111 Now a certain man named Lazarus was ill; he was of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (The Mary whose brother Lazarus was ill, was the Mary who put perfumed oil on the Lord and made his feet dry with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, your dear friend is ill. 4 When this came to his ears, Jesus said, The end of this disease is not death, but the glory of God, so that the Son of God may have glory because of it. 5 Now Jesus had love in his heart for Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when the news came to him that Lazarus was ill, he did not go from the place where he was for two days. 7 Then after that time he said to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. 8 The disciples said to him, Master, the Jews were attempting only the other day to have you stoned, and are you going back there again? 9 Then Jesus said in answer, Are there not twelve hours in the day? A man may go about in the day without falling, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if a man goes about in the night, he may have a fall because the light is not in him. 11 These things said he: and after that he said to them, Lazarus our friend is at rest; but I go so that I may make him come out of his sleep. 12 Then his disciples said to him, Lord, if he is resting he will get well. 13 Jesus, however, was talking of his death: but they had the idea that he was talking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them clearly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And because of you I am glad I was not there, so that you may have faith; but let us go to him. 16 Then Thomas, who was named Didymus, said to the other disciples, Let us go so that we may be with him in death.
17 Now when Jesus came, he made the discovery that Lazarus had been put into the earth four days before. 18 Now Bethany was near to Jerusalem, about two miles away; 19 And a number of Jews had come to Martha and Mary to give them comfort about their brother. 20 When Martha had the news that Jesus was on the way, she went out to him, but Mary did not go from the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here my brother would not be dead. 22 But I am certain that, even now, whatever request you make to God, God will give it to you. 23 Jesus said to her, Your brother will come to life again. 24 Martha said to him, I am certain that he will come to life again when all come back from the dead at the last day. 25 Jesus said to her, I am myself that day and that life; he who has faith in me will have life even if he is dead; 26 And no one who is living and has faith in me will ever see death. Is this your faith? 27 She said to him, Yes, Lord: my faith is that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.
28 And having said this, she went away and said secretly to her sister Mary, The Master is here and has sent for you. 29 And Mary, hearing this, got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not at this time come into the town, but was still in the place where Martha had seen him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, comforting her, when they saw Mary get up quickly and go out, went after her in the belief that she was going to the place of the dead and would be weeping there. 32 When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she went down at his feet, saying, Lord, if you had been here my brother would not be dead.
33 And when Jesus saw her weeping, and saw the Jews weeping who came with her, his spirit was moved and he was troubled, 34 And said, Where have you put him? They said, Come and see, Lord. 35 And Jesus himself was weeping. 36 So the Jews said, See how dear he was to him! 37 But some of them said, This man, who made open the eyes of the blind man, was he not able to keep his friend from death?
38 So Jesus, deeply troubled in heart, came to the place of the dead. It was a hole in the rock, and a stone was over the opening. 39 Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said, Lord, by this time the body will be smelling, for he has been dead four days. 40 Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you had faith you would see the glory of God? 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus, looking up to heaven, said, Father, I give praise to you for hearing me. 42 I was certain that your ears are at all times open to me, but I said it because of these who are here, so that they may see that you sent me. 43 Then he said in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! 44 And he who was dead came out, with linen bands folded tightly about his hands and feet, and a cloth about his face. Jesus said to them, Make him free and let him go.
45 Then a number of the Jews who had come to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did had belief in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees with the news of what Jesus had done.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 11:1-46
Commentary on John 11:1-6
(Read John 11:1-6)
It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the wrath to come; however, it behoves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends and relatives when sick and afflicted. Let this reconcile us to the darkest dealings of Providence, that they are all for the glory of God: sickness, loss, disappointment, are so; and if God be glorified, we ought to be satisfied. Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. The families are greatly favoured in which love and peace abound; but those are most happy whom Jesus loves, and by whom he is beloved. Alas, that this should seldom be the case with every person, even in small families. God has gracious intentions, even when he seems to delay. When the work of deliverance, temporal or spiritual, public or personal, is delayed, it does but stay for the right time.
