Study on the Gospel of John Chapter 11

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Jesus' public ministry is recorded from chapter 2 and to 11; so chapter 11 is the last and climactic of his public ministry. To this chapter; “For grandeur and simplicity, for pathos and solemnity, nothing was ever written like it.” - J.C. Ryle.

Jesus raised a man named Lazarus who had been dead for 4 days. The event clearly showed Jesus’ deity and through this miracle the Father and the Son were glorified, and many believed.

Outline and Exposition

The Death of Lazarus (1-16)

(2) anointed the Lord with ointment: see 12:3

(4) for the glory of God: the same comment for a blind man in 9:3

the Son of God may be glorified through it: this miracle’s impact was powerful thus it would help initiate events leading to the cross (vv 46-53)

(6) where he was: east of the Jordan river (10:40)

(8) the Jews were just now seeking to stone you: see 10:31

(9-10) (a) During the right of the sun, most people did their work safely. When darkness came, they stopped. (b) It is what it is and it is fixed by God, and so is my life.  No enemy can shorten it.  No friend can lengthen it.

(15) you may believe: 20:31

(17) four days: many Jews believed that the soul remained near the body for three days after death in the hope of returning to it. If this idea was in the minds of these people, they obviously thought all hope was gone - Lazarus was irrevocably dead. Jesus raised dead a couple of times but this is after 4 days of death so there is no argument if this was real death or not

Jesus Raises Lazarus (17-44)

(18) about two miles: Greek fifteen stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

(19) to console them: Jewish custom provided for three days of very heavy mourning, then four of heavy mourning, followed by lighter mourning for the remainder of 30 days. It was usual for friends to visit the family to comfort them. Also wailing at a tomb was common (v.31).

(28) private, (NIV) aside, (NASB) secretly: lest the hostile Jews should hear and intercept the interview

Teacher: this could be somewhat significant for the rabbis would not teach women (see 4:27), but Jesus taught them frequently (e.g., see Lk 10:38-42).

(38) a cave, and a stone lay against it: this type of burial place was not uncommon in the Holy Land at this time, especially for the wealthy

The Plot to Kill Jesus (45-57)

(47) the chief priests and the Pharisees: in all four Gospels the Pharisees appear as Jesus’ principal opponents throughout his public ministry. But they lacked political power, and it is the chief priests who were prominent in the events that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Here both groups are associated in a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They did not deny the relativity of the miraculous signs, but they did not understand their meaning, for they failed to believe.

(48) the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation: Israel was already under the control of Romans; either they feared that they might lose religious readership or they wanted to manipulate others to encourage to kill Jesus.

(49) Caiaphas: high priest (A.D. 18-36). He was the son-in-law of Annas (18:13), who had been deposed from the high priesthood by the Romans in A.D. 15.

(51) He did not say this of his own accord: There are no limits to what God can do. God can use bad guy’s mouth. So Caiaphas prophesied Jesus’ death but they interpreted as salvation from political trouble not from sins.

(52) who are scattered abroad: Jesus’ death would have effects far beyond the nation

  • (1:29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 
  • (3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 
  • (4:42)  we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world
  • (10:16) I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.

(55) the Passover: John recorded Jesus’ ministries over 3 times of the Passover (2:13, 5:1) so we assume that Jesus did ministry for 3 years.

of the Jews: implies that intended audiences of this Gospel were gentiles

Topical

I am the Resurrection and Life

  • (1:4) In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Jesus was saying more than that he gives resurrection and life. In some way these are identified with him, and his nature is such that final death is impossible for him. He himself is life.

  • (14:6) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 
  • (Ac 3:15) you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
  • (Heb 7:16) who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life

Jesus not only is life but conveys life to believers so that death will never triumph over them.

  • (1:7) He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
  • (1Co 15:57) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Believers may die physically but, as those who have eternal life, their physical death is not their ultimate end - (26) never die.

  • I am: see 6:35 (topical section of "I am") for the list of 7 "I am"

Jesus Wept

If you would sum up the whole character of Christ in reference to ourselves, it might be gathered into this one sentence, "He was moved with compassion." (Matt 9:36) - C. H. Spurgeon

The Greek for this word (weep) is not the one for loud grief, as in v. 33, but one that denotes quiet weeping, i.e., “shed tears.” Jesus did not weep over the death itself since He knew Lazarus would soon be raised and ultimately spend eternity with Him in heaven. Yet He could not help but weep when confronted with the wailing and sobbing of Mary, Martha, and the other mourners (vv. 33).

Jesus also wept over Jerusalem for her unbelief/un-repentance and, as a result, coming judgment (Lk 19:41, Mt 23:37-39).

  • This (v. 35) is the shortest verse in the Bible.

Disciples' Faith & Declaration

We can observe the disciples’ faith growing and somewhat beautiful; yet still see some weakness.

(16) we can see Thomas’ courageousness; however with his saying “die with him”, we can also see his lack of faith and also other disciples’ (v. 8) - Jesus is God and has power to protect them/us and also to raise the dead - God is almighty and nothing is too difficult for God to do.

  • (Ge 18:14) Is anything too hard for the Lord?
  • (Jer 32:17, 27)  ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. 27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?

We remember that Jesus kept rebuking them - “You of little faith” (Mt 6:30; 8:26, 16:8). But their faith was in progress.

Martha and Mary believed that Jesus could heal their ill brother (21, 32) (but not the power to bring the death to life). They also believed that Jesus is almighty; i.e., Martha said, (22) ”but even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”; and look at her faith, (27) “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” . This confession is inline with John’s revelation of Jesus in 1:1, 14. Martha is often remembered for her shortcoming recorded in Lk 10:40-41. But she was a woman of faith, as this magnificent declaration shows.

References

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