John Chapter 11 [Archive] - BibleForums Christian Message Board and Forums

Momof5

Sep 21st 2005, 04:44 PM

Okay, ladies, we will start! :) I love this chapter (I love all of them) because it shows Jesus' affection for His friends and His awesome power.

NKJV John 11

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

2) It 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."

I want to add what my Bible Reader's Companion by Lawrence O. Richard, says about this verse - "It's easy to pray when we or a loved one first becomes sick. We believe firmly that Jesus does love us. The problem comes when there seems to be no response from God...." This chapter shows me the love of Jesus and that His timing is not my timing, but He is always on time!

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."

Jesus was showing the power of God, that people might believe and that all glory is to God. IMHO, when God heals is to His glory and not that we or doctors, etc., are glorified.

Love you, my sisters. :hug:

qbee

Sep 22nd 2005, 02:16 AM

Yes, Jesus waited for the appointed time so that all glory would go to God.
What makes this revelant is .. I have learned that the Jewish people at that
time believed that a soul could return to it body within a certain time after
death .. Jesus purposely waited so that they couldnt declare that is what
happened .. He could have healed Lazurus instanly right where he was.

Jesus chose to wait and come to them at the appropriate time so that the
glory of God would be proclaimed and they would believe and trust in what
he taught them... and give all glory to God ..

KingdomBound

Sep 22nd 2005, 03:56 AM

This chapter shows me the love of Jesus and that His timing is not my timing, but He is always on time! Amen and amen!! :)

trinity

Sep 22nd 2005, 10:28 AM

Amen and amen!! :)

So true, sometimes God says "No" when there's something far better waiting for you if you just learn to wait on Him. If our prayers for the sick were answered immediately & with a "Yes" each & every time it would be human nature to take the credit. Sometimes he lets us go thru this just so that we learn how dependent we are on Him, we have to humble ourselves (which is seldom easy ;) ) & say Lord I can't do this on my own strength anymore please take control of this situation, "in my weakness Your strength is made perfect"!!

karenoka27

Sep 22nd 2005, 10:51 AM

Can anyone join this study?

Whenever I talk with someone about prayer...I always say, "Pray and Watch"
When we pray, we are done..in the sense that is all we can do, now we watch what God will do..it is so amazing to watch our living God at work..the more you watch for Him to answer prayer and the more you see Him work..the more you learn to wait on Him when He doesn't answer in the time frame we think He should..we truly serve an amazing God!

Momof5

Sep 22nd 2005, 12:12 PM

Can anyone join this study?

Please do! :hug: :hug: I have been praying that others will join us and help us learn more and more as we seek the Lord! I am thrilled to see your input and Mickie, Trinity, and Claudia's too!

Debra R

Sep 23rd 2005, 12:07 AM

Please do! :hug: :hug: I have been praying that others will join us and help us learn more and more as we seek the Lord! I am thrilled to see your input and Mickie, Trinity, and Claudia's too!

:pp Me too!! Good to see you all! :)

And thank you Brenda. :hug:

And I pray that Mieke feels well enough soon to join us again on this chapter too.

Blessings
Love,
Deb

Debra R

Sep 23rd 2005, 01:11 AM

Okay, ladies, we will start! http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif I love this chapter (I love all of them) because it shows Jesus' affection for His friends and His awesome power.

Amen!

NKJV John 11

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

2) It 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."

I want to add what my Bible Reader's Companion by Lawrence O. Richard, says about this verse - "It's easy to pray when we or a loved one first becomes sick. We believe firmly that Jesus does love us. The problem comes when there seems to be no response from God...." This chapter shows me the love of Jesus and that His timing is not my timing, but He is always on time!

Yes He is, always on time.

I think too that problems come when you have had a response from God in the beginning and then He seeems to be silent for a time, Or rather He is not working as you think He should be working. Or healing as quickly as you would like Him too. But His timing is the perfect timing. For who are we to question Him or tell Him how to run things http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/redface.gif.

Jesus sees and knows the big picture, He knows the beginning and the end. There are many ways He works through the suffering to bring God's glory.
Many times through this with Nathaniel I have seen God's glory in the little things. To see His touch in the little things means so much. I thank Him for letting me see that and to know that He is there. And I am realizing more and more how God does use the doctors and nurses and medicines to bring healing. For He is the one who gives them the knowledge to do what they do. He is incredibly awesome.

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."

Jesus was showing the power of God, that people might believe and that all glory is to God. IMHO, when God heals is to His glory and not that we or doctors, etc., are glorified.

Love you, my sisters. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif

Love you too my sister. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif

Debra R

Sep 23rd 2005, 02:09 AM

(NASB) John 11:3) So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."

Mary and Martha knew that Jesus loved Lazarus so they sent for Him and they knew that because of His love that Jesus would come.

4) But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

Jesus said that this sickness would not end in death but that it would be for the glory of God, that Jesus would be gorified. That those around Jesus would come to know Him in an even greater way and there would be more who would see His glory.

5) Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

Jesus loved them. How sweet those words that Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus. That Jesus loves us. That Jesus loves those whom we love too. As much as we love our family Jesus loves them even more.

6) So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

Can you imagine what they were thinking? Why is Jesus not coming? Why is He taking so long? Do you think they doubted His love then? Do you think they began to wonder if He really cared? Don't we also think those same things?

But Jesus loved Lazarus. And Jesus cared. He was in control. And when it was the right time, He came.

Momof5

Sep 23rd 2005, 02:22 PM

Hi Debra! You are so right, Jesus cares and when it is the right time, He comes!

And I pray that Mieke feels well enough soon to join us again on this chapter too

Me too! I love Mieke's commentaries. :)

Let's move to a few more verses. Anyone who is joining us, please feel free to move back at any time on any verse. :hug:

NKJ John 11

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 stone You, and are You going there again?"

9) Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

10) But if one walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him."

The disciples thought that Jesus would be killed if He went to Judea. They had no idea of God's plan and timing.

Jesus is the light of the world and He was going into Judea so that some might believe and follow Him.

Debra R

Sep 24th 2005, 01:36 AM

I thought I should share how we have been going through the chapters of John.

We started on chapter one in June of 2004. (Momof5 looked it up to see when we started, I had forgotten.) P.P.P. started the first chapter so we have her to thank for getting us going. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

I hadn't realized it had taken us that long to get this far. But we all have had so much going on in our lives. But still keep going on. We may be slow but it has been fun.

We usually take a few verses at a time and add thoughts, commentaries, whatever we feel led, and just go through the whole chapter. So if you feel led to post the next set of verses or even go back and add to previous verses please feel free.

We just share what we have learned, what we perceive and what our understanding is. Our goal is to grow closer with the Lord and know Him more.

Blessings http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif

Love,
Deb

Debra R

Sep 24th 2005, 01:59 AM

John 11:9) Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

10) But if one walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him."

The disciples thought that Jesus would be killed if He went to Judea. They had no idea of God's plan and timing.

Jesus is the light of the world and He was going into Judea so that some might believe and follow Him.

The Adam Clarke Commentary

Verse 9. Are there not twelve hours in the day?
The Jews, as well as most other nations, divided the day, from sun-rising to sun-setting, into twelve equal parts; but these parts, or hours, were longer or shorter, according to the different seasons of the year.

Our Lord alludes to the case of a traveller, who has to walk the whole day: the day points out the time of life-the night that of death. He has already used the same mode of speech, John 9:4: I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work.

Here he refers to what the apostles had just said-The Jews were but just now going to stone thee. Are there not, said he, twelve hours in the day? I have not travelled these twelve hours yet-my last hour is not yet come; and the Jews, with all their malice and hatred, shall not be able to bring it a moment sooner than God has purposed.

I am immortal till my work is done; and this, that I am now going to Bethany to perform, is a part of it. When all is completed, then their hour, and that of the power of darkness, shall commence.

If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not
A traveller should use the day to walk in, and not the night. During the day he has the sun, the light of this world: he sees his way, and does not stumble: but, if he walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in it, John 11:10; i.e. there is no sun above the horizon. The words εναυτω, John 11:10, refer not to the man, but to the world, the sun, its light, not being above the horizon.

