1.
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
Verse 1
Bethany; a village near Jerusalem--Mary and her sister Martha. They are mentioned Luke 10:38-42.
2.
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Verse 2
Which anointed the Lord, &c.; afterwards, as narrated John 12:3-9.
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.
Verse 6
He abode, &c.; to allow time for the results of the sickness of Lazarus to be fully developed.
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?
Verse 8
Sought to stone thee; as described John 10:31,John 10:39.
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.
Verse 9
Are there not twelve hours, &c. The meaning seems to be that man may go forward in the discharge of his duty, at the proper time for its performance, safely and without fear. There is a light which will protect and guide him. It is when he attempts to walk in the night,--that is, to go where, or to do what, he ought not,--that he must expect to stumble and fall.
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.
Verse 15
That I was not there; to heal him of his sickness, instead of, as now, restoring him from the dead.
16.
Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Verse 16
Didymus; the twin.--That we may die with him; with Jesus, who, he supposed, was going into the extreme of danger, Bethany being very near to Jerusalem.
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.
Verse 22
Even now, &c. This is not to be understood as an intimation from Martha that Lazarus might be restored to life, as is evident from the conversation which follows. The meaning is, that even now she did not doubt his power, although he had not been present to exercise it, in saving her brother.
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.
28.
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29.
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30.
Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31.
The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
32.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33.
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
Verse 33
He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. This account of Jesus being so overwhelmed with grief, at the grave of a friend whom he knew that he was in a few moments going to recall again to life, is one of those representations appearing at first view at variance with probability and the laws of the human mind, but, on closer examination, found to be entirely in accordance with them, which constitute a strong internal evidence of the honest historical fidelity of these narratives. Imagination would have pictured the Savior, under such circumstances as these, calm, composed, and, in consequence of his anticipation of the result, rising above all the emotions and sufferings of the scene. But this idea would rest on a superficial view. Grief is not of the nature of regret, its for a loss or a disappointment. It is a form of affection. It is love, as modified, when the object of it lies silent, cold, and lifeless,--a victim of the merciless destroyer. Grief may be mingled with regret for a loss, and with many other painful feelings; but it is, in its own nature, distinct from them all; and it rises spontaneously at the simple contemplation of a beloved object, dead, whatever may be the other circumstances that attend the bereavement. A mother, while dying herself, will mourn the death of her infant child, though, by the event, she expects to preserve, not lose, its society. And so the feelings of Jesus would naturally be as strongly moved to grief by this event, and by witnessing the scene of suffering and sorrow which it occasioned, as if he had been a Sadducee, and supposed that his lost friend had been blotted out of existence forever. In the pictures which the sacred writers have drawn, there are many such touches as this, so profoundly true to nature, in fact, and yet so apparently unnatural, that they would have required far greater knowledge and art, than these simple historians possessed, for their invention, as elements of interest in a fabricated story.
34.
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35.
Jesus wept.
36.
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37.
And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38.
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39.
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
Verse 39
Four days. If we allow one day for the messenger to go to the place beyond Jordan, where Jesus was, and one day for Jesus to come to Bethany, it will appear that Lazarus must have died about the time that the messenger left him.
40.
Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41.
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42.
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43.
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44.
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Verse 44
Bound hand and foot; entirely enveloped in grave clothes.
45.
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
46.
But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47.
Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48.
If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49.
And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
Verse 49
Ye know nothing at all. He said this in reply, probably, to those speakers in the council who had opposed putting Jesus to death.
50.
Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
Verse 50
He meant that it was better that Jesus should die, whether he were guilty or not, rather than that the displeasure of the Romans should be incurred, and the whole nation be destroyed.
51.
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
Verse 51
That is, he was led by the divine Spirit to utter words susceptible of a prophetic interpretation,--so different from the meaning which he intended to convey.
52.
And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53.
Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
54.
Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
55.
And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56.
Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
57.
Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.