John 11ASV
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John11

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

2And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

4But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby.

5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

6When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode at that time two days in the place where he was.

7Then after this he saith to the disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

8The disciples say unto him, Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

9Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.

11These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover.

13Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spake of taking rest in sleep.

14Then Jesus therefore said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

15And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

16Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

17So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.

18Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off;

19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.

20Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary still sat in the house.

21Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee.

23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live;

26and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?

27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, even he that cometh into the world.

28And when she had said this, she went away, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Teacher is here, and calleth thee.

29And she, when she heard it, arose quickly, and went unto him.

30(Now Jesus was not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met him.)

31The Jews then who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going unto the tomb to weep there.

32Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

34and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see.

35Jesus wept.

36The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him!

37But some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die?

38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

39Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time the body decayeth; for he hath been dead four days.

40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heardest me.

42And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the multitude that standeth around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me.

43And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

45Many therefore of the Jews, who came to Mary and beheld that which he did, believed on him.

46But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.

47The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many signs.

48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.

49But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

50nor do ye take account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

51Now this he said not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation;

52and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad.

53So from that day forth they took counsel that they might put him to death.

54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed thence into the country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there he tarried with the disciples.

55Now the passover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, to purify themselves.

56They sought therefore for Jesus, and spake one with another, as they stood in the temple, What think ye? That he will not come to the feast?

57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given commandment, that, if any man knew where he was, he should show it, that they might take him.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for John 11.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The sickness of Lazarus. (1–6). Christ returns to Judea. (7–10). The death of Lazarus. (11–16). Christ arrives at Bethany. (17–32). He raises Lazarus. (33–46). The Pharisees consult against Jesus. (47–53). The Jews seek for him. (54–57).

vv1-6

It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the wrath to come; however, it behoves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends and relatives when sick and afflicted. Let this reconcile us to the darkest dealings of Providence, that they are all for the glory of God: sickness, loss, disappointment, are so; and if God be glorified, we ought to be satisfied. Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. The families are greatly favoured in which love and peace abound; but those are most happy whom Jesus loves, and by whom he is beloved. Alas, that this should seldom be the case with every person, even in small families. God has gracious intentions, even when he seems to delay. When the work of deliverance, temporal or spiritual, public or personal, is delayed, it does but stay for the right time.

vv7-10

Christ never brings his people into any danger but he goes with them in it. We are apt to think ourselves zealous for the Lord, when really we are only zealous for our wealth, credit, ease, and safety; we have therefore need to try our principles. But our day shall be lengthened out, till our work is done, and our testimony finished. A man has comfort and satisfaction while in the way of his duty, as set forth by the word of God, and determined by the providence of God. Christ, wherever he went, walked in the day; and so shall we, if we follow his steps. If a man walks in the way of his heart, and according to the course of this world, if he consults his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God, he falls into temptations and snares. He stumbles, because there is no light in him; for light in us is to our moral actions, that which light about us to our natural actions.

vv11-16

Since we are sure to rise again at the last, why should not the believing hope of that resurrection to eternal life, make it as easy for us to put off the body and die, as it is to put off our clothes and go to sleep? A true Christian, when he dies, does but sleep; he rests from the labours of the past day. Nay, herein death is better than sleep, that sleep is only a short rest, but death is the end of earthly cares and toils. The disciples thought that it was now needless for Christ to go to Lazarus, and expose himself and them. Thus we often hope that the good work we are called to do, will be done by some other hand, if there be peril in the doing of it. But when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, many were brought to believe on him; and there was much done to make perfect the faith of those that believed. Let us go to him; death cannot separate from the love of Christ, nor put us out of the reach of his call. Like Thomas, in difficult times Christians should encourage one another. The dying of the Lord Jesus should make us willing to die whenever God calls us.

Cross References

John 11
v2John 12:3thematic

Explicitly identifies the Mary in verse 1-2 with her upcoming action of anointing Jesus in chapter 12.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v9John 9:4thematic

Directly parallel teaching on working and walking while it is day before the night comes.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v10John 12:35thematic

Parallels walking in the light versus stumbling in the darkness when light is gone.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v1Luke 10:38-42thematic

Establishes the identities and home life of the sisters Martha and Mary in Bethany.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v8John 10:31thematic

The previous immediate attempt by the Jews to stone Jesus, explaining the disciples' fear.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB

v50John 18:14thematic

John later explicitly references Caiaphas's prophetic counsel that one man should die for the people.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v52John 10:16thematic

Parallels Jesus gathering His 'other sheep' who are not of this fold into one body.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

v4John 9:3thematic

Parallel explanation that human affliction is designed to manifest the miraculous works of God.

Supported by John Calvin

Reflects the divine pattern of waiting to intervene until all human strength is entirely gone.

Supported by JFB

Illuminates the Christian metaphor of death as sleep for those who sleep in Jesus.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v24John 5:28thematic

Jesus' earlier teaching on the general resurrection at the last day when all will hear His voice.

Supported by John Calvin

v25John 14:6thematic

Deepens the 'I am the life' claim, showing Jesus is the exclusive way to the Father.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v27John 6:69thematic

Martha's confession of faith closely mirrors Peter's crucial confession of Christ.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v35Luke 19:41thematic

The other key instance of Jesus weeping, showing His profound human compassion and sorrow.

Supported by JFB

v41John 11:22thematic

Demonstrates the direct fulfillment of Martha's confidence that God would hear Jesus.

Supported by Matthew Poole