Life is the time to fulfil the will of God, and to prepare for glory. Jesus is the light of the world; he that walks in his Spirit, and by his direction, cannot stumble-cannot fall into sin, nor be surprised by an unexpected death.

But he who walks in the night, in the darkness of his own heart, and according to the maxims of this dark world, he stumbles-falls into sin, and at last falls into hell. Reader! do not dream of walking to heaven in the night of thy death. God has given thee the warning: receive it, and begin to live to him, and for eternity.

Debra R

Sep 24th 2005, 11:57 AM

I have to work today, still making up hours. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/cry.gif

But I wanted to post a few more verses.......

(NKJ) John 11:11) These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, 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."

See you all later.
Have a very blessed day,
in Christ's love http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif,
Deb

Momof5

Sep 24th 2005, 01:28 PM

Good morning. :hug:

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

Jesus was glad for the opportunity for the disciples' faith to grow.

I am going to add one more verse to these:

16) Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

The annotation in my Bible was interesting in that it said Thomas had the twins of belief and unbelief and combined devotion to Jesus and a tendency to see the dark side of things. With all that, he followed anyway out of loyalty to Jesus.

Debra R

Sep 25th 2005, 03:32 AM

Good morning. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif

I am going to add one more verse to these:

16) Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

The annotation in my Bible was interesting in that it said Thomas had the twins of belief and unbelief and combined devotion to Jesus and a tendency to see the dark side of things. With all that, he followed anyway out of loyalty to Jesus.

http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif Thank you for that Brenda, I have to confess I am a lot like Thomas. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif
I tend to see the dark side of things. I wish I could stop doing that.

And I had related a lot with Thomas in this scripture....

John 20:24) Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

25) The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

That was so much like me. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif

26) And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"

27) Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

28) And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

I had broke down and cried when I first read that scripture and realized that was how I had been. And I had cried remembering all the things He had done to make me see. And for how much He loved me.

How awesome is His love.

Blessings http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif

miepie

Sep 25th 2005, 10:27 AM

John 11
Bible Knowledge Commentary:
The great sign at Bethany (11:1-44)
This climactic miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead was Jesus’ public evidence of the truth of His great claim, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” Death is the great horror which sin has produced (Rom. 5:12; James 1:15). Physical death is the divine object lesson of what sin does in the spiritual realm. As physical death ends life and separates people, so spiritual death is the separation of people from God and the loss of life which is in God (John 1:4). Jesus has come so that people may live full lives (10:10). Rejecting Jesus means that one will not see life (3:36) and that his final destiny is “the second death,” the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15).

Romans 5:12
When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

James 1:15
These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death.

John 1:4
Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.

John 10:10
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

John 3:36
And all who believe in God's Son have eternal life. Those who don't obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon them."

Rev. 20:14-15
And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. [15] And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

John 11:1
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.

JFB Commentary:
1. of Bethany—at the east side of Mount Olivet.
the town of Mary and her sister Martha—thus distinguishing it from the other Bethany, "beyond Jordan." (See on John 1:28; John 10:40).

John 1:28
This incident took place at Bethany, a village east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.

John 10:40
He went beyond the Jordan River to stay near the place where John was first baptizing.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:1-2. This Lazarus is mentioned in the New Testament only in this chapter and in chapter 12. Bethany is on the east side of the Mount of Olives. Another Bethany is in Perea. Luke added some information on the two sisters Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). This Mary was the same one who later poured perfume on the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair. However, John may be assuming that the original readers of his Gospel already had some knowledge of Mary.

Luke 10:38-42
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. [39] Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. [40] But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me." [41] But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! [42] There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won't take it away from her."

John 11:2
This is the Mary who poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick.

JFB Commentary:
2. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, &c.—This, though not recorded by our Evangelist till John 12:3, was so well known in the teaching of all the churches, according to our Lord's prediction (Matthew 26:13), that it is here alluded to by anticipation, as the most natural way of identifying her; and she is first named, though the younger, as the more distinguished of the two. She "anointed THE LORD," says the Evangelist—led doubtless to the use of this term here, as he was about to exhibit Him illustriously as the Lord of Life.

John 12:3
Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance.

Matthew 26:13
I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory."

John 11:3
So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, the one you love is very sick."

JFB Commentary:
3-5. his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick—a most womanly appeal, yet how reverential, to the known affection of her Lord for the patient. "Those whom Christ loves are no more exempt than others from their share of earthly trouble and anguish: rather are they bound over to it more surely" [TRENCH]

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:3. The sisters assumed, because of the Lord’s ability and His love for Lazarus, that He would immediately respond to their word about Lazarus’ illness and come.

John 11:4
But when Jesus heard about it he said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this."

JFB Commentary:
4. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death—to result in death.
but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby—that is, by this glory of God. (See Greek.) Remarkable language this, which from creature lips would have been intolerable. It means that the glory of GOD manifested in the resurrection of dead Lazarus would be shown to be the glory, personally and immediately, of THE SON.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:4. Jesus did not go immediately (see v. 6). But His delay was not from lack of love (cf. v. 5), or from fear of the Jews. He waited till the right moment in the Father’s plan. Lazarus’ sickness would not end in death, that is, in permanent death. Instead Jesus would be glorified in this incident (cf. 9:3). This statement is ironic. Jesus’ power and obedience to the Father were displayed, but this event led to His death (cf. 11:50-53), which was His true glory (17:1).

John 9:3
"It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered. "He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.

John 11:50-53
Why should the whole nation be destroyed? Let this one man die for the people." [51] This prophecy that Jesus should die for the entire nation came from Caiaphas in his position as high priest. He didn't think of it himself; he was inspired to say it. [52] It was a prediction that Jesus' death would be not for Israel only, but for the gathering together of all the children of God scattered around the world. [53] So from that time on the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus' death.

John 17:1
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you.

John 11:5
Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus,

JFB Commentary:
5. Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus—what a picture!—one that in every age has attracted the admiration of the whole Christian Church. No wonder that those miserable skeptics who have carped at the ethical system of the Gospel, as not embracing private friendships in the list of its virtues, have been referred to the Saviour's peculiar regard for this family as a triumphant refutation, if such were needed.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:5-6. In spite of Jesus’ love for all three (Martha and her sister and Lazarus), He waited two more days. Apparently Lazarus was already dead when Jesus heard about him. Jesus’ movements were under God’s direction.

John 11:6
he stayed where he was for the next two days and did not go to them.

JFB Commentary:
6. When he heard he was sick, he abode two days still . . . where he was—at least twenty-five miles off. Beyond all doubt this was just to let things come to their worst, in order to display His glory. But how trying, meantime, to the faith of his friends, and how unlike the way in which love to a dying friend usually shows itself, on which it is plain that Mary reckoned. But the ways of divine are not as the ways of human love. Often they are the reverse. When His people are sick, in body or spirit; when their case is waxing more and more desperate every day; when all hope of recovery is about to expire—just then and therefore it is that "He abides two days still in the same place where He is." Can they still hope against hope? Often they do not; but "this is their infirmity." For it is His chosen style of acting. We have been well taught it, and should not now have the lesson to learn. From the days of Moses was it given sublimely forth as the character of His grandest interpositions, that "the Lord will judge His people and repent Himself for His servants"—when He seeth that their power is gone (Deut. 32:36).

miepie

Sep 25th 2005, 10:28 AM

John 11:7
Finally after two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go to Judea again."

JFB Commentary:
7-10. Let us go into Judea again—He was now in Perea, "beyond Jordan."

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:7-10. His disciples knew that His going to Judea, would be dangerous (10:31). So they tried to prevent Him from going. Jesus spoke in a veiled way to illustrate that it would not be too dangerous to go to Bethany. In one sense He was speaking of walking (living) in physical light or darkness. In the spiritual realm when one lives by the will of God he is safe. Living in the realm of evil is dangerous. As long as He followed God’s plan, no harm would come till the appointed time. Applied to people then, they should have responded to Jesus while He was in the world as its Light (cf. 1:4-7; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5). Soon He would be gone and so would this unique opportunity.

