John 11 Verses 1-6 

John 11:1 “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 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. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.  

“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.”  It is pointed out to us in the scriptures that Jesus had a very close relationship with this family.  It is obvious the love he had for them.   

“(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)”  The account of Mary anointing the Lord with ointment is given to us in the next chapter.   

“Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”  It is apparent from this that Mary and Martha felt that Lazarus was extremely ill as they sent word to the Lord.  It also appears from this that they were expecting that the Lord would come and heal him. 

“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.”  The Lord tells us here that what is to follow will result in the Son of God being glorified.  Also, we are assured that the end result will not be the death of Lazarus. 

“Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.”  It should be of comfort to us that the Lord loved these three as they were not well known in the world.  Moreover, Jesus loves all of his children and is compassionate toward us as he was toward these three. 

“When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.”  From what is to follow we can conclude that the Lord already knew that Lazarus was sick as he knows all things.  Yet, he heard the report and abode two more days in the same place where he was.  There was a reason as we discover that the Lord abode two more days.  The reason was that the Lord was not going to go until Lazarus was dead.  We have already seen in previous scripture that the Lord did not have to go to Lazarus in order to heal him.  He could have simply spoke the word and Lazarus would have been healed.  But as the Lord said, this would be to the glory of the Son of God.

John 11 Verses 7-16 

John 11:7 “Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. 8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? 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. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. 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. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 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. 16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 

“Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.  His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?”  The disciples were questioning the Lord’s wisdom of going back to where the Jews had sought to stone Jesus.  “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. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.”  The Lord often used natural truths to illustrate spiritual truths.  Walking in a dark night when there is no light will most likely cause one to stumble. During the day when a man sees the light of the world, he is much less likely to stumble.  The Lord by using this example is telling the disciples that he is the spiritual light and they are to walk in that light.  There was no fear of the Lord being stoned by the Jews because he is the Lord. 

“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. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”  It is just as easy for the Lord to awake a person from the dead as it is to awake a person from sleep.   

“And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. 16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.”  If the Lord had been there then Lazarus would have been healed.  We note that we have no record in the Lord’s walk in the body of his flesh where anyone ever died in his presence.  It is also obvious that Thomas did not understand what was about to happen.   

John 11 Verses 17-27 

John 11:17 “Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 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: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”   

“Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.” 

Without embalming fluids such as are used with dead bodies awaiting burial in our country today, a dead body would be in a great deal of corruption and decay and would give off a foul odor.  This would have been the condition of Lazarus body when the Lord came on the scene. 

“Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.”  This custom is still in practice in most places in this country today, where the friends and relatives of those who have lost a love one come and comfort the bereaved.   

“Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.  Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.  But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”  Martha was correct in her statement that if Jesus had been there then Lazarus would not have died.  This is the reason that the Lord tarried until Lazarus was dead before coming.  But, as we have seen before, if the Lord had intended that Lazarus not die of his sickness he would not have even been present to have healed, but simply spoke the word and he would have been healed. 

“Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.  Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?  She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”  First, Martha affirmed that she believed in the resurrection in the last day.  To which the Lord informed her that he was the resurrection and the life.  Moreover, the Lord said that he that believeth in him, though he were dead, yet shall he live.  This teaches us that every believer shall live again.  The Lord continued and said, “And whosover liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this?”  Some people believe that when the body dies that life ceases until the resurrection.  However, the bible plainly teaches that it is only the body that dies, whereas the soul and spirit live on in heaven and await the resurrection of the body.  

“She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”