John 11: 1-53 King James Version
The death of Lazarus

¹ Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

• Map: Check a map. Bethany is very close to Jerusalem. Between there and the Dead Sea, but not on the coast of the Dead Sea. Northeast of Bethlehem. In Judea.
• Get to know your characters. Maybe you are interested to learn more about Mary and Martha and where else they appear in the New Testament. You can take this time to go to GotQuestions.org and type in, “Mary and Martha”. Several articles will come up on each of the women and their brother, Lazarus.

² (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

• When I read a passage that reminds me of something else, it is called a connection. I write it down in my journal entry. In this case, it’s John 12:1-8. I found the passage by doing an internet search of the phrase, “Where in the Bible do you find the story of Mary wiping Jesus feet with her hair?”
• Connection: John 12:1-8

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.

• Interpretation and Insight: Why doesn’t Jesus go right away?

⁷ Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

• Map

⁸ His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

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.

¹⁰ But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

• This is an interesting saying. I have to look up a commentary to get insight what this may mean. The NIV Zondervan Study Bible says, “Enough time for what must be done, but no time for waste.
• Consult a commentary.
• One source of commentaries is : blueletterbible.org
• Commentary from Matthew Henry, “Man’s life is a day; this day is divided into divers ages, states, and opportunities, as into hours shorter or longer, as God has appointed; the consideration of this should make us not only very busy, as to the work of life (if there were twelve hours in the day, each of them ought to be filled up with duty, and none of them trifled away), but also very easy as to the perils of life; our day shall be lengthened out till our work be done, and our testimony finished. This Christ applies to his case, and shows why he must go to Judea, because he had a clear call to go. … If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not; that is, If a man keep close to his duty, and mind that, and set the will of God before him as his rule, with an impartial respect to all God’s commandments, he does not hesitate in his own mind, but, walking uprightly, walks surely, and with a holy confidence. As he that walks in the day stumbles not, but goes on steadily and cheerfully in his way, because he sees the light of this world, and by it sees his way before him; so a good man, without any collateral security or sinister aims, relies upon the word of God as his rule, and regards the glory of God as his end, because he sees those two great lights, and keeps his eye upon them; thus he is furnished with a faithful guide in all his doubts, and a powerful guard in all his dangers, Gal. 6:4; Ps. 119:6. Christ, wherever he went, walked in the day, and so shall we, if we follow his steps. …  If a man walk in the night, he stumbles; that is, If a man walk in the way of his heart, and the sight of his eyes, and according to the course of this world,—if he consult his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God,—he falls into temptations and snares, is liable to great uneasiness and frightful apprehensions, “

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.

• Interpretation and insight: What did Jesus say he was going to do?

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.

¹⁶ Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

• Interpretation and insight: What does he mean by this?

¹⁷ Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

• Notice details: How long was he dead?

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.

• Interpretation and insight: What does this tell us about Martha?

²² But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

• Interpretation and insight : What do you think she had on her mind?

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.

• Interpretation and insight : What do you think she had on her mind?

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?

• These two verses are well known and worth remembering, so you can write it as a noteworthy observation. This is a famous verse and written in a song I know: “25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe 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.

• Interpretation and insight : What does Martha believe?
• Application : How do you respond to this and apply it to your life?

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.

• Interpretation and insight : What are people doing?

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.

• Interpretation and insight  : What does Mary believe?

³³ When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

• Interpretation and insight : What was Jesus’ emotion?

³⁴ And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

• Interpretation and insight : He didn’t know through his divine knowledge?

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?

• What does this mean to you?

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.

• Interpretation and insight : Does she have faith or unbelief?

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.

• Re-write it in your own words: What happened here?

⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

• This made me think of the result of this miracle. Connection: John 12:9-11 NIV, “⁹ Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.”
• Response: How does this apply to your life?

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.

• Interpretation and insight : What were the characters thinking?

⁴⁹ And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

⁵⁰ Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

⁵¹ And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

⁵² And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

• Interpretation and insight : What does this mean?

⁵³ Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

• Write out how you can respond to this in your life. Response:
• End your devotional time with a prayer.
• Prayer: Heavenly Father,

 

What my Notebook Entry looks like in my personal journal

DATE: May 20
PASSAGE: John 11 1-53
TITLE: Raising Lazarus from the dead.

• MAP: Check a map. It’s very close to Jerusalem. Between there and the Dead Sea, but not on the coast of the Dead Sea. North east of Bethlehem. In Judea.
• CONNECTION: John 12:1-8
• You would think Jesus would come right away, but he doesn’t. He did not go because he was going to glorify God. Miracles glorify God.
• Hmmm… the map says they were in Judea.
• This is an interesting saying. I have to look up a commentary to get insight what this may mean. The NIV Zondervan Study Bible says, “Enough time for what must be done, but no time for waste.
• Matthew Henry, “Man’s life is a day; this day is divided into divers ages, states, and opportunities, as into hours shorter or longer, as God has appointed; the consideration of this should make us not only very busy, as to the work of life (if there were twelve hours in the day, each of them ought to be filled up with duty, and none of them trifled away), but also very easy as to the perils of life; our day shall be lengthened out till our work be done, and our testimony finished. This Christ applies to his case, and shows why he must go to Judea, because he had a clear call to go. … If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not; that is, If a man keep close to his duty, and mind that, and set the will of God before him as his rule, with an impartial respect to all God’s commandments, he does not hesitate in his own mind, but, walking uprightly, walks surely, and with a holy confidence. As he that walks in the day stumbles not, but goes on steadily and cheerfully in his way, because he sees the light of this world, and by it sees his way before him; so a good man, without any collateral security or sinister aims, relies upon the word of God as his rule, and regards the glory of God as his end, because he sees those two great lights, and keeps his eye upon them; thus he is furnished with a faithful guide in all his doubts, and a powerful guard in all his dangers, Gal. 6:4; Ps. 119:6. Christ, wherever he went, walked in the day, and so shall we, if we follow his steps. …  If a man walk in the night, he stumbles; that is, If a man walk in the way of his heart, and the sight of his eyes, and according to the course of this world,—if he consult his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God,—he falls into temptations and snares, is liable to great uneasiness and frightful apprehensions, “
• Jesus knew he died. Divine revelation.
• Must mean they are close friends.
• That is delayed arrival!
• Evidence of Martha’s great faith.
• This indicates that she was not thinking Lazarus could be raised from the dead right now.
• This is a famous verse and written in a song I know: “25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
• Statement of Martha’s faith.
• Response, everyone needs this saving faith.
• Four days later and many were gathered around mourning still. This would be interesting to look up cultural mourning practices of the day. I remember reading about going about in sack cloth and ashes for mourning. They could be doing that here.
• Mary’s statement of faith.
• As a human and filled with love, he grieved too. Does God in his divinity also mourn with us? I think he does.
• He didn’t know through his divine knowledge?
• Could have been said with sarcasm. Could have been said with sadness. Contrasting the faith of Mary and Martha with those around.
• She has faith, yet in unbelief of raising him from the dead like in verse 24.
• Amazing miracle.
• CONNECTION: John 12:9-11 NIV, “⁹ Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.”
• God performed a miracle on me. I lived am not paralyzed from the accident. This is my hope. That because of this miracle, many believe in Jesus.
• Perhaps thinking political upset. Not thinking Spiritual kingdom being ushered in. Not thinking this was the New Covenant as predicted by the prophets of the Old Testament.
• Fulfilling God’s prophesies of ushering in the New Covenant.

Response: Even though I was not there to witness the miracle, I believed it happened and believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father,