JOHN
CHAPTER 11

The Death of Lazarus

¹Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ²This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. ³So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
⁴When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." ⁵Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
⁷Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
⁸"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"
⁹Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. ¹⁰It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."
¹¹After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
¹²His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." ¹³Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
¹⁴So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
¹⁶Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

Jesus Comforts the Sisters

¹⁷On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸Bethany was less than two miles^[1] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
²¹"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
²⁴Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
²⁷"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,^[2] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
²⁸And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." ²⁹When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
³²When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.
³⁵Jesus wept.
³⁶Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
³⁷But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

³⁸Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹"Take away the stone," he said.
"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
⁴⁰Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
⁴³When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. ⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
⁴⁸"What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place^[3] and our nation."
⁴⁹Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."
⁵¹He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵²and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
⁵⁴Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
⁵⁵When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. ⁵⁶They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?" ⁵⁷But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.

Throughout the gospel of John, Jesus’ sign-miracles have been growing ever more extraordinary, and His related teachings have become ever more explicit. Finally, in this seventh and final sign, we see the climax of Jesus’ sign-revelation, and the last miracle that John would record before Christ’s own death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. One of the main themes of this chapter is Jesus’ love. We see it for Lazarus (v3), for Martha and Mary (v5), and for the disciples (v15); yet, the reason for this whole episode is not primarily love, but God’s glory (v4).

1. V1-3 - Previously, we have seen everything necessary for life – eternal life – in Christ alone. He alone can give the water that springs up into everlasting life. He alone can give the true bread – His own body – that sustains eternal life. He alone can give the light that is the life of men – that is, He alone can produce the faith that leads to forgiveness and life in fellowship with the Father. And now, finally and climactically, we see Him giving life itself. John mentions that Lazarus was both the one Jesus loved and the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany. John also tells us that this Mary is the one who poured perfume on Jesus (Mark 14:3-9; Matthew 26:6-13) and wiped His feet with her hair (this will be revealed in John 12).

   John sets a new context. Recall that Jesus had left Jerusalem to go across the Jordan to stay at the end of chapter 10. It was the place described in John 1:28 and likely brought back memories of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. And there was sort of a revival going on; lots of people were believing in Him. Then He received a message from Mary and Martha; it was short, but their request was made clear. By saying, “The one you love is sick,” they are asking Jesus to come immediately and heal him. Thus we learn two things here: first, that Jesus knows that heart-stopping feeling you get when someone you love is sick; He knows the questions that fly around your head in moments like that. There’s nothing like that that happens to you that He hasn’t experienced. And second, when we pray, we can use few words and appeal to the love of God, knowing He cannot forsake those whom He loves.

2. V4-16 – Love for His disciples and friends was neither the only nor even the fundamental motivation for what Jesus was about to do. As He tells His disciples in v4, it is ultimately so that God might be glorified – both the Father and the Son (John 5:23). God gets glory when His Son gets glory, because His Son gives that glory to Him. The same works for us, as “sons” of God. This sign, in which Jesus shows Himself to be the resurrection and the life, is done first and foremost for God’s glory and then out of love for His people.

   The disciples are comforted when Jesus says that this sickness is not unto death (v4). But we know that it is so severe that Lazarus will die. So how can Jesus say this? He certainly knew that this sickness would cause Lazarus’ death from the beginning. But death was neither the ultimate purpose nor the final outcome of this sickness. Jesus, in order to glorify God and because of His love for His people, was about to change sickness and death into resurrection and life. And the way in which He was about to do this would make clear why He allowed the death in the first place. Everything God does is ultimately for His glory and pen-ultimately for our good. And everything to do with us stems from His love (Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11). He delays sometimes for a greater purpose – that we would be conformed to the image of Christ, which often comes through suffering (Philippians 1:29).

   This leads us to John’s astonishing statement in v6: because Jesus loved Lazarus, He waited until Lazarus died before coming to Bethany. You drop everything and go if someone you love is sick. The one He loves is sick; therefore He stays an extra two days. How could His love motivate Him to wait until it was too late to heal him of this sickness? Only when we realize the nature of Christ’s miraculous signs does this makes sense. Physical resurrection of a body that is still imperfect and still able to die again is a good and amazing thing. But what it signifies – resurrection to a body that can never die, one that will enjoy eternal life in God’s presence – is far greater. Jesus could have healed Lazarus before he died at all. But because it was a better thing to show to him, as a tiny foretaste, the resurrection life that could be found in Jesus alone, and so produce faith in him and the other disciples around him, by letting him die and raising him again; and, because Jesus loved him and desired the best for him – indeed, had determined to do the best for him – therefore, He waited two days until he had died.

