John 11:4-16

⁴When He heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." ⁵Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. ⁷Then He said to His disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." ⁸"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone You, and yet You are going back there?" ⁹Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. ¹⁰It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." ¹¹After He had said this, He went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." ¹²His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." ¹³Jesus had been speaking of his death, but His disciples thought He meant natural sleep. ¹⁴So then He told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." ¹⁶Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

Love for His disciples and friends was neither the only nor even the fundamental motivation for what Jesus was about to do. As He tells His disciples in v4, it is ultimately so that God might be glorified – both the Father and the Son (John 5:23). God gets glory when His Son gets glory, because His Son gives that glory to Him. The same works for us, as “sons” of God. This sign, in which Jesus shows Himself to be the resurrection and the life, is done first and foremost for God’s glory and then out of love for His people.

The disciples are comforted when Jesus says that this sickness is not unto death (v4). But we know that it is so severe that Lazarus will die. So how can Jesus say this? He certainly knew that this sickness would cause Lazarus’ death from the beginning. But death was neither the ultimate purpose nor the final outcome of this sickness. Jesus, in order to glorify God and because of His love for His people, was about to change sickness and death into resurrection and life. And the way in which He was about to do this would make clear why He allowed the death in the first place. Everything God does is ultimately for His glory and pen-ultimately for our good. And everything to do with us stems from His love (Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11). He delays sometimes for a greater purpose – that we would be conformed to the image of Christ, which often comes through suffering (Philippians 1:29).

This leads us to John’s astonishing statement in v6: because Jesus loved Lazarus, He waited until Lazarus died before coming to Bethany. You drop everything and go if someone you love is sick. The one He loves is sick; therefore He stays an extra two days. How could His love motivate Him to wait until it was too late to heal him of this sickness? Only when we realize the nature of Christ’s miraculous signs does this makes sense. Physical resurrection of a body that is still imperfect and still able to die again is a good and amazing thing. But what it signifies – resurrection to a body that can never die, one that will enjoy eternal life in God’s presence – is far greater. Jesus could have healed Lazarus before he died at all. But because it was a better thing to show to him, as a tiny foretaste, the resurrection life that could be found in Jesus alone, and so produce faith in him and the other disciples around him, by letting him die and raising him again; and, because Jesus loved him and desired the best for him – indeed, had determined to do the best for him – therefore, He waited two days until he had died.

Jesus’ next move was a further astonishment to the disciples. It was strange enough that He had waited until Lazarus died, before going to Bethany. But now, after Lazarus was dead, He was going to go there – even though that would certainly mean death for Himself as well, since the Jews of that region were attempting to kill Him. How could this make any sense at all? This was a sign that the disciples would not fully understand until later. When the disciples attempted to dissuade Jesus from going, they did so, not so much perhaps on His account as on their own, for each of them was thinking selfishly, as the danger was common to all.

Jesus can raise the man who is “dead in his trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-7), and give him eternal life – and He does so by going to His own death on the cross! But Jesus would not be dissuaded by His disciples’ pleas. It was still daylight, the time God ordained for Him to bring light into the world, by means of His sign-miracles (Psalm 91:11). And so He would go to Bethany. The analogy of v11-13 about sleeping and waking is meant for us to think of death and resurrection; many have likely taken this analogy to some extreme for which it was not intended (soul sleep vs. consciousness upon death – see Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Look at the end of v14 and the beginning of v15. “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad…” That’s a strange joy! Loving His disciples, He wanted this event to bring them an increasing belief; had Jesus healed Lazarus instantly with a word, the disciples would have never grasped it. He’ll also get to chat with the sisters about more important things as a result of being absent at Lazarus’ death. Jesus’ joy lies in what’s best for us. In suffering, Calvin says, “we groan and are perplexed and sorrowful, but the Lord rejoices on account of our benefit, and gives a twofold display of His kindness to us in this respect, that He not only pardons our sins, but gladly finds means of correcting them.”

Thomas’ statement in response to Jesus’ strange teaching (v16), was probably occasioned by doubt (after all, he is “doubting Thomas”) and gloomy resignation. Jesus was going to die there in Bethany, and despairingly, all would be lost. But at the same time, he is boldly willing to die with Jesus on account of the doctrine he has learned. Perhaps it’s something akin to “dying while living the truth” opposed to “living a lie.” Just as later in the chapter the high priest unwittingly gives a prophecy of truth (v49-52), so it seems to be the case here. Certainly, it is only as we die with Jesus that we can be raised again to eternal life. Thomas’ statement, then, perfectly illustrates the teaching of Jesus, in relation to this sign miracle. One can only find eternal life by Jesus’ going to His own death, when he himself is also dead. If one would live in Christ, he must also die with Christ. However, rather than zealously make the statement Thomas made, he ought to have rested in the promise and leadership of Jesus. The disciples could not yet grasp the full extent of this teaching; but later, when Christ was raised from the dead, they understood and believed.