John 11:7-16
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Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
Where was Jesus?
Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed
John 10:4
Jesus had been showing the glory of the Father to the disciples. His return to Judea would allow Him to show the glory of the Father to the world through the final events of His ministry- especially the cross. The disciples do not recognize that Jesus’ death is inevitable.
“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?”
The disciples are referencing previous events recorded in and 10:31:
At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,
John
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light.
The Jewish day roughly consisted of 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night: sunrise to sunset and sunset to sunrise.
Jesus saw the period of His ministry as the day:
As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
and during the “day” He would accomplish His Father’s purpose without stumbling. Stumbling is a direct reference to the idea that the Jews were going to stone Him if He returned to Judea. Jesus was basically saying- “I am in the ministry period of the day. I am not going to be in danger.”
Despite the fears of the disciples, Jesus was determined, in His own time, to respond to the request of Mary and Martha.
It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.”
Jesus is seeing the WORD of God as Rule and the GLORY of God as His End.
Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,
Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
Christ walked in the “day” and so shall we if we follow His steps. When one is walking in “night” he or she is walking in the way of his or her own heart, in the sight of his or her own eyes, which is to the course of the world. One consults with self rather than the Lord and therefore that person will stumble.
Compare this to
The sinners in Zion are terrified;
trembling grips the godless:
“Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?”
He who walks righteously
and speaks what is right,
who rejects gain from extortion
and keeps his hand from accepting bribes,
who stops his ears against plots of murder
and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil—
this is the man who will dwell on the heights,
whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.
His bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail him.
Jesus is also teaching
Psalm
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”
Consider the following:
Use of the word SLEEP. Greek word is KOIMESIS.
Job 14:11-12
As water disappears from the sea
or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,
so man lies down and does not rise;
till the heavens are no more, men will not awake
or be roused from their sleep.
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
Daniel
Other OT references us REST:
Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.
1 Kings
Jehoram rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.
2 Chronicles
Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.
2. uses a different Greek word
He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”
3. We know how the story comes out, the disciples didn’t have that advantage.
4. When the messenger came, he spoke of Lazarus being sick and not of his death.
5. The context makes it clear that the disciples did not want to go to Judea.
John is wanting us to associate verse 11 with verses 25-26.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
We must strive to understand what Jesus is saying to us.
Why do you think the disciples were out of tune with the message of Jesus?
John makes it a matter of detail that Jesus was speaking of his real death.
So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,
I am reminded that Jesus recognizes and is aware of the death of His saints:
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
Notice the compassion Jesus has then gives the reason for His delay:
Jesus could have healed him. Jesus could have prevented his death. We will see in verse 45 that because He did not, many put their faith in Him!
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.
The phrase: “Let us go to him” is quite significant. Why do you think this is significant?
Jesus invites His disciples to see the manifestation of God’s glory.
Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Why do you think that Thomas said this? John mentions Thomas 4 times in his gospel while the other gospels only name him in a list.
Is Thomas trying to be courageous?