John 10:31
Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones to kill him.

John 1:4-7
Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. [5] The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. [6] God sent John the Baptist [7] to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.

John 3:19
Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

John 8:12
Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

John 9:5
But while I am still here in the world, I am the light of the world."

John 11:8
But his disciples objected. "Teacher," they said, "only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill you. Are you going there again?"

JFB Commentary:
8. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought, &c.—literally, "were (just) now seeking" "to stone thee" (John 10:31).
goest thou thither again?—to certain death, as John 11:16 shows they thought.

John 11:16
Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too—and die with Jesus."

John 11:9-10
[9] Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. [10] Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light."

JFB Commentary:
9. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?—(See on John 9:4). Our Lord's day had now reached its eleventh hour, and having till now "walked in the day," He would not mistime the remaining and more critical part of His work, which would be as fatal, He says, as omitting it altogether; for "if a man (so He speaks, putting Himself under the same great law of duty as all other men—if a man) walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him."

John 9:4
All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end.

miepie

Sep 25th 2005, 10:29 AM

John 11:11
These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."

JFB Commentary:
11-16. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go that I may wake him out of sleep—Illustrious title! "Our friend Lazarus." To Abraham only is it accorded in the Old Testament, and not till after his death, (2 Chron. 20:7; Isaiah 41:8), to which our attention is called in the New Testament (James 2:23). When Jesus came in the flesh, His forerunner applied this name, in a certain sense, to himself (John 3:29); and into the same fellowship the Lord's chosen disciples are declared to have come (John 15:13-15). "The phrase here employed, "our friend Lazarus," means more than "he whom Thou lovest" in John 11:3, for it implies that Christ's affection was reciprocated by Lazarus" [LAMPE]. Our Lord had been told only that Lazarus was "sick." But the change which his two days' delay had produced is here tenderly alluded to. Doubtless, His spirit was all the while with His dying, and now dead "friend." The symbol of "sleep" for death is common to all languages, and familiar to us in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, however, a higher meaning is put into it, in relation to believers in Jesus (see on 1 Thes. 4:14), a sense hinted at, and clearly, in Psalm 17:15 [LUTHARDT]; and the "awaking out of sleep" acquires a corresponding sense far transcending bare resuscitation.

[b]2 Chron. 20:7[/b]
Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

[b]Isaiah 41:8[/b]
"But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.

[b]James 2:23[/b]
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.

[b]John 3:29[/b]
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.

[b]John 15:13-15[/b]
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. [14] You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. [15] No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

[b]John 11:3[/b]
Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."

[b]1 Thes. 4:14[/b]
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

[b]Psalm 17:15[/b]
As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

[b]Bible Knowledge Commentary:[/b]
11:11-12. Jesus then said, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. The word “friend” has special significance in Scripture (cf. 15:13-14; James 2:23). This “sleep” is the sleep of death. Since the coming of Christ the death of a believer is regularly called a sleep (cf. Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:20). Dead Christians are asleep not in the sense of an unconscious “soul sleep,” but in the sense that their bodies appear to be sleeping. The disciples wrongly assumed that Jesus meant Lazarus had not died, but was sleeping physically and was on his way to recovery: If he sleeps, he will get better.

[b]Acts 7:60[/b]
Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

[b]1 Cor. 15:20[/b]
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

[b][color=red]John 11:12[/b][/color]
Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."

JFB Commentary:
12. if he sleep, he shall do well—literally, "be preserved"; that is, recover. "Why then go to Judea?"

[b][color=red]John 11:13[/b][/color]
However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

[b]Bible Knowledge Commentary:[/b]
11:13-15. As was often the case in the Gospels, Jesus was speaking about one thing but the disciples were thinking about another. The words Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there seem shocking at first. But if Lazarus had not died, the disciples (and readers of all ages) would not have had this unique opportunity to have their faith quickened. Lazarus’ death was so that you may believe.

[b][color=red]John 11:14[/b][/color]
Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.

JFB Commentary:
14. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead—Says BENGEL beautifully, "Sleep is the death of the saints, in the language of heaven; but this language the disciples here understood not; incomparable is the generosity of the divine manner of discoursing, but such is the slowness of men's apprehension that Scripture often has to descend to the more miserable style of human discourse; compare Matthew 16:11."

[b]Matthew 16:11[/b]
How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?--but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

[b][color=red]John 11:15[/b][/color]
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."

JFB Commentary:
15. I am glad for your sakes I was not there—This certainly implies that if He had been present, Lazarus would not have died; not because He could not have resisted the importunities of the sisters, but because, in presence of the personal Life, death could not have reached His friend [LUTHARDT]. "It is beautifully congruous to the divine decorum that in presence of the Prince of Life no one is ever said to have died" [BENGEL].
that ye may believe—This is added to explain His "gladness" at not having been present. His friend's death, as such, could not have been to Him "joyous"; the sequel shows it was "grievous"; but for them it was safe (Phil. 3:1).

[b]Philip. 3:1[/b]
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

[b][color=red]John 11:16[/b][/color]
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

JFB Commentary:
16. Thomas, . . . called Didymus—or "the twin."
Let us also go, that we may die with him—lovely spirit, though tinged with some sadness, such as reappears at John 14:5, showing the tendency of this disciple to take the dark view of things. On a memorable occasion this tendency opened the door to downright, though but momentary, unbelief (John 20:25). Here, however, though alleged by many interpreters there is nothing of the sort. He perceives clearly how this journey to Judea will end, as respects his Master, and not only sees in it peril to themselves, as they all did, but feels as if he could not and cared not to survive his Master's sacrifice to the fury of His enemies. It was that kind of affection which, living only in the light of its Object, cannot contemplate, or has no heart for life, without it.

[b]John 20:25[/b]
The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

[b]Bible Knowledge Commentary:[/b]
11:16. Didymus means “twin.” Thomas is often called “doubting Thomas” because of the incident recorded in 20:24-25. But here he took the leadership and showed his commitment to Christ, even to death. That we may die with Him is ironic. On one level it reveals Thomas’ ignorance of the uniqueness of Christ’s atoning death. On another level it is prophetic of many disciples’ destinies (12:25).

[b]John 12:25[/b]
He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

miepie

Sep 25th 2005, 10:31 AM

Well, it looks as if I am caught up again.... pffff.....
Please look over mistakes, I was shaking heavily while I was doing this.... :cry:
But I love doing this study so much, that I wanted to finish it..... :)
Thank you Brenda and Debra for being so patient with me.... I loved studying with you so far and I hope we can do a lot more studying together! :hug:

Love you my beautiful sisters,
Mieke :kiss:

Momof5

Sep 26th 2005, 06:30 PM

Mieke, beautiful job with the commentaries. They sure add so much to our study. My dear sister, I could not tell that you were shaking while you worked on this, but I know what a sacrifice it is for you physically to do all that work! Love you! :hug: :hug:

I'm going to add a few more verses while I have a little time....

NKJ John 11

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

18) Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.

19) And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20) Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.

21) Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

22) But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

What faith! Martha knew to expect Jesus to do something when she was in His presence!!

Debra R

Sep 27th 2005, 12:13 PM

Thank you Mieke, our beloved sister. :hug: :hug: :hug:

Love you. :kiss:

Debra R

Sep 27th 2005, 12:15 PM

Debra R

Sep 28th 2005, 11:17 AM

Momof5

Sep 28th 2005, 08:42 PM

23) Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24) Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."

Martha knew who Jesus is and believed in Him, but being the practical woman she was, she limited Jesus' power to the future. Jesus' power is not only in the past and the future but in the present!!

25) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

26) and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

I love that Jesus has the power of all life. He gives us life now and gives us life later. Death is defeated and not to be feared because we who are in Christ will live forever.

Debra R

Sep 28th 2005, 10:26 PM

Hi my sisters. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif

(NASB) John 11:22) "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

Martha knew that whatever Jesus asked of the Father that the Father would give to Him. But I don't think Martha realized that Jesus had the power in Himself to raise Lazarus.

