to rot. None could deny a miracle had occurred. It wasn't for lack of love or concern that caused Jesus to wait, it was God's timing.

Jesus claimed that He was life. This miracle proved it.

³² Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

³³ The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?

³⁵ If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

³⁶ do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

³⁷ If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

³⁸ but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”

³⁹ Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

⁴⁰ And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.

⁴¹ Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.”

⁴² And many believed in Him there.

They didn't stone Him for His works (public ministry). They knew He did no wrong (v. 32).

You are gods (v. 34) Those who receive power from God and act in His authority are called gods (Psalm 82:6; Exodus 7:1). So why did they call Him, who was set apart by God for a special purpose, a blasphemer for Saying He was the Son of God? God will judge the gods for ruling unjustly.

Scripture cannot be broken (v. 35) — every word is true.

know (revelation) and believe (continuous knowledge) (v.38)

The Father is in Me, and I in Him (v. 38) — essential oneness

Some say Jesus never claimed to be God, but the Jews (v. 39) understood what He was saying.

He escaped miraculously (v. 39).

beyond the Jordan (v. 40) — where His ministry began

Christ's argument in these verses is two-fold. First, they accepted Psalms as of divine authority and had no problem with men being called gods who receive divine communication. So, why were they offended when He called Himself the Son of God when it was obvious that He was sent by the Father? Second, His words and miracles have demonstrated divine power.