Commentary on John 11:7-10
(Read John 11:7-10)
Christ never brings his people into any danger but he goes with them in it. We are apt to think ourselves zealous for the Lord, when really we are only zealous for our wealth, credit, ease, and safety; we have therefore need to try our principles. But our day shall be lengthened out, till our work is done, and our testimony finished. A man has comfort and satisfaction while in the way of his duty, as set forth by the word of God, and determined by the providence of God. Christ, wherever he went, walked in the day; and so shall we, if we follow his steps. If a man walks in the way of his heart, and according to the course of this world, if he consults his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God, he falls into temptations and snares. He stumbles, because there is no light in him; for light in us is to our moral actions, that which light about us to our natural actions.
Commentary on John 11:11-16
(Read John 11:11-16)
Since we are sure to rise again at the last, why should not the believing hope of that resurrection to eternal life, make it as easy for us to put off the body and die, as it is to put off our clothes and go to sleep? A true Christian, when he dies, does but sleep; he rests from the labours of the past day. Nay, herein death is better than sleep, that sleep is only a short rest, but death is the end of earthly cares and toils. The disciples thought that it was now needless for Christ to go to Lazarus, and expose himself and them. Thus we often hope that the good work we are called to do, will be done by some other hand, if there be peril in the doing of it. But when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, many were brought to believe on him; and there was much done to make perfect the faith of those that believed. Let us go to him; death cannot separate from the love of Christ, nor put us out of the reach of his call. Like Thomas, in difficult times Christians should encourage one another. The dying of the Lord Jesus should make us willing to die whenever God calls us.
Commentary on John 11:17-32
(Read John 11:17-32)
Here was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not from the house. When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the house; this temper formerly had been an advantage to her, when it put her at Christ's feet to hear his word; but in the day of affliction, the same temper disposed her to melancholy. It is our wisdom to watch against the temptations, and to make use of the advantages of our natural tempers. When we know not what in particular to ask or expect, let us refer ourselves to God; let him do as seemeth him good. To enlarge Martha's expectations, our Lord declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. In every sense he is the Resurrection; the source, the substance, the first-fruits, the cause of it. The redeemed soul lives after death in happiness; and after the resurrection, both body and soul are kept from all evil for ever. When we have read or heard the word of Christ, about the great things of the other world, we should put it to ourselves, Do we believe this truth? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make such a deep impression upon us as they do, if we believed the things of eternity as we ought. When Christ our Master comes, he calls for us. He comes in his word and ordinances, and calls us to them, calls us by them, calls us to himself. Those who, in a day of peace, set themselves at Christ's feet to be taught by him, may with comfort, in a day of trouble, cast themselves at his feet, to find favour with him.
Commentary on John 11:33-46
(Read John 11:33-46)
Christ's tender sympathy with these afflicted friends, appeared by the troubles of his spirit. In all the afflictions of believers he is afflicted. His concern for them was shown by his kind inquiry after the remains of his deceased friend. Being found in fashion as a man, he acts in the way and manner of the sons of men. It was shown by his tears. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Tears of compassion resemble those of Christ. But Christ never approved that sensibility of which many are proud, while they weep at mere tales of distress, but are hardened to real woe. He sets us an example to withdraw from scenes of giddy mirth, that we may comfort the afflicted. And we have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. It is a good step toward raising a soul to spiritual life, when the stone is taken away, when prejudices are removed, and got over, and way is made for the word to enter the heart. If we take Christ's word, and rely on his power and faithfulness, we shall see the glory of God, and be happy in the sight. Our Lord Jesus has taught us, by his own example, to call God Father, in prayer, and to draw nigh to him as children to a father, with humble reverence, yet with holy boldness. He openly made this address to God, with uplifted eyes and loud voice, that they might be convinced the Father had sent him as his beloved Son into the world. He could have raised Lazarus by the silent exertion of his power and will, and the unseen working of the Spirit of life; but he did it by a loud call. This was a figure of the gospel call, by which dead souls are brought out of the grave of sin: and of the sound of the archangel's trumpet at the last day, with which all that sleep in the dust shall be awakened, and summoned before the great tribunal. The grave of sin and this world, is no place for those whom Christ has quickened; they must come forth. Lazarus was thoroughly revived, and returned not only to life, but to health. The sinner cannot quicken his own soul, but he is to use the means of grace; the believer cannot sanctify himself, but he is to lay aside every weight and hinderance. We cannot convert our relatives and friends, but we should instruct, warn, and invite them.