Just a few thoughts I've been pondering today. I was thinking that Martha didn't realize that Jesus had the power Himself to raise Lazarus. I'm sure she saw Jesus pray before and knew the closeness He had with the Father. But did she know that Jesus was God? Did she know that Jesus had the power of God? Do we realize the power that Jesus has? We say we do, in our minds we know He does, but do we really know the power of Jesus?

We know Jesus is God, but do we really know that He is God? Do we really know that Jesus has all power and authority? Our minds know it, but does both our mind and heart know it? Do we really know Jesus' power? Am I making sense? It seems to me if we really knew Jesus' power, we would believe Him more, we would maybe see His power more. Do you know what I mean? I want to see the power of God working on people. I want to see lives changed. I want to see the sick healed, the dead raised, people brought out of fear and bondage. I want to see the power of Jesus.

And maybe its that we believe Jesus can, but, do we believe Jesus will?

23) Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24) Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."

25) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

26) and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. In Jesus is life. Those who believe in Jesus, who are one with Him, they will live even though the earthly body will die. We will have new bodies that will never die. For Jesus has promised us eternal life with Him. He came that we may have life. Everyone who lives and believes in Jesus will never die, blessed life forever more with King Jesus. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/jfj.gif

Those were just some thoughts I was thinking on today and trying to figure out. Just reflecting and checking my heart.

Love you my sisters. http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/kiss.gif http://bibleforums.net/forum/images/smilies/hug.gif

Momof5

Sep 29th 2005, 06:02 PM

Debra: Do we realize the power that Jesus has?

I don't think we truly can comprehend His power. We are so limited by time and space and logic. :(

Debra: And maybe its that we believe Jesus can, but, do we believe Jesus will?

Again, we are so like Martha that we believe that Jesus will in the future, instead of believing with all of our being, that Jesus can now!!

Debra R

Oct 1st 2005, 06:09 PM

:hug: A few more verses......

(NKJ) John 11:27) She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

28) And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."

29 ) As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

30) Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.

31) Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there.

"32) Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

33) Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.

34) And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."

35) Jesus wept.

Martha had seen enough to know that Jesus was the promised Messiah who was to come into the world. She saw and believed.
The same as we who have read the sacred writings of the Old Testament, that God has kept preserved, that we may know of His salvation, that we may know Him and believe. John 17:20) "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

We believe that Jesus is He who was promised from the beginning of the world. We believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world to save His people from their sin. Though we have not seen Him we believe. John 20:29) Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

As soon as Martha told Mary that Jesus was there and called for her, she immediately went to Him. She took her grief to Jesus, falling at His feet. Lord, if only you had been here my brother would not have died. She knew that if Jesus had been there He could have kept her brother from dying. She did not yet see that Jesus could bring her brother back to life even after he had been dead for four days.

Seeing their weeping He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. Jesus wept. Jesus did not watch in apathy, He felt their sorrow and wept with them. Jesus feels our sorrow. Isaiah 53:3) He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief........

God cares about our suffering. And there is an answer to our suffering, Jesus. Jesus gives us hope. Death is not the final answer. Jesus has the final answer.

So let us continue to hope and believe in Jesus, even in the midst of our adversities, when to the human eye there seems to be no hope. Our hope is in Jesus who does care and has the final answer. Jesus who has all power and dominion, in Him we will trust and keep our hope. To those who believe, Jesus will show the glory of God.

Blessings :hug:

Momof5

Oct 1st 2005, 09:49 PM

Debra: So let us continue to hope and believe in Jesus, even in the midst of our adversities, when to the human eye there seems to be no hope. Our hope is in Jesus who does care and has the final answer. Jesus who has all power and dominion, in Him we will trust and keep our hope. To those who believe, Jesus will show the glory of God.

Amen!!!

:hug: :hug:

Debra R

Oct 2nd 2005, 01:15 PM

:hug: A few more verses.......

(NKJ) John 11:36) Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"

37) And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"

38) Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

39) Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."

40) Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

41) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

42) And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."

43) Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

44) And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Blessings :kiss: :hug:

Momof5

Oct 2nd 2005, 08:14 PM

43) Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

You know, I have always heard it said that Jesus' power is so mighty that if he had not called Lazarus by name, all the dead would have risen!!

Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Jesus' power over death - how awesome! When I met Him, spiritually dead, this is what I felt that He said "loose her and let her go." The spiritual graveclothes fell away and I have life!

:hug: :hug:

Momof5

Oct 5th 2005, 03:39 PM

I am going to post a few more verses...:)

NKV John 11

45) Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

46) But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.

47) Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.

48) If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."

Through everything, the Jewish leaders were worried about their position!!!

Debra R

Oct 6th 2005, 01:08 AM

JFB Commentary: 6. When he heard he was sick, he abode two days still . . . where he was—at least twenty-five miles off. Beyond all doubt this was just to let things come to their worst, in order to display His glory. But how trying, meantime, to the faith of his friends, and how unlike the way in which love to a dying friend usually shows itself, on which it is plain that Mary reckoned. But the ways of divine are not as the ways of human love. Often they are the reverse. When His people are sick, in body or spirit; when their case is waxing more and more desperate every day; when all hope of recovery is about to expire—just then and therefore it is that "He abides two days still in the same place where He is." Can they still hope against hope? Often they do not; but "this is their infirmity." For it is His chosen style of acting. We have been well taught it, and should not now have the lesson to learn. From the days of Moses was it given sublimely forth as the character of His grandest interpositions, that "the Lord will judge His people and repent Himself for His servants"—when He seeth that their power is gone (Deut. 32:36).

I have been thinking on this commentary that Mieke posted.
Many times it is when there is no other hope, nothing else can be done by human means, that the Lord acts. It has to be in this way that the glory of the Lord will be seen. For it will be known that there was no other way that it could be done but by the Lord's hand. It is not easy in the meantime while we are waiting. But that is where our trust in God begins to grow. It is also where we find God's strength that He imparts to us when ours is completely gone. Maybe too it is when we get ourselves out of the way that He can work.

Blessings. :hug:

Debra R

Oct 6th 2005, 01:20 AM

You know, I have always heard it said that Jesus' power is so mighty that if he had not called Lazarus by name, all the dead would have risen!!

I have heard that too. And it is likely so that if Jesus had not called Lazarus by name, all the dead would have risen. Mighty is our Lord!

Jesus' power over death - how awesome! When I met Him, spiritually dead, this is what I felt that He said "loose her and let her go." The spiritual graveclothes fell away and I have life!

The same here! And I had felt as if scales had fallen from my eyes as with Paul, in realizing how blind I had been. It truly felt as if a weight had been lifted. I once was blind but now I see! Praise God!

:kiss: :hug:

Debra R

Oct 6th 2005, 01:29 AM

NKV John 11

45) Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

The same with us, many see our faith, they see the work the Lord does in our lives. The Lord does this so they can believe in Him too. For that I am thankful.

Blessings :hug:

Momof5

Oct 7th 2005, 05:01 PM

Debra: Many times it is when there is no other hope, nothing else can be done by human means, that the Lord acts. It has to be in this way that the glory of the Lord will be seen. For it will be known that there was no other way that it could be done but by the Lord's hand. It is not easy in the meantime while we are waiting. But that is where our trust in God begins to grow. It is also where we find God's strength that He imparts to us when ours is completely gone. Maybe too it is when we get ourselves out of the way that He can work.

I think this is the whole point of it all. That it is not about us - it's all about Him!

:hug: :hug:

Momof5

Oct 7th 2005, 05:15 PM

Debra R

Oct 8th 2005, 11:38 AM

41) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

42) And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."

How wonderful in knowing that God our Father always hears us. That He listens to us.

I am reminded of these scriptures.....

Psalm 66:
18) If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.

19) But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20) Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!

1 John 3:
21) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22) And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23) And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

1 John 5:
14) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 ) And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Matthew 21:
21) So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22) And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Which I am reminded again of this verse.....John 11:40) Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
If we believe, we will see the glory of our God. For Jesus will work on our behalf, He will let us behold His glory.

