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John 11
Joh 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of
Mary and her sister Martha.
Joh 11:2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his
feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Joh 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou
lovest is sick.
Joh 11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but
for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Perhaps the Lord is reminding us that some sicknesses are unto death or our time
to leave this life to enter our final home. The sickness of Lazarus was not
meant to be his time to die but that God would show His power and testify that
Jesus was the one that Moses wrote about.
Yet, sadly even this miracle just stirred those that were against Jesus to even
more envy and hate.
Joh 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
Joh 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still
in the same place where he was.
Joh 11:7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again.
Joh 11:8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone
thee; and goest thou thither again?
He was going to show them one last miracle so that unbelief now would not be
justified. Their rejection of Him as Messiah was not justified.
Joh 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man
walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
Joh 11:10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no
light in him.
Jesus had to finish the work that He was called to do while it was still day and He was still with
them. He
didn't fear the Jews that sought to kill Him.
Joh 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend
Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken
of taking of rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Joh 11:15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye
may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
It may seem strange that some would question God and try to reason with Him. He
wanted to go and the disciples sought to hinder Him out of fear that the Jewish
leaders wanted to kill Jesus.
Joh 11:16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow
disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Joh 11:17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days
already.
Joh 11:18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
Joh 11:19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them
concerning their brother.
Joh 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met
him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Joh 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother
had not died.
She seems to blame Jesus for not getting there in time. She knew He could heal
but the thought of resurrection was not on her mind.
Joh 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God
will give it thee.
It seems like Martha still had a shred of faith that somehow Jesus could make it
right.
Joh 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Joh 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the
resurrection at the last day.
The Jewish people did know that there would be a resurrection of the dead from
Old Testament scriptures.
Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Here was the resurrection and the life standing before them.
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest
thou this?
Here is the whole gospel. Whoever believes in Him. To believe means to abide in,
keep His word and follow Him not just believe He once existed as a person.
To believe in Jesus means to turn from the sin He saves us from and start
trusting in Him for all things. We leave our old life and become a new creature
in Jesus. We will never die spiritually and in a since, we never die physically
because the minute our soul leaves our body we are in the presence of the Lord.
The soul and spirit do not sleep.
Joh 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ,
the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Joh 11:28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister
secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
Joh 11:29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
Joh 11:30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where
Martha met him.
Joh 11:31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her,
when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying,
She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
Joh 11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at
his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not
died.
I don't think she really blamed Him but was knew that He could have prevented it
but something must have hindered Him from getting there in time.
Joh 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping
which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
Joh 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and
see.
Joh 11:35 Jesus wept.
Joh 11:36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
Jesus did not weep because Lazarus was dead because He knew where the dead go
and that the death of the righteous is not permanent. Jesus wept because of the
unbelief surrounding Him. Unbelief grieves the heart of God and is the cause of
much of our unanswered prayer.
Joh 11:37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of
the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
Here we see criticism and doubt that Jesus was who He said He was. They had to
see signs and wonders to believe. True faith though is believing even when we do
not see anything visibly. Notice that these observers were ready to pounce
with criticism at the first mistake or error Jesus made. Of course we know He
made no mistakes but they thought He erred in not getting there in time.
Joh 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It
was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
Joh 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was
dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four
days.
Joh 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest
believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Notice the importance of faith. "If you believe, you will see the glory of God."
Many things do not happen because we simply do not believe they will happen. If
we go to church expecting to be bored, we will be bored. If we go expecting to
receive something from the word of God, we will.
Joh 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was
laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou
hast heard me.
Joh 11:42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people
which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
Joh 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come
forth.
When Jesus returns He will not only say come forth to Lazarus but He will say
come forth to all who have died in the Lord.
Joh 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with
graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them,
Loose him, and let him go.
Joh 11:45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things
which Jesus did, believed on him.
Joh 11:46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what
things Jesus had done.
Joh 11:47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said,
What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
Joh 11:48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans
shall come and take away both our place and nation.
Notice the seed that falls on different soil. Some believed when they saw this
miracle. Others couldn't wait to go and tattle to the Pharisees to stir them up
against Jesus. The Pharisees cared more about their standing with the Roman
government than one sent from God who could raise the dead. The governments of
this world will pass away and be no more. Where is the Roman Empire today???? To
neglect our salvation just to please the world around us is the biggest mistake
we could possibly make.
Joh 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same
year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
Joh 11:50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for
the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
Joh 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he
prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
Joh 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together
in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Joh 11:53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to
death.
Joh 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence
unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there
continued with his disciples.
Joh 11:55 And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the
country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
Joh 11:56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood
in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
Joh 11:57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment,
that, if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that they might take
him.
They feared losing their place and losing their status among the people and the
government. They cared more for this world than for their eternal souls. We
can't please men and please God at the same time. We have to choose one above
another. The world system as we know it now will never be a friend to those that
live Godly in Jesus Christ. The closer to God we live the less the world around
us will accept us. We have to choose one or another. We sometimes look at
numbers and assume the majority are in the right but that is not so. Jesus said
straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be
that find it. Do we want to be popular or do we want to serve God no matter
what? What does it profit if we gain the whole material world and lose our souls
for eternity?
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