John 11 - CSB Disciple’s Study Bible

11:1-44 MIRACLE, Christ—Miracles provide opportunity to teach spiritual truth, to lead people to faith, and to reveal the person of Christ. Jesus carefully planned his visit to Bethany for the raising of Lazarus. The understanding and faith of the disciples was provoked. The faith of the sisters was challenged. All came through when confronted with the gift of new life. The difficulty of the miracle is underscored in the hopelessness of the sisters and the fact that Lazarus had been in the grave four days—already his spirit had departed according to Jewish beliefs. Yet a bit of faith, the size of a grain of mustard seed, prompted such remarks as “if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died” (v. 21). At Jesus’s direction they took away the stone. Jesus called to Lazarus, and Lazarus came forth. Again (see chap. 9) the religious leaders tried to discredit the miracle (12:10), for many believed on Jesus. Even the religious leaders complained to one another that Jesus did many signs (vv. 45-48), but the signs did not point them to God. Miracles do not force us to God. They provide reason and opportunity to believe in him.

11:1-44 JESUS CHRIST, Miracles—The seventh sign was the raising of Lazarus. It became the occasion for the discourse on the resurrection. This concludes the first part of John’s Gospel, the book of signs. It serves as a transition to the second half, the book of glory. Lazarus had been dead long enough for the body to begin its decay. Jesus raised him back to earthly existence. The final resurrection of all persons occurs at the last day. We have not yet tasted death, but we have already begun to experience the power of him who overcomes death. See note on 2:1-11.

11:1-44 HUMANITY, Death—When physical death comes to a loved one, people naturally feel grief. This was true even of Jesus. At the same time, the power and love of Jesus can restore life. No one, however, ultimately escapes physical death as long as this world endures.

11:1-44 FAMILY, Role Relationships—See note on Lk 10:38-42.

11:3 EVIL AND SUFFERING, God’s Present Help—Even those Jesus loves are subject to suffering and death. We should not expect our faith in the Lord to protect us always from affliction. Rather, we should believe that the Lord will one day raise us from the dead as he did Lazarus. God can help us and teach us through our suffering. See note on 9:1-4.

11:4 GOD, Glory—The glory of God is some event or happening that reveals the excellence of God. In some OT instances the glory of God was manifested in some visible form, like a shining light. The emphasis, however, is not on the event or means of disclosing the glory of God. The emphasis is on the strong, unmistakable perception of God’s person and God’s power. In this case the miracle of healing was important, but the way that the healing pointed to God’s power was more important. It revealed the glory of God.

11:4 JESUS CHRIST Glory—Jesus’s miracles brought the glorious presence of God in power and led people to acknowledge God as the One with supreme glory. See note on 1:14. See 2:11; 7:39; 8:50,54; 11:4,40; 12:16-28,41; 13:31-32; 14:13; 15:8; 16:14; 17:1-10,22-24; 21:19.

11:7 JESUS CHRIST, Mission—This crucial event in the life of Jesus marked a turning point in his ministry. With Jesus’s return to Judea for the raising of Lazarus, Jesus turned from showing the glory of the Father to the disciples to showing God’s glory to all the world through the final events of his ministry, especially the cross.

11:11-13 LAST THINGS, Believers’ Death—Although the actual physical death of Lazarus was clearly validated (vv. 14,39), Jesus spoke of it as sleep. See note on Ac 7:60. For believers, death is no more sinister than sleep. It is in fact true rest. For the power of God, resurrection from the dead is no more difficult than rousing persons from sleep.

11:15,25-27,40-48 SALVATION, Belief—This is the sign of signs in John’s Gospel. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead four days. The sign was intended to evoke faith in those who saw it and heard about it. All those who believe in Jesus will be raised from the dead. He has the power over death and the grave. He did not come to break the power of a political empire. He came to win victory over death.

11:22 PRAYER, Faith—Death is not a barrier for absolute faith. See notes on Mt 21:19-22; Mk 9:19-29.

11:24 LAST THINGS, Believers’ Resurrection—While an immediate raising back to life was not in Martha’s hope for her brother, the prospect of future resurrection was. Jesus is the source of present spiritual life, which is eternal life. He is also the power for future resurrection life at the last day. In him, present and future merge, as spiritual and physical resurrection find a common source. The present power witnesses to that of the last day, and that of the last day is predicated on that of the present display.

11:25 JESUS CHRIST, Resurrection—Jesus was raised from the dead and thus became the way of resurrection for those who trust him. As the Resurrection, he gives eternal life.

11:25 REVELATION, Author of Life—Here Jesus made a most important revelation: he is the author of resurrection and life. Any who believe in him receive with him the power to overcome death. Each person’s destiny depends on response to this revelation.

11:28 EDUCATION, Jesus—Friends are most likely to know our true identity. It is significant, therefore, that Martha called Jesus “Teacher” when telling her sister of his arrival in Bethany. See note on 13:13.

11:28 JESUS CHRIST, Teaching—His followers confessed Christ as “Messiah” and “Son of God” (v. 27). They addressed him as “Teacher” because that was the role he most often filled.

11:35-38 JESUS CHRIST, Suffering—Jesus knew the suffering that love brings. He cried like all humans who lose loved ones.

11:40 REVELATION, Events—Jesus assured two very close friends that their belief in him and his power would allow them to see the fullness of God’s will revealed in their brother’s recovery from death. God’s glory is the full manifestation of his power and presence. See note on Ex 33:18-22.

11:40 JESUS CHRIST, Glory—Giving life to the dead reveals God’s glory in Jesus. See note on v. 4.

11:41-42 PRAYER, Answer—See note on Mk 7:34. Jesus’s words imply a prayer previously made, probably during the four day wait prior to the journey to Bethany (vv. 6,17). Here he acknowledged the Father as his source of healing power. Answered prayer calls forth thanks. Believers need never doubt. God hears and responds to prayer.

11:43-44 LAST THINGS, Believers’ Resurrection—The raising of Lazarus back to continued earthly life was a demonstration in time of the end-time power of God to effect the resurrection of believers (5:28-29). Lazarus was raised but would die again. Believers will be raised never again to die.

11:51-52 THE CHURCH, Redeemed of All Ages—The church goes beyond all racial and political boundaries. Christ’s death offered salvation to all people. The Jewish leaders thought they could escape punishment from the Roman government by letting Jesus die. God’s purposes go beyond the Jewish nation to include all people. He works to unite all people under Christ. Churches are local groups, but they are part of the body of Christ, the redeemed of all the ages. See notes on 10:14-18; 20:29; Lk 9:49-50.

11:51 JESUS CHRIST, Atonement—Even the religious establishment unconsciously and against their own wills acknowledged the atoning work of Christ.

11:55 JESUS CHRIST, Mission—John’s account of the last events in Jesus’s ministry speaks of Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem and gives a report of Jesus’s final teaching in that city. This period of final teaching involves the inclusion of Greek-speaking Jews, symbolic of the ingathering of the Gentiles, and Jesus’s references to OT prophecy to anticipate his death (Is 53:1). His ministry ended where it began—with prophetic insights. See Mk 11:1.