Blessings. :kiss: :hug:

Debra R

Oct 8th 2005, 12:07 PM

I am going to post some more verses....

NKJ John 11

49) And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,

50) nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."

51) Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

52) and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

Wow!! This is the first time I have really looked at this passage. I just read an opinion that Caiaphas gave a message from God by virtue of his office, that he was a prophet in spite of himself.

That is awesome!!

In reading verse 52 I am reminded of these verses......

John 10:
16) And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Isaiah 56:
8) The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says,
" Yet I will gather to him
Others besides those who are gathered to him."

Ezekiel 34:
23) I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.

John 10:
11) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

Praises be to our shepherd, our great God and Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. :pp I am so thankful He brought us into the fold!

Blessings :kiss: :hug:

Debra R

Oct 9th 2005, 02:02 PM

Good morning, my sisters. :hug:

I thought I would post the last verses for this chapter.

(NKJ) John 11:53) Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

54) Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

55) And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

56) Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?"

57) Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

Love you. :kiss: :hug:

Momof5

Oct 10th 2005, 11:48 AM

Jesus spent this time teaching His disciples and preparing for what was to come!

I can imagine the people, looking for Jesus, wanting to know if He would show up, to see what He would do next!

Debra R

Oct 11th 2005, 02:24 AM

Jesus spent this time teaching His disciples and preparing for what was to come!

I can imagine the people, looking for Jesus, wanting to know if He would show up, to see what He would do next!

:) I can imagine that too. I wish I could have been there to see their faces as they watched Jesus. I wish I could have been there to hear what they said about Him, to see their reactions. :)
I really wish I could have been there to follow Jesus around.

I will start chapter 12.
This one is still open for comments though.
And when our dear sister Mieke feels better she will post our commentaries. :)

Love you, my sisters. :kiss: :hug:

miepie

Oct 14th 2005, 10:44 PM

John 11:17
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

JFB Commentary:
17-19. when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days—If he died on the day the tidings came of his illness—and was, according to the Jewish custom, buried the same day (see JAHN'S Archæology, and John 11:39; Acts 5:5-6, 10) —and if Jesus, after two days' further stay in Perea, set out on the day following for Bethany, some ten hours' journey, that would make out the four days; the first and last being incomplete [MEYER].

John 11:39
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.

Acts 5:5-6
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. [6] And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

Acts 5:10
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:17. Apparently Lazarus had died soon after the messengers left. Jesus was then a day’s journey away. Since Palestine is warm and decomposition sets in quickly, a person was usually buried the same day he died (cf. v. 39).

John 11:18
[18] Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.

JFB Commentary:
18. Bethany was nigh Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs—rather less than two miles; mentioned to explain the visits of sympathy noticed in the following words, which the proximity of the two places facilitated.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:18-19. The fact that Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem points up two things. It explains why many Jews from Jerusalem were at the scene of this great miracle. It also prepares the reader for the coming climax which was to take place in the great city. When a person died, the Jews mourned for a prolonged period of time. During this period it was considered a pious duty to comfort the bereaved.

John 11:19
[19] And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

JFB Commentary:
19. many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them—Thus were provided, in a most natural way, so many witnesses of the glorious miracle that was to follow, as to put the fact beyond possible question.

John 11:20
[20] Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.

JFB Commentary:
20-22. Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him—true to the energy and activity of her character, as seen in Luke 10:38-42. (See on Luke 10:38-42).
but Mary sat . . . in the house—equally true to her placid character. These undesigned touches not only charmingly illustrate the minute historic fidelity of both narratives, but their inner harmony.

Luke 10:38-42
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. [40] But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. [41] And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: [42] But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:20-22. Martha, the activist, went to meet Jesus while Mary, the contemplative sister, waited. (Cf. Luke 10:39-42 for a similar portrayal of their personalities.) Martha’s greeting is a confession of faith. She really believed that Jesus could have healed her brother if He had been there. No criticism of Jesus seems to be implied since she knew her brother was dead before the messengers got to Jesus. Her words But I know God will give You whatever You ask might imply by themselves that she was confident Lazarus would be resuscitated. But her actions in protest at the tomb (John 11:39) and her words to Jesus (v. 24) contradict that interpretation. Her words may be taken as a general statement of the Father’s blessing on Jesus.

John 11:39
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.

John 11:24
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

John 11:21
[21] Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

JFB Commentary:
21. Then said Martha . . . Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died—As Mary afterwards said the same thing (John 11:32), it is plain they had made this very natural remark to each other, perhaps many times during these four sad days, and not without having their confidence in His love at times overclouded. Such trials of faith, however, are not peculiar to them.

John 11:32
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.

John 11:22
[22] But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

JFB Commentary:
22. But I know that even now, &c.—Energetic characters are usually sanguine, the rainbow of hope peering through the drenching cloud.
whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee—that is "even to the restoration of my dead brother to life," for that plainly is her meaning, as the sequel shows.

miepie

Oct 14th 2005, 10:46 PM

John 11:23
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

JFB Commentary:
23-27. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again—purposely expressing Himself in general terms, to draw her out.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:23-24. Your brother will rise again. Since the word “again” is not in the Greek it is better to omit it in the translation. This promise sets the stage for Jesus’ conversation with Martha. She had no thought of an immediate resuscitation but she did believe in the final resurrection at the last day.

John 11:24
Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

JFB Commentary:
24. Martha said, . . . I know that he shall rise again . . . at the last day—"But are we never to see him in life till then?"

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. [26]And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

JFB Commentary:
25. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life—"The whole power to restore, impart, and maintain life, resides in Me." (See on John 1:4; John 5:21). What higher claim to supreme divinity than this grand saying can be conceived?
he that believeth in me, though . . . dead . . . shall he live—that is, The believer's death shall be swallowed up in life, and his life shall never sink into death. As death comes by sin, it is His to dissolve it; and as life flows through His righteousness, it is His to communicate and eternally maintain it (Romans 5:21). The temporary separation of soul and body is here regarded as not even interrupting, much less impairing, the new and everlasting life imparted by Jesus to His believing people.
Believest thou this?—Canst thou take this in?

John 1:4
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 5:21
For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

Romans 5:21
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:25-26. I am the Resurrection and the Life. This is the fifth of Jesus’ great “I am” revelations. The Resurrection and the Life of the new Age is present right now because Jesus is the Lord of life (1:4). Jesus’ words about life and death are seemingly paradoxical. A believer’s death issues in new life. In fact, the life of a believer is of such a quality that he will never die spiritually. He has eternal life (3:16; 5:24; 10:28), and the end of physical life is only a sleep for his body until the resurrection unto life. At death the spiritual part of a believer, his soul, goes to be with the Lord (cf. 2 Cor. 5:6, 8; Phil. 1:23)

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 10:28
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

2 Cor. 5:6
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2 Cor. 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Philip. 1:23
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

My Commentary:
I feel so comforted by these verses. Especially the last ones. In this time of heavy sickness and deteriorating health I find my comfort in knowing that parting from this body means to be present with Yah Shua. Because of Him this life will not end meaningless. Sometimes I feel Him so close to me, I can hardly wait till I am completely with Him. Chal and I were talking the other day and I said to Him that the last few weeks I have excruciating pains. We found the origin of the word here:
ex·cru·ci·at·ing (¹k-skr›“sh¶-³”t¹ng) adj.
1. Intensely painful; agonizing. 2. Very intense or extreme: wrote with excruciating precision. --ex·cru“ci·at”ing·ly adv.

ex·cru·ci·ate (¹k-skr›“sh¶-³t”) tr.v. ex·cru·ci·at·ed, ex·cru·ci·at·ing, ex·cru·ci·ates.
1. To inflict severe pain on; torture. 2. To inflict great mental distress on. See Synonyms at afflict. [Latin excruci³re, excruci³t- : ex-, intensive pref.; see EX- + cruci³re, to crucify, torture (from crux, cruc-, cross; see CROSS).] --

Since I know that I know that I have to follow Yah Shua, for He has gone through it before me. He had to go through it without me and I can go through this with Him because He already prepared the way....

