John 11 Bible Commentary

This verse introduces Lazarus’s illness and the location where Jesus will soon perform a miracle.

This verse highlights that Mary was the same devoted follower who expressed her deep love and faith through an extravagant act of anointing Christ’s feet.

They send word to Jesus in hope and trust that His love and power can restore what is broken.

God’s glory can emerge from any trial, and our faith is often refined through such events.

Jesus’s love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus vividly reveals His heart of compassion and calls us to embrace His loving care in our own lives.

This verse shows that Jesus operates on His own divine schedule for the purpose of revealing God’s greater glory.

Jesus decides to return to Judea to reveal God’s power and deepen His followers’ faith.

They fear the consequences but struggle to comprehend the necessity of returning to the place of threat.

We learn that walking in the light of Jesus allows us to fulfill our purpose without fear.

This verse reminds us that without Jesus’s light in our hearts, we are prone to stumble in darkness.

Jesus emphasizes that physical death is not the last word, for in Him there is victory over the grave.

This verse illustrates how the disciples misunderstood Jesus’ reference to Lazarus’s state, believing only that physical rest could remedy his condition.

In short, Jesus spoke about Lazarus’s death as though it were sleep, revealing His authority to awaken the dead to life.

This verse highlights times of sorrow as opportunities for God’s marvelous intervention.

This verse emphasizes how Jesus carefully orchestrates events to deepen the faith of His followers.

Thomas here exemplifies loyalty in the face of risk.

Jesus arrives to a scene of hopelessness and transforms it into an astounding display of God’s glory.

John 11:18 focuses on the physical proximity between Bethany and Jerusalem, setting the stage for Lazarus’s miraculous resurrection.

Many friends traveled a short distance from Jerusalem to support Martha and Mary in their deep sorrow, highlighting the power of community in times of loss.

Martha took action right away, while Mary’s response showed patient pondering of who Jesus is and what He could do.

This verse highlights Martha’s faith in Jesus’s power and the depth of her sorrow.

Martha’s conviction is an enduring reminder that our prayers, offered through Christ, can align with God’s sovereign will to accomplish the miraculous.

Death is not the end but an opportunity for God’s life-giving power to be displayed.

Martha’s unwavering hope in the final resurrection is both a comfort for those who grieve and a reminder that the power of God transcends earthly limitations.

This verse teaches that Jesus conquers death and offers eternal life to those who trust in Him.

Those who entrust themselves to Christ receive a life that endures beyond death, grounded in His triumph and promise.

Martha’s declaration emphasizes Jesus’s identity as the Messiah who brings hope and victory over both physical and spiritual death.

This verse reveals how Jesus personally calls us to grow closer to Him in our time of need.

She immediately rose because she trusted in Him.

He delayed entering the village so that God’s glory would be displayed all the more.

This verse depicts how Mary’s swift response towards Jesus prompted others to follow, paving the way for them to see His miraculous power in action.

Mary’s plea affirms both her sorrow and hope in Jesus.

Jesus feels our pain and responds with compassion.

Jesus compassionately asks where Lazarus has been laid and is invited to witness the sorrow firsthand as He prepares to bring resurrection hope.

Jesus empathized with sorrow through His own tears, proving that He is both compassionate and abundantly able to bring redemption.

God’s deep compassion is powerful enough to defeat grief and even the grave.

This verse portrays how onlookers recognized Jesus’s power to heal but wrestled with His seeming delay when Lazarus died.

Jesus reveals both the heart of God and the power of God when He stands before a sealed tomb, ready to free the dead.

Jesus summons the world to faith in the face of death and doubt.

If we believe in Jesus, we are privileged to see God’s glory in ways that surpass all human expectation.

Jesus shows us the power of a thankful heart before God.

Jesus ensures the crowd grasps that His power originates from the Father.

Lazarus’s resurrection shows that Jesus is the authoritative and compassionate source of new life for all who hear His call.

This verse shows the climactic moment of Lazarus’s return from death, revealing Jesus’s absolute power over the grave.

Many Jews in Bethany witnessed this event and could not deny the glory of God displayed in Jesus’s actions.

They reported Jesus’s miracle to the Pharisees, triggering the events that would ultimately lead to His crucifixion.

They recognized Jesus’s undeniable power and conspired to stop Him, illustrating how fear and self-preservation often stand opposed to God’s truth.

They feared that Jesus’ increasing following would jeopardize the delicate political balance and their own authority.

He demands swift and calculated action, setting the stage for the final events of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

This verse reminds us that the plan of God can be accomplished through unexpected means.

John 11:51 points us toward God’s sovereign ability to use human voices, even unwitting ones, to call attention to His redemptive plan.

All who believe in Jesus will be gathered as one family under God.

They set themselves to kill Jesus because they feared His increasing impact and clung to their power.

Jesus temporarily withdrew from the public eye in order to continue His mission among His disciples in a safe environment.

Many faithful Jews prepared their hearts and bodies for the Passover by coming to Jerusalem, underscoring the deep devotion of those longing to honor God.

They were wondering if the Messiah who raised Lazarus would risk His life by arriving at Passover.

Their hostile intent was clear: They wanted to ensure that if anyone discovered Jesus’s whereabouts, they would inform them so they could arrest Him.