John 11-12
What I Noticed Today (John 11-12)
John 11
In verses 1-44, John recounts the events surrounding Jesus, raising Lazarus from the dead.
In verses 1-3, Lazarus is identified as a sick man from Bethany. His sisters were Mary (who anointed Jesus with oil and wiped His feet with her hair) and Martha. They lived in the village of Bethany on the east side of the Mount of Olives. They sent a message to Jesus, saying the one You love is sick.
In verses 4-8, Jesus said the sickness would not end in death but is for the glory of God. He stayed two more days where He was and then told the disciples they should go to Judea again. The disciples were worried the Jews would try to stone Him again.
In verses 9-12, Jesus said if anyone walks during the light of the day, he does not stumble, but if he walks at night, he does stumble because the light is not in him.
Note: Most people worked during the daylight hours and quit when it got dark. But Jesus is also speaking of walking in spiritual light as one walks in obedience to God. Thus, Jesus reasoned, it was not dangerous to go to Bethany because this was God’s will.
In verses 12-16, the disciples misunderstood Jesus’ reference to sleep thinking. He was referring to natural sleep, so Jesus told them plainly Lazarus had died. Jesus said He was glad He was not in Bethany earlier because now the disciples would have their faith strengthened by seeing Lazarus raised from the dead.
Note: Scripture does not record anyone dying in Jesus' presence. Certainly, Jesus would have healed Lazarus from his sickness, but by delaying and allowing Lazarus to die, the disciples’ faith was strengthened by seeing Lazarus raised from the dead.
In verses 17-27, when Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. Many of the Jews had come from Jerusalem to mourn. Martha ran out to meet Jesus, but Mary stayed with Lazarus. Martha greeted Jesus, saying she knew whatever Jesus might ask of God He will give you.
Note: Martha said her brother would not have died if Jesus had been there in person. She had faith but didn’t understand Jesus didn’t need to be there in person to heal Lazarus.
Jesus told Martha that Lazarus would rise again. Martha misunderstood, thinking Jesus was referring to the resurrection. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; everyone who believes in me will never die. Martha confessed she believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.
In verses 28-37, Martha went back to the house and told Mary the Teacher was calling for you. Mary got up and went to Jesus. Mary fell at Jesus’ feet, saying Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, He was angry in His spirit.
Note: Jesus being angry in His spirit is also translated “greatly moved” and “troubled.” Perhaps a reaction to the pain and suffering present in the world because of sin.
Jesus asked where they had laid Lazarus.
Note: Verse 35 is the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.”
Sign 7. Raising Lazarus from the dead.
In verses 38-44, Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus (a cave with a stone rolled in front) and told them to remove the stone. Martha said he is decaying; it has been four days.
They removed the stone. Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed for the benefit of the crowd standing there. Then Jesus shouted for Lazarus to come out.
Note: Jesus prayed audibly so the people would realize that it was God who sent Him to do this miracle. Jesus called Lazarus by name, and some scholars suggest had He not called Lazarus specifically all the dead in the grave would have come out.
Lazarus came out, bound head to foot in linens, and Jesus told them to remove them and let him go.
In verses 45-57, (See also Matthew 26:1-5, Mark 14:1-2, and Luke 22:1-2), many in the crowd believed in Jesus, but others reported to the Pharisees. The chief priests, elders, and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin to determine what to do about Jesus. They were concerned as more people believed in Jesus, the Romans would take away their place (the temple) and the nation.
Note: Of course, the temple was destroyed, but this took place in A.D. 70 and not because they accepted Jesus but because they had rejected Him!
Caiaphas, the high priest, said it was better for one man to die than to lose the nation. From that day on, they plotted to kill Jesus.
Knowing this, Jesus left and went into the country to Ephraim with the disciples.
The time for Passover was near, so the Jewish officials were on the lookout for Jesus in case He returned to the city so they could arrest Him.