These verses tell me I am on my way to Him. All I have to do is follow Him. I can never express in words what that means to me. :pray:

miepie

Oct 14th 2005, 10:47 PM

John 11:27
She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

JFB Commentary:
27. Yea, . . . I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, &c.—that is, And having such faith in Thee, I can believe all which that comprehends. While she had a glimmering perception that Resurrection, in every sense of the word, belonged to the Messianic office and Sonship of Jesus, she means, by this way of expressing herself, to cover much that she felt her ignorance of—as no doubt belonging to Him.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:27. Martha gave a great confession of faith in Christ. She agreed with Jesus’ exposition about eternal life for those who believe in Him. Then she confessed three things about Jesus. He is (a) the Christ (“Messiah”), (b) the Son of God—which is probably a title of the Messiah (cf. 1:49; Ps. 2:7)—and (c) the One who was to come into the world (lit., “the Coming One”; cf. John 12:13). She believed that Jesus is the Messiah who came to do God’s will, but as yet she had no hint of the coming miracle regarding her brother.

John 1:49
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Psalm 2:7
I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

John 12:13
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

John 11:28
And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."

JFB Commentary:
28-32. The Master is come and calleth for thee—The narrative does not give us this interesting detail, but Martha's words do.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:28-30. Martha then told Mary that Jesus the Teacher was asking for her. He evidently wanted to have a private conversation with Mary. His purpose was probably to comfort and instruct her. “The Teacher” is a notable title for it was unusual for a Jewish Rabbi to instruct a woman.

John 11:29-30
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. [30] Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.

JFB Commentary:
29. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly—affection for her Lord, assurance of His sympathy, and His hope of interposition, putting a spring into her distressed spirit.

John 11:31-32
Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." [32] Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

JFB Commentary:
31. The Jews . . . followed her . . . to the grave—Thus casually were provided witnesses of the glorious miracle that followed, not prejudiced, certainly, in favor of Him who wrought it.
to weep there—according to Jewish practice, for some days after burial.
fell at his feet—more impassioned than her sister, though her words were fewer. (See on John 11:21).

John 11:21
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:31-32. Mary’s sudden departure to see Jesus caused the crowd of Jewish comforters to follow her. So a private session with Jesus became impossible. Reaching Jesus, Mary fell at His feet. This is significant, for on a previous occasion she had sat at Jesus’ feet listening to His teaching (Luke 10:39). Her greeting to Jesus was the same as her sister’s (John 11:21). She felt the tragedy would have been averted if He had been present. Her faith was sincere but limited.

Luke 10:39
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

John 11:21
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

miepie

Oct 14th 2005, 10:48 PM

John 11:33
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.

JFB Commentary:
33-38. When Jesus . . . saw her weeping, and the Jews . . . weeping . . . he groaned in the spirit—the tears of Mary and her friends acting sympathetically upon Jesus, and drawing forth His emotions. What a vivid and beautiful outcoming of His "real" humanity! The word here rendered "groaned" does not mean "sighed" or "grieved," but rather "powerfully checked his emotion"—made a visible effort to restrain those tears which were ready to gush from His eyes.
and was troubled—rather, "troubled himself" (Margin); referring probably to this visible difficulty of repressing His emotions.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:33-34. In great contrast with the Greek gods’ apathy or lack of emotion, Jesus’ emotional life attests the reality of His union with people. Deeply moved may either be translated “groaned” or more likely “angered.” The Greek word enebrime¯sato (from embrimaomai) seems to connote anger or sternness. (This Gr. verb is used only five times in the NT, each time of the Lord’s words or feelings: Matt. 9:30; Mark 1:43; 14:5; John 11:33, 38.)?Why was Jesus angry? Some have argued that He was angry because of the people’s unbelief or hypocritical wailing. But this seems foreign to the context. A better explanation is that Jesus was angry at the tyranny of Satan who had brought sorrow and death to people through sin (cf. 8:44; Heb. 2:14-15). Also Jesus was troubled (etaraxen, lit., “stirred” or “agitated,” like the pool water in John 5:7; cf. 12:27; 13:21; 14:1, 27). This disturbance was because of His conflict with sin, death, and Satan.?

Matthew 9:30
And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

Mark 1:43
And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;

Mark 14:5
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

John 11:38
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

to groan
embrimaomai, Greek 1690, Strong’s
embrimaomai, em-brim-ah'-om-ahee;
from Greek 1722 (en) and brimaomai (to snort with anger); to have indignation on, i.e. (transitive) to blame, (intransitive) to sigh with chagrin, (special) to sternly enjoin :- straitly charge, groan, murmur against.

John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Hebrews 2:14-15
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; [15] And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

John 5:7
The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

John 12:27
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

John 13:21
When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

John 14:1
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 11:34
And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."

JFB Commentary:
34. Where have ye laid him? . . . Lord, come and see—Perhaps it was to retain composure enough to ask this question, and on receiving the answer to proceed with them to the spot, that He checked Himself.

John 11:35
[35] Jesus wept. [36] Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"

JFB Commentary:
35. Jesus wept—This beautifully conveys the sublime brevity of the two original words; else "shed tears" might have better conveyed the difference between the word here used and that twice employed in John 11:33, and there properly rendered "weeping," denoting the loud wail for the dead, while that of Jesus consisted of silent tears. Is it for nothing that the Evangelist, some sixty years after it occurred, holds up to all ages with such touching brevity the sublime spectacle of the Son of God in tears? What a seal of His perfect oneness with us in the most redeeming feature of our stricken humanity! But was there nothing in those tears beyond sorrow for human suffering and death? Could these effects move Him without suggesting the cause? Who can doubt that in His ear every feature of the scene proclaimed that stern law of the Kingdom, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and that this element in His visible emotion underlay all the rest?

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:35-37. Jesus’ weeping differed from that of the people. His quiet shedding of tears (edakrysen) differed from their loud wailing (klaiontas, v. 33). His weeping was over the tragic consequences of sin. The crowd interpreted His tears as an expression of love, or frustration at not being there to heal Lazarus.?

John 11:37
And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"

JFB Commentary:
37. And—rather, "But."
some . . . said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that this man should not have died?—The former exclamation came from the better-feeling portion of the spectators; this betokens a measure of suspicion. It hardly goes the length of attesting the miracle on the blind man; but "if (as everybody says) He did that, why could He not also have kept Lazarus alive?" As to the restoration of the dead man to life, they never so much as thought of it. But this disposition to dictate to divine power, and almost to peril our confidence in it upon its doing our bidding, is not confined to men of no faith.

John 11:38
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

JFB Commentary:
38. Jesus again groaning in himself—that is, as at John 11:33, checked or repressed His rising feelings, in the former instance, of sorrow, here of righteous indignation at their unreasonable unbelief; (compare Mark 3:5) [WEBSTER and WILKINSON]. But here, too, struggling emotion was deeper, now that His eye was about to rest on the spot where lay, in the still horrors of death, His "friend."
a cave—the cavity, natural or artificial, of a rock. This, with the number of condoling visitors from Jerusalem, and the costly ointment with which Mary afterwards anointed Jesus at Bethany, all go to show that the family was in good circumstances.

Mark 3:5
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:38-39. Disturbed emotionally (cf. comments on deeply moved, in v. 33), He came to the tomb. Tombs were often cut into limestone making a cave in the side of a wall of rock. A stone was placed over the entrance. Jesus commanded that the stone door be taken away. To do so was to risk defilement. But obedience was necessary if Jesus’ purpose was to be realized. The scene was highly dramatic. The crowd watched and listened. Mary was weeping and Martha objected because after four days putrefaction had set in.

miepie

Oct 14th 2005, 10:51 PM

John 11:39
Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."

