John 11

—[or place] Meaning the temple, called the “holy place,” Acts vi. 13. Bp. Mann.

For the very reason that Jesus gave such striking evidence of His Divine power, as was sufficient to draw all men to the faith, these Pharisees ought to have owned Him as the true Messiah; but, through the fear of the Romans, and their own perverseness, they were induced rather to cut Him off, and, by this very action, to draw down on their nation the dreadful vengeance executed by the Romans. Such is the usual and the deserved effect of worldly policy, exalting itself against the wisdom and counsel of God. Dr. Whitby.

Where men take sinful means to avoid a calamity, that way very often brings it. Dr. Wall.

John 11:4

4. — This sickness is not unto death, &c.] This sickness of Lazarus will not finally prove mortal; but the wisdom of Providence has permitted him to fall into this disease, that I may have an opportunity of manifesting the glory of God, and of working a notable miracle on him, for the proof of My authority, and the confirmation of My doctrine. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 11:6

6. — abode two days still] He did not come to Bethany till Lazarus had been dead four days, ver. 17; to the end that not only might the miracle of his resurrection be the greater, but that all pretence of his not being actually dead might be taken away. Dr. Whitby.

John 11:7

7. — Let us go into Judea again.] The disciples had so little expectation that the revival of Lazarus would be the effect, or that it was indeed the purpose, of His journey, that they would have dissuaded Him from leaving the place of His retirement, conceiving, as it should seem, that the only end of His proposed visit to Bethany would be to gratify the feelings of an useless sympathy, at the hazard of His own safety. The sentiments expressed by the Apostles, on this and similar occasions, afford a clear proof that the disciples were not persons of an over-easy credulity; or such as may, with any colour of probability, be supposed to have been themselves deceived in the wonders which they reported of our Lord. They seem rather to have deserved the reproach which, after His resurrection, He cast upon them, “Fools, and slow of heart to believe.” They appear to have believed nothing till the testimony of their own senses extorted the belief. They reasoned not from what they had once seen to what might be; they built no probabilities of the future on the past; they formed no general belief concerning the extent of our Lord’s power, from the effects of it which they had already witnessed. Bp. Horsley.

John 11:9

9. — Are there not twelve hours] So the Jews divided their day at all times of the year.

9, 10. — If any man walk &c.] His meaning is, As he that goes in the day, having the light of the sun to guide him, is in no danger of stumbling, but only in

the night when that light is withdrawn; so, as long as My time of exercising My function here lasteth, there is that Providence over Me which will secure Me from all danger; and, till My time be past, and so that Providence withdrawn, I shall be safe. Dr. Hammond.

He intimates that we must not be deterred by difficulties and dangers from performing, in its proper season, the duty that God has laid upon us; and, when we walk in the way in which He has set us, we need not doubt of His protection, so far as is consistent with the wise ends of His providence, His glory, and our own and the public good. Bragge.

John 11:11

11. — Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go.] He means, that Lazarus was then dead, and that He intended to go and restore him to life; which, to the Divine power, was as easy a thing as that of raising a man out of his sleep. Dr. S. Clarke. It is usual with the Hebrews to speak of death under the name of sleep, not only with reference to good men, Deut. xxxi. 16; 2 Sam. vii. 12; Ps. xiii. 3; but also to bad men, Ps. lxxvi. 5; Dan. xii. 2. Dr. Whitby.

— that I may awake him] None can awake Lazarus out of this sleep but He that made him. Who can command the soul to come down and meet the body, or the body to rise up with the soul, but the God that created both? Bp. Hall.

John 11:15

15. — to the intent ye may believe:] To the intent that your faith may be the better confirmed by the miracle which you will see Me perform. Bp. Mann.

John 11:16

16. — Let us also go, that we may die with him.] He probably says this, with reference to the danger which they incurred (ver. 8,) of being stoned by the Jews, and thus dying like Lazarus. Drs. Hammond and Whitby, Bp. Pearce, Grotius.

John 11:19

19. — many of the Jews came] The mourning of the Jews generally lasted seven days, yet in some cases was continued to thirty; during all this time, the friends and relations came to condole with them, which was done with many particular ceremonies. Dr. Lightfoot.

Jesus talketh with Martha. He weepeth. Anno DOMINI 33.