John 12
In verses 1-8, (See also Matthew 26:6-13, and Mark 14:3-9) six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus, Mary, and Martha lived. Martha was serving while Lazarus was reclining at the table with Jesus. Mary took a pound (a liter) of perfumes and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair.
Note: Nard was imported from northern India and was used by Romans to anoint someone’s head. The washing of feet was typically done by servants in a Jewish household.
Judas Iscariot objected to the use of the oil, saying it could have been sold for 300 denarii (a year’s wages) and given to the poor. But Judas didn’t care about the poor; he was a thief who helped himself to the disciples’ money bag.
Jesus rebuked him, saying she was anointing Him for burial. The poor you will always have, but you do not always have me.
In verses 9-11, word spread about Lazarus being raised from the dead. The chief priests decided to have Lazarus also killed. People were believing in Jesus because Lazarus had been raised from the dead.
Note: Some of the Sanhedrin were Sadducees who do not believe in the resurrection. Some scholars suggest that another reason they wanted to kill Lazarus was to eliminate any example of resurrection.
In verses 12-19, (See also Matthew 21:1-22, Mark 11:1-11, and Luke 19:28-42) the next day (5 days before Passover), Jesus began His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. People met him and shouted, “Hosanna, He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed one, the king of Israel” (Psalm 118:25-26).
Jesus got a young donkey (a colt) and rode it into town (fulfilling Zechariah 9:9).
The disciples didn’t understand what had happened had been a fulfillment of prophecy until after Jesus had been glorified and returned to heaven.
A large crowd gathered as word spread that Jesus, the man who had raised Lazarus, was coming.
Note: A large crowd was curious about Jesus and the miracle He had performed, but only a few were willing to believe in Him as Messiah.
In verses 20-36, some Greeks (who had converted to Judaism) had come to celebrate the Passover and wanted to see Jesus. Phillip and Andrew brought the request to Jesus, who said the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified had come.
A grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies in order to produce a crop. The one who loves his life will lose it. Anyone who hates his life and follows me will have eternal life. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor Him.
Jesus spoke to the Father about His troubled soul. He prayed that the Father be glorified. A voice from heaven declared that He had glorified His name and would glorify it again.
Note: This is one of three times recorded in Scripture when God testified to Jesus and His ministry (See also Matthew 3:13-17, and Matthew 17:1-13).
Some of the crowd standing there thought they heard thunder, but others said they heard an angel speaking.
Note: Some may hear God’s Word brought to them over and over, but to them, it is just noise (thunder). Others will hear the voice of God speaking to them.
Jesus explained that He did not need to hear God’s voice audibly, but this was done so they would hear it. It was time for Him to be taken from this world; to be lifted up.
The people were confused, thinking the Messiah would be with them always, so they asked how the Son of Man could be lifted up. Jesus told them to walk in the light while they have the light because the light would not be with them much longer. Jesus then left and hid from them.
In verses 37-43, despite seeing signs, many of the Jews rejected Jesus (fulfilling Isaiah 53:1) because of Isaiah 6:9-10.
Even so, many did believe in Jesus, including some of the rulers. But none of the Pharisees believed because they were afraid of being banned from the synagogue, and they enjoyed the praise of men more than the praise of God.
In verses 44-50, John summarizes Jesus’ mission on earth and issues His final appeal. Jesus said the person who believes in Him believes not Him, but the person who sent Him (God the Father). Jesus came to be a light to the world so that anyone who believes in Him would not remain in darkness.
Jesus said He did not come to judge the world but to save it. When He returns in the last days, then He will judge those who rejected Him. Jesus said the things He speaks are only the things the Father told Him to speak.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- Jesus could have easily ordered the stone covering Lazarus’ grave to move or for his grave linens to fall away. Jesus does what only He can do, allowing us to do what we can do.
- Even in the face of the miracle of the raising of Lazarus, the religious leaders were so hard-hearted they plotted to kill Jesus. Hard hearts can blind men to God’s miracles in their lives.
- Mary’s anointing of Jesus is a reminder that opportunities to do spiritual work come in many forms, and there will be those who object and protest.
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