John 11

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

(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

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.

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

When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

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.

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

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.

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

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

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

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

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

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

But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

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

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

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.

As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

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.

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.

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

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

Jesus wept.

Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

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?

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

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.

And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

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.

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

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?

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.

What does John 11:37 mean?

Explanation

John 11:37 is part of the narrative surrounding the death and subsequent raising of Lazarus by Jesus, as told in the Gospel of John.

This verse captures the doubt and questioning of some of the onlookers who witnessed Jesus' reaction to the death of his friend.

They recognize Jesus' miracle-working power, specifically recalling the occasion when he opened the eyes of the blind, and they question why he could not prevent the death of Lazarus.

The verse reflects a common human response to tragedy and suffering, questioning why a powerful and caring deity wouldn't intervene to prevent such events.

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

The Gospel of John is the fourth book of the New Testament and is thought to have been written toward the end of the 1st century.

At this time, Christianity was still a young faith and faced a lot of skepticism and misunderstanding.

The author of John often presents Jesus performing signs and wonders, making the point that these actions are evidence of Jesus' divine nature and authority.

Lazarus’ resurrection is one of these signs but is unique in that it prefigures the resurrection of Jesus himself.

The historical setting for the verse is in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, where Jesus had friends, Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.

Theological Insights

This verse touches upon a couple of theological themes.

Firstly, it raises questions about the omnipotence of Jesus: if he can perform great miracles like healing the blind, why would he not prevent a loved one’s death? Different viewpoints might suggest that Jesus' miracles are both acts of compassion and symbolic teachings for the spiritual enlightenment of his followers.

Some theologians may argue that suffering and death are part of the human condition and serve a higher divine purpose, including setting the stage for a greater miracle, the resurrection of Lazarus, which foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection.

Practical Applications

The questioning in this verse reflects an all-too-human struggle with faith in the face of suffering and death.

A practical application might be to understand that faith in divine wisdom involves trusting that there is a larger plan beyond immediate understanding.

Another application might be the encouragement to mourn and question in times of loss, accepting that this is part of the process of healing and eventually coming to terms with the larger patterns at work in our lives.

Cross-References

John 9:1-7 (Jesus healing the man born blind).
John 11:3-4 (Mary and Martha express faith that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’s death).
John 11:43-44 (Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead).
John 11:25-26 (Jesus proclaims that he is the resurrection and the life).

Language Study

The key word in this verse is “opened” (Greek: ἤνοιξεν), referring to the miraculous healing where Jesus gave sight to a man born blind. This word highlights the ability to change a situation or condition dramatically.

The phrase "this man" (Greek: οὗτος) repeated twice, connotes a degree of familiarity and directness, emphasizing the onlookers' personal connection to the event.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The narrative of Lazarus is reminiscent of various other ancient stories where gods or heroes demonstrate power over life and death.

For instance, in ancient Egyptian mythology, Osiris is resurrected by the magic of Isis.

Similar themes can be seen in the myths surrounding the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar and her descent into the underworld.

Within Jewish religious texts, the prophet Elijah raises a widow’s son from the dead, which is recorded in 1 Kings 17:17-24.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific standpoint, the act of raising someone from the dead, as described in John 11, cannot be explained or replicated by medical science.

Death is a biological reality, and once certain thresholds are crossed, such as brain death, resurrection is not viable.

The miracles of Jesus are thus seen by believers as supernatural, not bound by the natural laws as understood by science.

Commentaries

Commentators have various interpretations of John 11:37.

Some suggest this statement reflects a theological challenge to Jesus' selective use of miraculous powers.

Others view it as an illustration of the limited understanding of the onlookers who fail to recognize the greater purpose Jesus has in allowing Lazarus’s death, namely, to demonstrate his dominion over life and death.

Moreover, some commentators perceive this as an opportunity for Jesus to teach about the necessity of belief in life beyond physical death.

John 11

John 11

What does John 11:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does John 11:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?