Chapter Text
The Death of Lazarus
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4When 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 .
5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
8His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9Jesus 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.
10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
11These 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.
12Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14Then said Jesus 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.
16Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Jesus Comforts the Sisters
17Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
18Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary , to comfort them concerning their brother.
20Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it 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 in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31The 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.
32Then 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.
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled ,
34And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35Jesus wept.
36Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37And 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?
Jesus Raises Lazarus
38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39Jesus 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.
40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41Then 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.
42And 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.
43And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44And 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.
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
46But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
49And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all ,
50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
54Jesus 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.
55And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56Then 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?
57Now 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.
Summary
Jesus receives word that His friend Lazarus of Bethany is sick but deliberately delays two days before going. By the time He arrives, Lazarus has been dead four days. Martha meets Jesus and confesses her faith that God will give Him whatever He asks. Jesus declares: I am the resurrection, and the life.
Mary falls at His feet weeping, and Jesus is deeply moved and weeps. At the tomb, He commands the stone removed and calls with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth. The dead man emerges, bound in grave clothes. Many believe, but the chief priests and Pharisees convene the Sanhedrin and resolve to put Jesus to death.
Meaning
The raising of Lazarus is the climactic sign in John's Gospel, demonstrating Jesus' power over death itself. His statement I am the resurrection, and the life is not a promise about a distant future event but a declaration about His present person. Whoever lives and believes in Him shall never die.
Jesus wept is the shortest and one of the most profound verses in Scripture. His tears reveal that the Son of God is not indifferent to human grief. He groaned in spirit and was troubled, entering fully into the sorrow of those He loves. Yet His weeping did not signal helplessness but preceded the exercise of absolute power over death.
Background
Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were close friends of Jesus. The four days of death were significant because Jewish tradition held that the soul lingered near the body for three days, making a four-day resurrection undeniable.
Caiaphas' statement that it is expedient that one man should die for the people was intended as political pragmatism but was, unknowingly, a prophetic declaration of the substitutionary nature of Christ's death.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-6Word of Lazarus's Sickness
- vv. 7-16Jesus Resolves to Return to Judaea
- vv. 17-27Martha's Confession and the Resurrection
- vv. 28-37Mary's Grief and Jesus Wept
- vv. 38-44Lazarus Raised from the Dead
- vv. 45-53The Council Plots Jesus' Death
- vv. 54-57Withdrawal to Ephraim Before Passover
Key Verses
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”— 11:25
The fifth great 'I AM' saying in John's Gospel and one of the most quoted verses at Christian funerals. It anchors the doctrine of resurrection not in a future event but in the person of Christ Himself.
“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”— 11:26
Christ's promise of eternal life is paired with a direct, personal challenge to faith. The question 'Believest thou this?' echoes through the centuries to every reader.
“Jesus wept.”— 11:35
The shortest verse in the English Bible, yet among the most theologically weighty. It reveals the genuine humanity of Christ and His compassionate identification with human grief.
“Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”— 11:50
Caiaphas speaks unwitting prophecy of substitutionary atonement. John explicitly notes this as Spirit-prompted utterance pointing to Christ's redemptive death for the nation and the scattered children of God.
People & Places
People
- Lazarus — Brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany, beloved friend of Jesus, raised from the dead after four days in the tomb.
- Mary — Sister of Lazarus, identified as the one who anointed Jesus with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair.
- Martha — Sister of Lazarus and Mary, who confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.
- Jesus — The Son of God who declares Himself the resurrection and the life and raises Lazarus from the grave.
- Thomas (Didymus) — Disciple who urges his fellows to go with Jesus to Judaea even at the risk of death.
- Caiaphas — High priest that year who unwittingly prophesies that Jesus must die for the nation.
- The chief priests and Pharisees — Religious leaders who convene a council and from this day forward plot to put Jesus to death.
Places
- Bethany — Village about two miles from Jerusalem, home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, where the miracle takes place.
- Judaea — Region Jesus returns to despite recent attempts to stone Him there.
- Jerusalem — The holy city near Bethany, soon to become the site of Christ's passion.
- Ephraim — A city near the wilderness where Jesus withdraws with His disciples to escape the plotting authorities.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Caiaphas's words in verses 49-52 are explicitly identified by John as prophecy: though spoken in cold political calculation, the high priest unknowingly foretells the substitutionary death of Christ 'for that nation' and the gathering of 'the children of God that were scattered abroad' (vv. 51-52). This anticipates the cross and points forward to the ingathering of Gentile believers into one people. The raising of Lazarus also foreshadows Christ's own resurrection, serving as the climactic sign in John's Gospel that triggers the final movement toward Calvary (v. 53).
Devotional
Jesus delays. He hears the urgent message and stays two days more, and Lazarus dies. We have all known that silence — the prayer that seems to arrive too late. Yet John insists Jesus loved them, and the delay served a deeper glory than rescue.
At the tomb, Jesus weeps. He does not bypass our grief; He enters it. The same Lord who commands the stone removed also stands beside us in tears.
Martha's question still searches us: 'Believest thou this?' Not belief in resurrection as doctrine, but in Christ as resurrection Himself — the One who holds your beloved dead, and you, in His hands.
Literary Style
Johannine narrative built around the seventh and climactic sign of the Gospel. The chapter weaves dialogue, dramatic irony (Caiaphas's unwitting prophecy), and the fifth 'I AM' discourse, with carefully paced delay, confession, and miracle that pivot the Gospel toward the passion.