JFB Commentary:
39-44. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone—spoken to the attendants of Martha and Mary; for it was a work of no little labor [GROTIUS]. According to the Talmudists, it was forbidden to open a grave after the stone was placed upon it. Besides other dangers, they were apprehensive of legal impurity by contact with the dead. Hence they avoided coming nearer a grave than four cubits [MAIMONIDES in LAMPE]. But He who touched the leper, and the bier of the widow of Nain's son, rises here also above these Judaic memorials of evils, every one of which He had come to roll away. Observe here what our Lord did Himself, and what He made others do. As Elijah himself repaired the altar on Carmel, arranged the wood, cut the victim, and placed the pieces on the fuel, but made the by-standers fill the surrounding trench with water, that no suspicion might arise of fire having been secretly applied to the pile (1 Kings 18:30-35); so our Lord would let the most skeptical see that, without laying a hand on the stone that covered His friend, He could recall him to life. But what could be done by human hand He orders to be done, reserving only to Himself what transcended the ability of all creatures.
Martha, the sister of . . . the dead—and as such the proper guardian of the precious remains; the relationship being here mentioned to account for her venturing gently to remonstrate against their exposure, in a state of decomposition, to eyes that had loved him so tenderly in life.
Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days—(See on John 11:17). It is wrong to suppose from this (as LAMPE and others do) that, like the by-standers, she had not thought of his restoration to life. But the glimmerings of hope which she cherished from the first (John 11:22), and which had been brightened by what Jesus said to her (John 11:23-27), had suffered a momentary eclipse on the proposal to expose the now sightless corpse. To such fluctuations all real faith is subject in dark hours. (See, for example, the case of Job).

[b]1 Kings 18:30-35[/b]
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. [31] And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name." [32] Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. [33] And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood." [34] Then he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time; and he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. [35] So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

[b]John 11:17[/b]
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

[b]John 11:22[/b]
But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

[b]John 11:22[/b]
But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."

[b]John 11:23-27[/b]
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." [24] Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." [25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. [26] And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" [27] She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

[b][color=red]John 11:40[/b][/color]
Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

JFB Commentary:
40. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?—He had not said those very words, but this was the scope of all that He had uttered to her about His life-giving power (John 11:23, 25-26); a gentle yet emphatic and most instructive rebuke: "Why doth the restoration of life, even to a decomposing corpse, seem hopeless in the presence of the Resurrection and the Life? Hast thou yet to learn that 'if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth?'" (Mark 9:23).

[b]John 11:23[/b]
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

[b]John 11:25-26[/b]
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. [26] And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

[b]Mark 9:23[/b]
Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

[b]Bible Knowledge Commentary:[/b]
11:40. Jesus reminded Martha of His earlier promise (vv. 25-26; cf. v. 4). If she believed His word that He is the Resurrection and the Life and trusted Him, God would be glorified. But unless the sisters had trusted Jesus, permission would not have been given to open the tomb.

[b]John 11:4[/b]
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."

[b][color=red]John 11:41[/b][/color]
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

JFB Commentary:
41. Jesus lifted up his eyes—an expression marking His calm solemnity. (Compare John 17:1).
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me—rather, "heardest Me," referring to a specific prayer offered by Him, probably on intelligence of the case reaching Him (John 11:3-4); for His living and loving oneness with the Father was maintained and manifested in the flesh, not merely by the spontaneous and uninterrupted outgoing of Each to Each in spirit, but by specific actings of faith and exercises of prayer about each successive case as it emerged. He prayed (says LUTHARDT well) not for what He wanted, but for the manifestation of what He had; and having the bright consciousness of the answer in the felt liberty to ask it, and the assurance that it was at hand, He gives thanks for this with a grand simplicity before performing the act.

[b]John 17:1[/b]
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

[b]John 11:3-4[/b]
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."

[b]Bible Knowledge Commentary:[/b]
11:41-42. With the stone taken away, the tension mounted. What would Jesus do? He simply thanked His Father for granting His request. He knew He was doing the Father’s will in manifesting His love and power. His prayer of thanksgiving was public, not so that He would be honored as a Wonder-Worker but so He would be seen as the Father’s obedient Son. The granting of His request by the Father would give clear evidence to the people that He had been sent by the Father and would cause the people to believe (cf. Elijah’s prayer; 1 Kings 18:37)

[b][color=red]John 11:42[/b][/color]
And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."

JFB Commentary:
42. And—rather, "Yet."
I knew that thou hearest me always, but because of the people that stand by I said it, that they might believe that thou hast sent me—Instead of praying now, He simply gives thanks for answer to prayer offered ere He left Perea, and adds that His doing even this, in the audience of the people, was not from any doubt of the prevalency of His prayers in any case, but to show the people that He did nothing without His Father, but all by direct communication with Him.

[b][color=red]John 11:43[/b][/color]
Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

JFB Commentary:
43, 44. and when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice—On one other occasion only did He this—on the cross. His last utterance was a "loud cry" (Matthew 27:50). "He shall not cry," said the prophet, nor, in His ministry, did He. What a sublime contrast is this "loud cry" to the magical "whisperings" and "mutterings" of which we read in Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 29:4 (as GROTIUS remarks)! It is second only to the grandeur of that voice which shall raise all the dead (John 5:28-29; 1 Thes. 4:16).

[b]Matthew 27:50[/b]
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

[b]Isaiah 8:19[/b]
And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?

[b]Isaiah 29:4[/b]
You shall be brought down,
You shall speak out of the ground;
Your speech shall be low, out of the dust;
Your voice shall be like a medium's, out of the ground;
And your speech shall whisper out of the dust.

[b]John 5:28-29[/b]
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice [29] and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

[b]1 Thes. 4:16[/b]
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

[b]Bible Knowledge Commentary:[/b]
11:43-44. On other occasions Jesus had said that men would hear His voice and come out of their graves (5:28) and that His sheep hear His voice (10:16, 27). After His brief prayer He called (ekraugasen, lit., “shouted loudly”) in a loud voice. This verb is used only nine times in the New Testament, eight of them in the Gospels (Matt. 12:19; Luke 4:41; John 11:43; 12:13; 18:40; 19:6, 12, 15; Acts 22:23). Jesus shouted only three words: Lazarus come out! Augustine once remarked that if Jesus had not said Lazarus’ name all would have come out from the graves. Immediately, the dead man came out. Since he was wrapped in strips of linen, a special work of God’s power must have brought him out. Jesus’ directive to the people, Take off the grave clothes, enabled Lazarus to move on his own and at the same time gave evidence that he was alive and not a ghost.This event is a marvelous picture of God’s Son bringing life to people. He will do this physically at the Rapture for church saints (1 Thes. 4:16), and at His return for Old Testaments saints (Dan. 12:2) and Tribulation saints (Rev. 20:4, 6). Also He now speaks and calls spiritually dead people to spiritual life. Many who are dead in sins and trespasses believe and come to life by the power of God (Eph. 2:1-10).

[b]John 5:28[/b]
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice

[b]John 10:16[/b]
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

[b]John 10:27[/b]
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

[b]Matthew 12:19[/b]
He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

[b]Luke 4:41[/b]
And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

[b]John 12:13[/b]
took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
"Hosanna!
'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'
The King of Israel!"

[b]John 18:40[/b]
Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.

[b]John 19:6[/b]
Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him."

[b]John 19:12[/b]
From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."

[b]John 19:15[/b]
But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"

[b]Acts 22:23[/b]
Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,

[b]1 Thes. 4:16[/b]
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

[b]Daniel 12:2[/b]
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

[b]Rev. 20:4[/b]
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

[b]Rev. 20:6[/b]
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

[b]Ephes. 2:1-10[/b]
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, [2] in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, [3] among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. [4] But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, [5] even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), [6] and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [9] not of works, lest anyone should boast. [10] For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

[b][color=red]John 11:44[/b][/color]
And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

JFB Commentary:
44. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him and let him go—Jesus will no more do this Himself than roll away the stone. The one was the necessary preparation for resurrection, the other the necessary sequel to it. THE LIFE-GIVING ACT ALONE HE RESERVES TO HIMSELF. So in the quickening of the dead to spiritual life, human instrumentality is employed first to prepare the way, and then to turn it to account.

miepie

Oct 14th 2005, 10:52 PM

John 11:45-46
Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. [46]But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.