   Jesus’ next move was a further astonishment to the disciples. It was strange enough that He had waited until Lazarus died, before going to Bethany. But now, after Lazarus was dead, He was going to go there – even though that would certainly mean death for Himself as well, since the Jews of that region were attempting to kill Him. How could this make any sense at all? This was a sign that the disciples would not fully understand until later. When the disciples attempted to dissuade Jesus from going, they did so, not so much perhaps on His account as on their own, for each of them was thinking selfishly, as the danger was common to all.

   Jesus can raise the man who is “dead in his trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-7), and give him eternal life – and He does so by going to His own death on the cross! But Jesus would not be dissuaded by His disciples’ pleas. It was still daylight, the time God ordained for Him to bring light into the world, by means of His sign-miracles (Psalm 91:11). And so He would go to Bethany. The analogy of v11-13 about sleeping and waking is meant for us to think of death and resurrection; many have likely taken this analogy to some extreme for which it was not intended (soul sleep vs. consciousness upon death – see Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

   Look at the end of v14 and the beginning of v15. “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad…” That’s a strange joy! Loving His disciples, He wanted this event to bring them an increasing belief; had Jesus healed Lazarus instantly with a word, the disciples would have never grasped it. He’ll also get to chat with the sisters about more important things as a result of being absent at Lazarus’ death. Jesus’ joy lies in what’s best for us. In suffering, Calvin says, “we groan and are perplexed and sorrowful, but the Lord rejoices on account of our benefit, and gives a twofold display of His kindness to us in this respect, that He not only pardons our sins, but gladly finds means of correcting them.”

   Thomas’ statement in response to Jesus’ strange teaching (v16), was probably occasioned by doubt (after all, he is “doubting Thomas”) and gloomy resignation. Jesus was going to die there in Bethany, and despairingly, all would be lost. But at the same time, he is boldly willing to die with Jesus on account of the doctrine he has learned. Perhaps it’s something akin to “dying while living the truth” opposed to “living a lie.” Just as later in the chapter the high priest unwittingly gives a prophecy of truth (v49-52), so it seems to be the case here. Certainly, it is only as we die with Jesus that we can be raised again to eternal life. Thomas’ statement, then, perfectly illustrates the teaching of Jesus, in relation to this sign miracle. One can only find eternal life by Jesus’ going to His own death, when he himself is also dead. If one would live in Christ, he must also die with Christ. However, rather than zealously make the statement Thomas made, he ought to have rested in the promise and leadership of Jesus. The disciples could not yet grasp the full extent of this teaching; but later, when Christ was raised from the dead, they understood and believed.

3. V17-24 – When Jesus finally came to Bethany, the house was filled with many friends (likely from Jerusalem, as John relates the proximity of the suburb) who were comforting Mary and Martha. There may have even been professional mourners, but more likely, this family was highly respected by a multitude of people. Their intentions were to comfort the sisters, but God had another motive in amassing this crowd; a large audience for Jesus’ great miracle was present. However, being so close to Jerusalem, where the Jews were trying to kill Jesus, such a crowd put Him in danger from the Pharisees as well. Even though Jesus did not then die, the series of events that ultimately led to His death were put into play right here. And so Thomas’ prediction that Jesus was going to His death was, in a sense, true.

   Martha seems to be somewhat more active than her sister, as we learn from Luke 10:38-42; so it is not surprising that she runs to the outskirts to meet Jesus alone. Her faith in Jesus is commendable, for she believes that He could have prevented this death. But she also mixes in her emotions here, as it seems she would have expected Jesus to prevent Lazarus’ death, when Jesus owed her no such thing. The purest faith seeks first the glory of God over selfish pursuits. Even though Lazarus died, she is not bitter or angry with Him, but she recognizes that He is still able to perform any miracle, simply by asking the Father. However, the miracle of raising her brother from the dead seems completely out of her thoughts (v39). In fact, even when Jesus tells her that her brother will rise again, which is a gracious and unrequested promise, she thinks that He is talking about the final resurrection in the end times. It is commendable that she believed in this resurrection; but she does not give any evidence that she has realized that this end-time resurrection is possible only through Jesus. But that is exactly what Jesus is going to tell her.