John 11:21

21.—if thou hadst been here, &c.] She presumes not to ask Him to raise her brother; it was a thing too great to be abruptly asked: she indirectly and modestly suggests, that, were Christ to make it His request to God that Lazarus might revive, Christ’s request would be granted. Bp. Horsley.

Her words betray at once her strength and her infirmity: strength of faith in ascribing so much power to Christ that His presence could preserve from death; infirmity in supposing the necessity of His presence for that purpose. Bp. Hall.

John 11:22

22.—whatsoever thou wilt ask of God.] Her faith was in some respects weak, because she only believed that Christ could prevail with God, not that all the fulness of the Divine power resided in Him. Grotius.

John 11:25

25.—I am the resurrection, &c.] I am the Author of Life, both present and future. As I have power to raise up all men at last, at the general judgment, so I have also power to raise up at present whomsoever I will. He therefore, who believeth on Me, as he shall not finally continue under the power of death, and perish for ever, so he is at present holden by death, by My permission only, and during My pleasure. Dr. S. Clarke.

The Son of God here ascribes to Himself two important attributes: “I am the resurrection and the life.” He is both the one and the other with relation to those that believe in Him: He is the resurrection to those believers who are departed hence, and He is the life to those believers who are still upon earth, and He will finally be the resurrection and the life to them both. Here is, in a few words, the summary of the gifts and blessings promised in the Gospel; here is the Author of those blessings, even Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; and here is the condition requisite for the obtaining of them, which is called believing, or faith in Christ. The sublimity and majesty of the language which our Saviour here uses is

not less remarkable, than the great truth which His words convey. Dr. Jortin.

John 11:26

26. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.] Jesus Christ has not, indeed, abolished temporal death, although He has given it a mortal wound. He leaves it to have dominion in some sort, for a determinate time, till His second coming; and He has made such promises to His servants of a future life, and given them so many consolations against the dread of a dissolution, that it ought no longer to be called by the odious name of death, but rather by the gentler appellation of sleep: and therefore Christ might truly say that His faithful servants shall never die. Dr. Jortin.

John 11:27

27.—the Son of God, which should come] The Messiah, promised by the Prophets, and long expected by the Jews, and now sent into the world for the redemption and salvation of men. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 11:31

31.—followed her.] By this means they all became witnesses of the miracle which Jesus wrought. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 11:33

33.—groaned in the spirit.] Was deeply affected, and in great perturbation of mind; and so far indulged the justice of the mourners’ sorrow, as Himself to weep with them. Dr. Hammond.

John 11:34

34.—Where have ye laid him?] He probably asks this question to try the faith of Mary and Martha, and to keep their attention awake, till the great miracle should blaze out in full splendour. Dr. Jortin.

John 11:35

35. Jesus wept.] Nothing is more natural or more innocent than to mourn for the death of a worthy and beloved friend. I will add, that nothing is more commendable than such grief, so long as it is decent, free from frantic irregularities, free from irreligious murmurs against Providence, not lessening the submission and reverence due to God, or neglecting the offices due to ourselves and others. Jesus Christ condemns not the tears of the sisters of Lazarus: He joins His tears

He raiseth Lazarus from the dead. Many Jews believe, Anno DOMINI 32. d Chap. 9. 6.

John 11:38

38.—It was a cave.] As were usually the Jewish sepulchres. See note on Matt. xxvii. 60. The stone lay probably not “upon it,” but at the entrance, to close it up.

John 11:39

39.—Take ye away the stone.] How easy had it been for our Saviour to cause the stone itself to give way, without employing the aid of human hands. But He thought best to give this command, either for the more full conviction of those who were present, or for the exercise of our faith, to teach us to trust in Him under unfavourable appearances. The command to remove the stone seemed to argue weakness; but soon this seeming weakness breaks forth in an act of omnipotence. Bp. Hall. —Lord, by this time &c.] The putrefaction of dead bodies was extremely rapid in hot countries. Abp. Newcome.

John 11:40

40.—then shouldest see the glory of God?] Thou shouldest see Me afford a glorious evidence of the power of God residing in Me. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 11:41

41, 42.—I thank thee that thou hast heard me. &c.] I thank Thee that Thou grantest My petition, and enablest Me to perform this mighty work. I know that Thou always grantest My desire, and hast communicated to Me all power, absolutely, and at all times: but this I say now for the sake of those here present, that, I appealing to Thy Almighty power for the attestation of My Divine commission, and Thou immediately answering My request, they may be fully convinced that I am sent by Thee, and that all I do and say here on earth is according to Thy will, and for the manifestation of Thy glory. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 11:43

43.—Lazarus, come forth.] Such is the voice which we shall one day hear, sounding at the bottom of the grave, and which will raise us from the dust. Such the voice which will pierce the rocks, and divide the mountains, and bring up the dead out of the lowest deeps. His word made all, His word will repair all. Let us cast away all diffident fears: He in whom we trust is omnipotent. Bp. Hall.

John 11:44

44.—bound hand and foot &c.] He may have been loosely bound, in such a manner as to have some use of his limbs. Abp. Newcome. His hands and feet being separately bound in the clothes, so as to allow of their motion. This illustrious miracle of the raising of Lazarus is one of the most convincing proofs which Jesus gave, during His whole life, that He was the Son of God. It serves especially to confirm the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and the truth of His own words, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Ostervald. Let us adore and trust in Him, who was armed with so Divine a power as to be able to rescue the prisoners of death, and to recover the trophies of the all-conquering grave. And, as true believers in Him, let us learn to take our part in His triumph, with a joyful assurance, that, though we putrefy in the dust, and, “after the skin worms destroy the body,” yet “in our flesh” we shall at length “see God,” Job xix. 26. Dr. Doddridge.

John 11:47

47.—What do we?] What shall we do? for it is plain, and cannot be denied, that this Man has indeed wrought many notable miracles. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 11:48

48.—all men will believe—and the Romans &c.] All Caiaphas prophesieth. The Jews conspire against Christ. Anno DOMINI 23. Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

John 11:49

49.—[high priest that same year.] The high priesthood, by Divine appointment, was to continue in the same person for life; but the Romans changed them at their pleasure, and made the office for the most part annual. Dr. Whitby.

John 11:50

50.—[that it is expedient—that one man &c.] That it is better one man should be put to death at a venture, for the preservation of the whole nation, than that the whole nation should be ruined by your needless scrupulousness about the life of one man. Dr. S. Clarke.

John 11:51

51, 52.—[this spake he not of himself: &c.] This was spoken by Caiaphas in a politick and worldly sense only; yet, as he was high priest that year, it was so ordered by God’s special providence, that his words, in a sense very different from that which he intended, proved an exact prophecy of what soon came to pass; namely, that Jesus should die for the nation of the Jews, and not for that nation only, but for all man-

kind; that He might gather together out of all the nations of the earth, the dispersed servants of God, into one holy Church, united under one Head, and joined together in one holy communion. Dr. S. Clarke. In these words, we observe him speaking as a Caiaphas, and as a Prophet. As a wretched Caiaphas, counselling the Sanhedrim not to fear or hesitate at the business, but at once to resolve on it, for “it is expedient that one man should die;” and as a Prophet, signifying it was necessary Christ should die for the preservation of that nation and of the whole world. The former he spake and meant with all his heart, to stir them up to destroy Christ: the latter he spake indeed, but meant it not, neither understood what he spake. Dr. Lightfoot.

John 11:54

54.—[walked no more openly] Walked no more at that particular time openly. Abp. Newcome.

—[a city called Ephraim.] Situated in the mountainous country, near the wilderness of Judea, at the very edge of the tribe of Ephraim, towards that of Benjamin. Dr. Wells.

John 11:55

55.—[to purify themselves.] It was customary for those who had contracted a defilement which was to be purified by a sacrifice, to reserve themselves for one of the great feasts; also for those who had entered into a vow of Nazaritism, to perform it at those seasons. Dr. Whitby. It was required too of those, who had become defiled in any manner, to purify themselves, before they partook of the celebration of the paschal feast. Dr. Lightfoot.

Chap. XII. ver. 1.—[six days before the passover] It is probable that six days inclusive are meant; that is, reckoning the day of the passover the last of the six. It seems that Jesus came to Bethany on the first day of the week, answering to our Sunday, and made His publick entry into Jerusalem on the Monday, His crucifixion taking place on the Friday following. Bp. Pearce.