JFB Commentary:
45, 46. many . . . which . . . had seen . . . believed . . . But some . . . went . . . to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done—the two classes which continually reappear in the Gospel history; nor is there ever any great work of God which does not produce both. "It is remarkable that on each of the three occasions on which our Lord raised the dead, a large number of persons was assembled. In two instances, the resurrection of the widow's son and of Lazarus, these were all witnesses of the miracle; in the third (of Jairus' daughter) they were necessarily cognizant of it. Yet this important circumstance is in each case only incidentally noticed by the historians, not put forward or appealed to as a proof of their veracity. In regard to this miracle, we observe a greater degree of preparation, both in the provident arrangement of events, and in our Lord's actions and words than in any other. The preceding miracle (cure of the man born blind) is distinguished from all others by the open and formal investigation of its facts. And both these miracles, the most public and best attested of all, are related by John, who wrote long after the other Evangelists" [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:45-47a. Jesus’ revelation of Himself always produces two responses. For many of the Jews, this miracle was clear proof of Jesus’ claim. In response they trusted Him. But others were only hardened in sin or confused. They went to His enemies, the Pharisees, and reported what had happened. This miraculous sign was so significant that the chief priests and the Pharisees decided to call an emergency session of the Sanhedrin. Doubtless they felt that Jesus was some kind of magician who by secret arts was deceiving the people.
11:47b-48. The council expressed its inability to solve the problem by continuing to do what they had been doing. Official disapproval, excommunication, and counterteaching were not stopping Jesus’ influence. The outcome would be insurrection and the Romans would crush the Jewish revolt; taking away both our place (i.e., the temple) and our nation.

John 11:47
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. [48] If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."

JFB Commentary:
47-54. What do we? for this man doeth many miracles—"While we trifle, 'this man,' by His 'many miracles,' will carry all before Him; the popular enthusiasm will bring on a revolution, which will precipitate the Romans upon us, and our all will go down in one common ruin." What a testimony to the reality of our Lord's miracles, and their resistless effect, from His bitterest enemies!

John 11:49
And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, [50] nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:49-50. Caiaphas was the high priest that year. Originally the high priest held his position for a lifetime, but the Romans were afraid of letting a man gain too much power. So the Romans appointed high priests at their convenience. Caiaphas had the office from A.D. 18 to 36. His contempt was expressed in his words, You know nothing at all! His judgment was that this Man must be sacrificed if the nation was to continue in Rome’s favor. The alternative was destruction of the Jewish nation in war (11:48). But their rejection of Jesus did not solve the problem. The Jewish people followed false shepherds into a war against Rome (A.D. 66-70), which did in fact destroy their nation.

miepie

Oct 14th 2005, 10:54 PM

John 11:51
Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

JFB Commentary:
51. Caiaphas . . . prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation—He meant nothing more than that the way to prevent the apprehended ruin of the nation was to make a sacrifice of the Disturber of their peace. But in giving utterance to this suggestion of political expediency, he was so guided as to give forth a divine prediction of deep significance; and God so ordered it that it should come from the lips of the high priest for that memorable year, the recognized head of God's visible people, whose ancient office, symbolized by the Urim and Thummim, was to decide in the last resort, all vital questions as the oracle of the divine will.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:51-53. John by God’s Spirit recognized a deep irony in Caiaphas’ words. As the high priest, Caiphas pointed to the last sacrificial Lamb in a prophecy he did not even know he made. Caiphas meant Jesus had to be killed, but God intended the priest’s words as a reference to His substitutionary atonement. Jesus’ death would abolish the old system in God’s eyes by fulfilling all its types and shadows. His death was not only for Jews but also for the world, thus making a new body from both (cf. Eph. 2:14-18; 3:6). The Sanhedrin then decided to kill Jesus.

Ephes. 2:14-18
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, [15] having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, [16] and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. [17] And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. [18] For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Ephes. 3:6
that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,

John 11:52
and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

JFB Commentary:
52. and not for that nation only, &c.—These are the Evangelist's words, not Caiaphas'.

John 11:53
Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

JFB Commentary:
53. they took council together to put him to death—Caiaphas but expressed what the party was secretly wishing, but afraid to propose.
Jesus . . . walked no more openly among the Jews—How could He, unless He had wished to die before His time?
near to the wilderness—of Judea.
a city called Ephraim—between Jerusalem and Jericho.

John 11:54
Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:54. Jesus withdrew from Bethany to a village 15 or so miles to the north called Ephraim. The little village provided a place for rest and it was close to the wilderness of Judea in case it was necessary to escape.

John 11:55
And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

JFB Commentary:
55-57. passover . . . at hand . . . many went . . . up . . . before the passover, to purify themselves—from any legal uncleanness which would have disqualified them from keeping the feast. This is mentioned to introduce the graphic statement which follows.

Bible Knowledge Commentary:
11:55-57. Jewish pilgrims went up to the Passover feast at Jerusalem and looked for Jesus. Previously He had attended the national festivals during which time He publicly taught in the temple area. Would He continue this pattern of ministry? Large crowds gathering in the city kept looking for Him. The religious authorities gave orders for anyone to report if he found out where Jesus was so they could arrest Him.

John 11:56
Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think--that He will not come to the feast?"

JFB Commentary:
56. sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple—giving forth the various conjectures and speculations about the probability of His coming to the feast.
that he will not come—The form of this question implies the opinion that He would come.

John 11:57
Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

JFB Commentary:
57. chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any knew where he were, he should show it, that they might take him—This is mentioned to account for the conjectures whether He would come, in spite of this determination to seize Him

Momof5

Oct 19th 2005, 06:04 PM

Mieke, thank you for posting all the wonderful commentary. I know how difficult it is lately for you physically to put together such a post. Love you.:hug:

Debra R

Oct 20th 2005, 02:19 AM

Mieke our beloved sister, thank you for your time you spent on doing all of those posts. That was a lot of work. And we do appreciate it, and we are thankful for you helping us to learn more about our Lord. Thank you for helping us to know Him better.
I hope you were not to worn out doing all that and I pray you are feeling better. We love you dear sister. :kiss: :hug:

And thank you for sharing this with us......

My Commentary:
I feel so comforted by these verses. Especially the last ones. In this time of heavy sickness and deteriorating health I find my comfort in knowing that parting from this body means to be present with Yah Shua. Because of Him this life will not end meaningless. Sometimes I feel Him so close to me, I can hardly wait till I am completely with Him. Chal and I were talking the other day and I said to Him that the last few weeks I have excruciating pains. We found the origin of the word here:
ex·cru·ci·at·ing (¹k-skr›"sh¶-³"t¹ng) adj.
1. Intensely painful; agonizing. 2. Very intense or extreme: wrote with excruciating precision. --ex·cru"ci·at"ing·ly adv.

ex·cru·ci·ate (¹k-skr›"sh¶-³t") tr.v. ex·cru·ci·at·ed, ex·cru·ci·at·ing, ex·cru·ci·ates.
1. To inflict severe pain on; torture. 2. To inflict great mental distress on. See Synonyms at afflict. [Latin excruci³re, excruci³t- : ex-, intensive pref.; see EX- + cruci³re, to crucify, torture (from crux, cruc-, cross; see CROSS).] --

Since I know that I know that I have to follow Yah Shua, for He has gone through it before me. He had to go through it without me and I can go through this with Him because He already prepared the way....

These verses tell me I am on my way to Him. All I have to do is follow Him. I can never express in words what that means to me.

Debra R

Oct 20th 2005, 02:32 AM

I wanted to share this, Nathaniel went to church with us Sunday and I stayed with him in the childrens service. The message was on Jesus raising Lazarus. :) We made a tomb with play dough and buried a cookie as Lazarus and used small rocks to close the tomb. It was such fun!
He is such a joy to talk to about Jesus. He always asks questions about God. Sometimes I don't have to say anything and he'll start asking me questions about God. That gives me such joy. :)

Just had to share. :hug: