John 11.1-46

John Chapter 11 recounts one of Jesus' most profound miracles: the raising of Lazarus from the dead. It not only demonstrates Jesus’ authority over life and death but also emphasizes the themes of faith, divine timing, and the glory of God revealed through suffering. There are several significant keywords in this chapter. Note the context of their usage elsewhere in Scripture - and apply that understanding as you read this chapter.

Death (θάνατος - thanatos) - "death" Here, the term "death" is significant as it represents both physical death and spiritual separation. Lazarus' physical death illustrates the fallen condition of humanity, which is a result of sin (Romans 5:12). This theme of death is also echoed in Genesis 2:17, where God warns Adam that disobedience leads to death, establishing a framework for understanding the necessity of redemption.
Believe (πιστεύω - pisteuō) - "to have faith" The call to believe appears repeatedly as Jesus emphasizes faith as a means to witness God's power and glory. In verse 25, He states, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live." The concept of believing connects to passages like Romans 10:9 and Ephesians 2:8-9, where faith is central to salvation—a foundational truth from Scripture, wherein salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.
Glory (δόξα - doxa) - "glory, honor, praise" The term "glory" as it pertains to God is pivotal in this chapter. Jesus indicates that Lazarus' illness and subsequent death serve "the glory of God" (John 11:4). The glory of God reveals His divine attributes and power. This echoes Isaiah 43:7, where God declares He has created His people for His glory, reinforcing the biblical mandate to live for the honor of God in all aspects of life.
Life (ζωή - zōē) - "life, vitality" Jesus proclaims, "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25). "Life" is more than mere biological existence; it encompasses eternal life, a key teaching of Jesus’ ministry (John 10:10). Eternal life is a present reality for believers, rooted in their union with Christ (Romans 6:23).
Resurrection (ἀνάστασις - anastasis) - "a raising up, resurrection" “Resurrection" is at the core of Christian hope. In John 11:23, Jesus assures Martha that her brother will rise again. This promise anticipates not only Lazarus’ physical resurrection but also the ultimate resurrection of believers, as seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:14. The end-times significance of resurrection underscores the understanding of "already and not yet," where we (followers of Christ) experience the reality of our resurrection life now through faith, yet we await its full manifestation.

John Chapter 11 brings us to a deeper understanding of the reality of sin (death), the necessity of faith (belief), the revelation of God's glory, the offer of eternal life, and the promise of resurrection. Each of these key terms are important in our understanding of Jesus' ministry as He reveals the nature and character of God, particularly in the contexts of suffering and divine purpose. As we meditate what we read here, remember that God’s sovereign plan covers even the most challenging circumstances, and faith in Christ brings assurance that death is not the end but our transition to eternal life.

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1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3 So the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days in the place where He was.
7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”
9 Jesus 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.”
11 He said these things, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him.”
12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be saved from his sickness.”
13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of actual sleep.
14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,
15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”
16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away;
19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother.
20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.
21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 “But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the One who comes into the world.”
28 And when she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”
29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.
31 Then the Jews—who were with her in the house and consoling her—when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to cry there.
32 Therefore, 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.”
33 When Jesus therefore saw her crying, and the Jews who came with her also crying, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,
34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept.
36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”
38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time he smells, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 “And I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the crowd standing around I said this, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”
43 And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.
46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.