John 11:4

John 11:4

2 ^aIt was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love 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 may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6 So, when He heard that he was sick, ^aHe stayed two more days in the place where He was.

7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to ^astone You, and are You going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? ^aIf anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the ^blight of this world.

10 But ^aif one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus ^asleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”

13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

16 Then ^aThomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

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Heard it (akousav). The messenger delivered the message of the sisters. The reply of Jesus is for him and for the apostles.

Is not unto death (ouk estin prov qanaton). Death in the final issue, to remain dead. Lazarus did die, but he did not remain dead. See amartia prov qanaton in I John 5:16, "sin unto death" (final death).

But for the glory of God (all uper thv dochv tou qeou). In behalf of God's glory, as the sequel shows. Cf. John 9:3 about the man born blind. The death of Lazarus will illustrate God's glory. In some humble sense those who suffer the loss of loved ones are entitled to some comfort from this point made by Jesus about Lazarus. In a supreme way it is true of the death of Christ which he himself calls glorification of himself and God (John 13:31). In John 7:39 John had already used docazw of the death of Christ.

That the Son of God may be glorified thereby (ina docasqh o uiov tou qeou di authv). Purpose clause with ina and the first aorist passive subjunctive of docazw. Here Jesus calls himself "the Son of God." In John 8:54 Jesus had said: "It is my Father that glorifieth me." The raising of Lazarus from the tomb will bring glory to the Son of God. See John 17:1 for this idea in Christ's prayer. The raising of Lazarus will also bring to an issue his own death and all this involves the glorification of the Father (John 7:39; John 12:16; John 13:31; John 14:13). The death of Lazarus brings Jesus face to face with his own death.

**Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 11:4:**

John 1:34
John 5:25
John 11:40
Revelation 2:18

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John 11:5 >>

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