4. V25-27 – Jesus tells her: “I am the resurrection and the life.” In other words, the final resurrection, and the eternal life of fellowship with God that follows it, is to be found in Him alone. Resurrection must occur before life. Similarly, regeneration must occur before faith. These chronologically occur at the same time, but there is a logical priority that we discussed when walking through John 3. Jesus shows that He is the commencement of life, and He afterwards adds, that the continuance of life is also a work of His grace. That Jesus speaks of spiritual life is clear from the context as well as numerous other places (John 5:21-25; Ephesians 2:1-10; 1 Peter 1:23).

   When Jesus asks her if she believes this, she responds with a claim as staggering as Peter’s famous confession – Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who has come into the world. This knowledge equals every blessing. She believes in Him, as the One the prophets spoke of, and therefore, as Jesus has just told her, she will never die, neither will her brother Lazarus. To the one who believes in Jesus, death is not death, but simply a passing into eternal life. Although Martha believes these things, she does not yet realize how Jesus will illustrate their truth, by raising her brother from the grave. But soon she would see; and her faith would be vindicated, and the faith of others would be brought to life, just as Lazarus was brought to life – by the authoritative word of Jesus!

5. V28-37 – Martha ran back home to privately (aside) give Mary the good news that Jesus had arrived. It is suggested that they wanted to keep Jesus from attracting a crowd (v30), since they knew His life was at stake at the hands of the Jewish leaders. Mary must have shared Martha’s faith, for they both respond the same way: as soon as they hear of Jesus’ coming, they leave everything, run to Him, and confess that He could have healed Lazarus if only He had been there. As each day passed and He didn’t come, Martha and Mary probably asked the question, “Does Jesus really care?” We ask the same thing. And the only answer that can be given to that question is “He knows what’s best for us.”

   Now perhaps Jesus would have talked with Mary, just as He had with Martha, and told her that He alone is the resurrection and the life, and that He would raise Lazarus from his grave. But the comforters who were with Mary, when they saw her leaving the house in such haste, assumed that she was going to the grave to cry, so they followed her. It was their duty to dissuade Mary from going, that the sight of the tomb might not give fresh occasion for her grief; yet they don’t venture to apply so harsh a remedy, but simply contribute to the excess of her grief, by accompanying her to the tomb to mourn with her. Therefore, Jesus and Mary had no opportunity for privacy, as He and Martha had had a few minutes earlier. Mary fell at His feet and stated that He could have prevented this tragedy had He been physically present. There is an acknowledgement of His power, but it falls selfishly short of attributing His true and full power to Him as the Son of God.

   When Jesus saw Mary and the rest of the mourners weeping, He was, according to John, both deeply moved (indignant or angry) in His spirit and deeply troubled (saddened). Why would He have been angry? Perhaps He was angry because of the deep sorrow and despair that sin had brought into the world; perhaps He was angry because of the lack of faith that now confronted Him in the presence of all these mourners. Whatever the reason, it is far more amazing that He was deeply troubled and sorrowful. Jesus, holy God and perfect Man, has every reason to be angry with sin and with us sinners – but what amazing love He displays towards us, that He sorrows over our condition with great sympathy, and is willing to give of Himself to make us right again! His emotional display does not result in further teaching; but instead, Jesus asks where Lazarus has been laid so that He could make His way there in preparation for the coming, publicly performed miracle. This was the time for action, not for teaching.

   V35 is the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” The people recognize this, and make a note of how much Jesus loved him. Some of them even wonder why He did not prevent his death – if He could give sight to the man born blind, surely He could have healed Lazarus! Sadly, their faith was constantly requiring more miracles, and had not yet progressed to faith in Jesus Himself. Their suggestion borders on malicious slander, as if to say, “If Jesus is so powerful, He should have healed this man.” They are judging His inaction, which is something no man should do regarding God. They believed, with Mary and Martha, that Jesus could have healed Lazarus; but by suggesting that He should have done so, they reveal that they do not yet believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God.

6. V38-46 - As He comes to the gravesite, Jesus is still deeply moved (righteously angered); but without further teaching or admonishing, He commands that the stone sealing the mouth of the grave be taken away. Martha’s astonishment at this command, and her observation that Lazarus must stink by now (The KJV says, “Lord, he stinketh.”), having been dead for four days, indicates that she had not understood Jesus’ promise that He would raise Lazarus, but still thought that He was referring to the resurrection of the last day. (In the next chapter, we’ll get a contrast to this bad odor with the spilling out of a bottle of perfume.) But Jesus reminds her that, if she believes, she will see God’s glory.

