October 29

John 11 (biblegateway.com)

The Resurrection and the Life

After teaching His followers about stewardship, humility, and forgiveness, Jesus now demonstrates the ultimate display of divine power: His authority over death itself. What follows is one of the most personal and powerful miracles in His earthly ministry.

News comes that His dear friend Lazarus of Bethany is gravely ill. Yet, rather than rushing to heal him, Jesus delays, explaining that this sickness “is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (v. 4). When He finally arrives, Lazarus has been dead for four days. This deliberate delay sets the stage for a miracle that will reveal Christ’s divine identity and strengthen the faith of His followers.

John 11 — The Raising of Lazarus: The Power of Christ Over Death

John 11 marks a climactic turning point in Jesus’ public ministry, revealing His divine authority over life and death and setting in motion the final events leading to His crucifixion. After teaching about spiritual blindness in chapter 9 and declaring Himself the Good Shepherd in chapter 10, Jesus now demonstrates that He is “the resurrection and the life.” The miracle of raising Lazarus not only comforts a grieving family but also prefigures His own resurrection and exposes the growing hostility of the religious leaders.

As the chapter opens, John introduces Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha (v. 1–2). Mary is identified as the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair, an event John will later recount (12:3). When Lazarus became ill, his sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, he whom You love is ill” (v. 3). Their message reflects both faith and urgency; they did not demand a miracle but trusted in His compassion. Jesus responded that the illness would not end in death but serve to glorify God, so that the Son of God might be glorified through it (v. 4). This does not mean Lazarus would not die, but that death would not have the final word. Though Jesus deeply loved this family, He remained two days longer where He was (v. 5–6). His delay was deliberate, ensuring that when He arrived, there would be no doubt that Lazarus was truly dead. God’s timing, though mysterious, is always perfect and purposeful.

When Jesus finally told His disciples that they were returning to Judea, they reminded Him that the Jews there had recently tried to stone Him (v. 7–8). Jesus answered with a brief parable about walking in the day versus stumbling in the night (v. 9–10), teaching that as long as He walked in the Father’s will (“the light”), no danger could hinder His mission. He then told them plainly, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him” (v. 11). Misunderstanding, the disciples thought He meant natural sleep, but Jesus clarified, “Lazarus has died” (v. 14). Thomas, often remembered for his doubts later, here expressed loyalty and courage, saying, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (v. 16). This statement reflects devotion, though still mixed with misunderstanding of Jesus’ purpose.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days (v. 17). According to Jewish custom, mourning was most intense during the first three days after death, when hope of resuscitation still lingered. By the fourth day, decay was certain. Many Jews from Jerusalem had come to comfort Mary and Martha (v. 18–19), showing that the family was well known. When Martha heard that Jesus was approaching, she went to meet Him while Mary remained seated in the house (v. 20). Martha expressed both sorrow and faith: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You” (v. 21–22). Jesus assured her that her brother would rise again (v. 23).

Martha, believing in the final resurrection, replied that she knew he would rise “in the resurrection on the last day” (v. 24). Jesus then made one of His most profound declarations: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die” (v. 25–26). He asked Martha directly, “Do you believe this?” and she confessed her faith: “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (v. 27). Her confession echoes Peter’s in Matthew 16:16 and reveals genuine, mature faith.

Martha then went to call Mary, telling her privately that the Teacher was asking for her (v. 28). When Mary heard, she quickly rose and went to Him (v. 29). Those mourning with her followed, assuming she was going to the tomb (v. 31). When Mary saw Jesus, she fell at His feet and repeated the same words her sister had spoken: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (v. 32). Her grief deeply moved Jesus. The text says He was “deeply moved in spirit and greatly troubled” (v. 33). The Greek terms here express not only compassion but also indignation, a righteous anger at the suffering and death brought by sin. When Jesus asked where Lazarus had been laid, they said, “Come and see,” and Jesus wept (v. 34–35). This shortest verse in Scripture carries profound meaning: the Son of God enters into human sorrow. His tears do not show despair but empathy; He grieves over the pain of sin’s effects on His creation.

Some onlookers remarked on His love for Lazarus, while others questioned why He had not prevented the death (v. 36–37). Jesus, still deeply moved, came to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone laid across its entrance (v. 38). He commanded, “Take away the stone,” but Martha protested, noting that there would be a stench after four days (v. 39). Jesus reminded her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” They took away the stone, and Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven, praying aloud for the sake of the crowd, that they might believe the Father had sent Him (v. 40–42).

Then He spoke only three words: “Lazarus, come out!” (v. 43). Augustine once observed that if Jesus had not called Lazarus by name, every grave would have opened. The power of His word transcended death itself, and the man who had died came forth, still bound in burial cloths. Jesus commanded, “Unbind him, and let him go” (v. 44). This moment displays the divine authority of Christ, the very voice that created life now awakens the dead, foreshadowing both His own resurrection and the future resurrection of all believers.

This scene beautifully portrays Christ as the giver of life. One day, He will raise His people physically, first the Church at the Rapture, then the Old Testament and Tribulation saints at His return. Even now, He calls those who are spiritually dead to life through faith in Him. By God’s grace, those once dead in trespasses and sins are made alive when they freely respond in faith to His call.

Remarkably, John gives no record of Lazarus’s reaction or details of what followed, only that many of the Jews believed in Jesus because of this miracle (v. 45). The focus remains completely on Christ, not on Lazarus, reminding us that every work of God’s power is meant to draw hearts to the Savior.

Yet the aftermath reveals a deepening divide among the people: many believed, but others went to the Pharisees to report what had happened (v. 46). The chief priests and Pharisees gathered the council and said, “If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (v. 47–48). Caiaphas, the high priest that year, unknowingly spoke prophetically when he said it was better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to perish (v. 49–50).

This scene presents a striking contrast between faith and unbelief. Many who saw Lazarus raised from the dead believed in Jesus, recognizing the unmistakable power of God at work. Yet others, hardened in pride, ran to the Pharisees out of fear and jealousy. Their concern was not truth but control, fearful that Rome might remove their position and privileges. In trying to preserve their status, they rejected the very Messiah they claimed to serve.

Caiaphas’s statement, though born of political calculation, became an unintentional prophecy. God used his words to declare the central truth of redemption, that Jesus would die in the place of sinners. Without realizing it, the high priest summarized the heart of the gospel: through His death, Christ would bring life to all who believe. John explains that Caiaphas’s prophecy pointed beyond Israel itself, foretelling that Jesus would die not only for the Jewish nation but also to gather together all God’s children scattered throughout the world (v. 51–52). From that day forward, the leaders made definite plans to kill Him (v. 53).

This passage closes by showing that God’s plan of salvation cannot be stopped, even by pride, unbelief, or human schemes. The leaders’ plot to destroy Jesus only set in motion the very events that would accomplish God’s eternal purpose through the cross. Jesus withdrew to Ephraim, near the wilderness, and waited with His disciples (v. 54). As the Passover approached, the crowds wondered if He would come, while the chief priests gave orders to report His whereabouts (v. 55–57). It is a sobering warning against hardened hearts and a powerful reminder that God’s sovereign will always prevails, transforming human rebellion into the fulfillment of His redemptive grace.

Conclusion

John 11 reveals Jesus as both fully divine and deeply compassionate. His authority over death proves He is the Son of God, while His tears at the tomb show His tender heart toward human sorrow. Lazarus’s obedience in coming forth illustrates the cooperation of divine power and human response; God’s grace calls, but each person must choose to respond in faith. Just as Jesus called Lazarus by name, He calls every soul to new life through faith in Him.

For believers, this account invites us to trust God’s timing even when we cannot see His plan, believing that His purposes are always redemptive. Faith in Christ not only gives victory over death but also calls us to daily surrender, obedience, and hope. The raising of Lazarus points forward to the final resurrection of all who belong to Christ, reminding us that death is not the end but the doorway to eternal life. Those who hear and respond to His voice experience spiritual resurrection now and will one day share in bodily resurrection to come.

The same voice that called Lazarus from the tomb still calls today, inviting all who will listen to rise from spiritual death into everlasting life. Will you respond to His call?