   Let’s look at what He says to her more closely. First, He asks a rhetorical question, “Did I not tell you?” John has not recorded that Jesus told Mary anything beyond, “Your brother will rise again” (v23), and “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die” (v25-26). So there was either more said than what John recorded or Jesus expected Mary to “get it” from His words to her. Thus she is blamed for not expecting some Divine work.

   Next, Jesus says to her, “If you believed.” We see here the importance of faith in receiving the blessings of God (Psalm 81:10; Matthew 13:58). Faith is nothing more than the channel or the link by which we receive the blessings of God. Picture the cable wire hooked into your television; it’s the same sort of thing. Faith prepares the way for the power, mercy, and goodness of God, that they may be displayed towards us as believers; and in like manner, unbelief, on the other hand, hinders God from approaching us, and may be said to keep His hands shut.

   Finally, Jesus says to her, “you would see the glory of God.” He is patient with her sanctification; she already believes in Him, but it’s far from a mature faith. Jesus gently reminds her, and she acquiesces. He says to her what He already told His disciples: raising Lazarus (in this fashion) would be to display the power of the glory of God. What an amazing plan! In the work of redemption, God is glorified when we are given new and eternal life (in the way we were regenerated). God is glorified, and we are enabled to see His glory – which is the essence of eternal life and the foundation of everlasting joy (see John 17:3; 2 Corinthians 1:25-2:4; 4:4-6).

   The mourners do then take away the stone; but instead of performing the miracle immediately, as He had done so many times before, Jesus prays audibly, thanking the Father for hearing Him and acknowledging that the Father always hears His prayers. He did this, not for Himself (He did not need to pray to gain any special power for this miracle or anything like that), but so that the audience might learn to enter the Father’s presence through Him, knowing that the Father sent Him. Jesus did not do anything of His own accord, as He told the Pharisees so long ago (John 5:30); what the Father plans, Jesus does, and there is always perfect agreement between Them. This is a comforting truth, when we remember what Jesus prays for us just before His death on the cross (John 17); and when we remember that, after His ascension, He is always interceding for us as our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). The Father and Son do not just endure us; rather, They delight in us. This truth cannot fail to comfort us who, though weak and sinful, have fled to Jesus for refuge.

   Now, having prayed to the Father, Jesus raises Lazarus with an authoritative word. And the dead man came out. This wasn’t an impostor; it was the same man who had died four days ago. Jesus then tells the audience to take off his bandages and let him go. They got to touch him to validate that what they were seeing was no mere illusion; they experienced it hands-on. Renowned commentator Matthew Henry said famously that Jesus had to say, “Lazarus, come forth!” because if He had just said, “Come forth,” all the dead would have come forth. And this is true! That’s the power of His word! We saw the power of His word in creation, and we’ll see the power of His word in John 20:16 with the account of Mary after the resurrection. And we see it in 2 Corinthians 4:6: God says, “See!” and we see. And Lazarus (tradition says he was 30 when this happened and lived to be 60) came back after four days. This is no mere resuscitation; this is return from decomposition. Jesus raised others from the dead; but here He reveals His power over a rotting corpse. And don’t you wonder what Lazarus had to say? Why doesn’t John tell us? Lazarus is insignificant here. It’s all about Jesus! Death, the last enemy, is defeated temporarily here as a sign of the permanent victory to come.

   At the beginning of his gospel, John made the connection between creation and redemption – just as God, through the agency of His eternal Son, created the world by speaking it into existence; so, when He determined to redeem mankind, He would do so through Jesus, His Son, by an authoritative word. In fact, the goal of redemption is nothing but a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). And just as God created man originally, by the word of His mouth, so He creates him anew – creates in him a new and living heart of belief – by His own powerful word. A dead man cannot create life in himself. No more can we, who are “dead in our trespasses and sins,” produce in ourselves the faith that leads to eternal life. But praise be to God, who, according to His mercy and in fulfillment of His promises, raised us up to new life, when we were dead and without hope (Ephesians 2:1-10)! Remember, the raising of Lazarus was a sign-miracle. Unless we learn from this event about how Jesus raises men who are spiritually dead to true and eternal life, we are missing its real intent and purpose. For Lazarus, which happened first? Did he hear Christ’s command before he was made alive? Or was he made alive to hear Christ’s command? Relating that to our spiritual lives, which happened first? Did we hear the gospel, believe it, and get re-born? Or were we re-born to hear and believe the gospel? In both cases, it is the latter. Regeneration must precede faith from a logical perspective, though they may happen simultaneously from a chronological viewpoint.

   After the miracle, we see the same response that we have seen so many times before: many of the Jewish eyewitnesses believe in Him (meaning essentially that they were willing to submit to His doctrinal teaching); they were not in all cases believing in Him with saving faith. Some of them, blind and irrationally impious, oppose Jesus and report Him to the Pharisees. We learn from this reality as Calvin says that “before men can profit by miracles, their hearts must be purified; for they who have no fear of God, and no reverence for Him, though they saw heaven and earth mingled, will never cease to reject sound doctrine through obstinate ingratitude.”

7. V47-57 – Just as Jesus’ signs and teachings increase, so does the opposition of the Pharisees. At this point, the Jewish leaders have had enough. They do not even care any more whether or not the miracle was done on the Sabbath. They just know that, if Jesus continues doing these miraculous signs, which they fully acknowledge that He is doing, more and more people will believe on Him, and, consequently, fewer and fewer will still be in subjection to them. Specifically, the Romans will notice an uprising and take away the local governing authority that the Jewish leaders had. It was time to stop threatening; they needed to actually do away Jesus for the sake of “their” nation. Their irrational blindness is plain to see, and by asking, “What are we accomplishing?” they are accusing themselves of sloth or idleness or laziness in this matter. They actually have the audacity to think they can stop Jesus from accomplishing the will of God. Even more ironically, their selfish actions effectively accomplish the will of God (Psalm 2:4,12; Romans 9:17-24), which we also see from Caiaphas’ prophecy.

   The high priest, Caiaphas, made a remarkable statement, for God used him to give a true prophecy that was completely foreign to what he actually meant. Caiaphas ignored Proverbs 17:15 “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent – the Lord detests them both.” This in itself is an amazing example of how God uses the wicked designs of evil men to accomplish His own holy purposes. We see this truth displayed very clearly in the example of Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 50:20); but the most outstanding example of all is the case of Jesus’ crucifixion (Acts 2:22-24). It is fitting, therefore, that even in the events leading up to Christ’s death, God is using the wicked instruments of crucifixion for His good purpose. This is the principle of concurrence, where one word, thought, or deed is brought to pass by two actors, namely God and man, with two distinct purposes, God’s for good and man’s for evil. Caiaphas said that it is better for the people that one man die than that they all perish. He was thinking that Jesus should die before He stirred up all the people to a riot, which would have led to the Romans coming to destroy the nation; but God meant that Jesus would die to bring the people to God – and not just the Jewish people, but also His people from every nation (Revelation 5:9). Jesus has sheep from the Jewish fold and sheep from the Gentiles; and He must bring all of them together, by His death, so that there is one fold and one shepherd (John 10:16; Ephesians 1:10; 2:11-22). (The construction of v51-52 is parallel to that of 1 John 2:2, which we noted in looking at John 3:36. We better understand the one passage by comparing it with the other.)

   The chapter concludes with a brief description of the situation. Jesus is not showing Himself in public, because the Jews are trying to kill Him; and even commanding that anyone who knows where He is must report to them, so that they can arrest Him. But the Passover was drawing near – and this Passover will be Jesus’ final celebration in His earthly life. People were beginning to gather in Jerusalem for the pre-Feast ceremonial cleansing. The fame of Jesus was diffused extensively through the whole of Judea; for they who assemble in the temple area, from whatever region of the country they come, are eager to seek Him and converse with one another concerning Him. While they seek Him to se what He’ll do next, they discover that the tyrannical leadership prevents Him from appearing openly. The stage is now set. Soon, they will witness and participate in His final public appearance, when He offers Himself as the sacrificial Passover Lamb of God, which, of course, is the very reason that He came to earth.

Footnotes

1. 11:18 Greek fifteen stadia (about 3 kilometers)
2. 11:27 Or Messiah
3. 11:48 Or temple

---

Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

BACK TO MENU   PREVIOUS CHAPTER   NEXT CHAPTER