The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday morning Adult Bible Study is embarking on an exhaustive study of the book of John. Of the four gospels, John’s gospel presents Jesus as God most forcefully. John explicitly declared Jesus to be God who brought all things into existence. John’s gospel confirmed that Jesus was YHVH of the Jews . He is light and life . These are the notes of that study along with the recorded audio of the session.
I want to review, what I believe to be one of the most important scriptures in the Bible. We talked a little about it last week. It’s the section of John 10 where Jesus told the people when they asked Him to tell them whether He was the Messiah or not. His response was that He was that He and His Father were One, and because of that He gives eternal life.
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| The Resurrection of Lazarus, painting by Leon Bonnat, France, 1857 |
John 10:22-30 (NLT)22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication.23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade.24 The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name.26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep.27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.30 The Father and I are one.”
In verse 28 He said that if they followed Him that He gave His sheep eternal life. Nothing, not even death could not separate them from him
Then Jesus says something amazing. He says in verse 30 that He and the Father are One.meaning that no separation can be made between the Father and the Son. They are more than collaborators; they are one in essence (the word one is not masculine—one person—but neuter, oneness of being).-The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
The meaning of Jesus’ words in verse 30 was clear to his audience. His words would remind this Jewish audience about Deuteronomy 6:4
Deuteronomy 6:4 (NKJV)4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
So Jesus was saying that he is God, and the punishment for anyone who said such a thing was death. Jesus had done only good things but the Jewish leaders still only considered Him a man who was making Himself equal with God. So Jesus was asking why do you want to kill me they said they weren’t going to kill Him for any work but for blasphemy by claiming to be God.
John 10:33 (NKJV) 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
John 10:37-39 (NKJV) 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;
38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." 39 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
John 10:33 (NKJV) 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
John 10:37-39 (NKJV) 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;
38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him." 39 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
John 10:37-38 (NLT)37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work.38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
Jesus did not expect his answer to convince them. Again, he spoke about the evidence of what he had done. The Jewish leaders could argue with his words. They could say that he was lying. But they could not argue about what he did. They, and many other people, had seen the miracles. The miracles were God’s work. And the miracles were fact. Only a person who had God’s power and authority could do such wonderful things. The Father was ‘in’ Jesus because he was working by means of Jesus. And Jesus was ‘in’ the *Father because he was able to do these things on his Father’s behalf .
Chapter 11
John 11:1-6 (NLT)1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick.3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus,6 he stayed where he was for the next two days.
This Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha is mentioned only in this chapter and and chapter 12 . Mary and Martha are also mentioned in Luke 10:38-42.
Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain 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 distracted by 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 worried and upset over all these details!42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Bethany was a small town to the east of Jerusalem. The name ‘Bethany’ meant ‘the house of poor people’. Probably, it was a place where poor or ill people could come for help. Jesus had been there several times. He had special friends there: Lazarus, Mary and Martha.
John 12:1-8 (NLT)1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead.2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him.3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said,5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
This was a very significant event but we aren’t going to talk about it today. We’ll spend some time on it when we study Chapter 12.
How can we resolve the seeming conflict between Jesus' love for Lazarus and his deliberate delay in helping him?
Mary and Martha knew that Jesus could help their ill brother. They had seen the miracles that Jesus had done. But Jesus did not do what they expected. He did not go to them immediately. Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters so he would have known that they were suffering. Lazarus’s illness would cause great strain to his sisters. So it may seem strange to us that Jesus did not go to them immediately. He apparently knew that Lazarus was already dead because later on in the same conversation He said that Lazarus had fallen asleep. Lazarus must have died shortly after the messengers left Bethany because when Jesus finally gets to Bethany Lazarus had been dead four days. It took one day for the messengers to get to Jesus, He stayed two more days and then a day’s journey back to Bethany. He said that Lazarus’ sickness would not end in death because He planned to resurrect him.
He said that his sickness would not end in death but that it was for God’s glory and so that He, Jesus, could be glorified.
How can those verses help us when we feel abandoned by God in a time of great need?
Things may be really bad and it doesn’t appear that God cares it may in fact be so that the outcome of the situation brings God glory. It’s not really about us. Look at our favorite verse Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28-30 (NLT)28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
John 11:7-10 (NLT)7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”8 But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world.10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.”
The disciples didn’t want Jesus to go back to Judea because as we saw in Chapter 10 they wanted to stone Him for claiming to be God.
John 10:31-33, 37-39 (NLT)31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him.32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work.38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”39 Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them.
Jesus proposed a return to Judea—not Bethany, as though they might visit the family, then return—but Judea, the center of opposition to himself. The disciples caught at this immediately. It seemed foolhardy, like walking into a trap. Jesus had barely escaped a stoning not long before His response may have, and it turned out to be that, He, and they could safely go back to Judea as long as he was walking in the light of the Father's will. His enemies could not touch him until his hour had come. As for the disciples, it behooved them not to walk in the darkness of self-will and separation from him. Lacking his light, they would indeed stumble - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
John 11:11-15 (NLT)11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!”13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”
Not knowing of his death, the disciples interpreted this saying of the Lord literally and found in it ground of hope for his recovery. The disciples did not understand what Jesus really meant. When Jesus referred to sleep, he actually meant death. But the disciples thought that he was referring to natural sleep. So Jesus told them plainly. But Jesus had used "sleep" in a special sense as referring to believers' death. Sleep is a common Biblical metaphor for death.
Acts 7:59-60 (NKJV)59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."60 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.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NKJV)13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
He followed this with the blunt announcement that Lazarus was dead. Another paradox is the Saviour's saying that he was glad he had not been there. The reason is clear. Had he been there, Lazarus would not have died (no one ever did in His presence); and in that case one of the greatest lessons of faith about to be impressed on the disciples through Lazarus' resurrection would have been impossible. The disciples were never so advanced as not to need confirmation and development of their faith. Thomas, called Didymus (twin), was the first to respond to Jesus' second proposal to go into Judea.
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
What additional insight into God's purposes can we gain from Jesus' statement in John 11:15?
If Jesus had been with Lazarus, Jesus could have cured him. But instead, Jesus stayed away until Lazarus was dead. This was so that Jesus could show his power and authority over death.
John 11:16 (NLT)16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”
People usually think of Thomas as the disciple who doubted Jesus’ resurrection. But, in this situation, Thomas showed that he was a brave and loyal disciple. All the disciples knew that it was dangerous to return to Judea. They had tried to persuade Jesus to stay away. But Jesus had decided to go anyhow. So Thomas urged them all to go with Jesus, even if they had to die with him.
John 11:17-22 (NLT)17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days.18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem,19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss.20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house.21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
Martha heard that Jesus was coming. So immediately, she went out to meet him. As Luke described, she did not want merely to wait. She preferred to do something.
There were people there probably friends and family to comfort Mary and Martha. The custom was three days of very heavy mourning, then four of heavy mourning, followed by lighter mourning for the remainder of 30 days.
Mary and Martha probably felt that because they knew of the miracles that Jesus had performed that if He had been there He could have healed their brother.
John 11:23-27 (NLT)23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”
They are an expression of confidence in him as being in close touch with God and able to get a boon from him; yet immediate resurrection does not seem to have been in her mind - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
She thought that he was just reminding her about a common Jewish belief about resurrection
Job 19:25-26 (NLT)25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!
Psalm 17:15 (NKJV)15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
So Martha agreed. But it still upset her that this resurrection would happen just in the future. It would not happen at that time in the present.
But Jesus was talking about both the future and the present. He said this because he had power over death. And everyone who believes in Him receives eternal life. Therefore, Christians have life that death cannot take away from them. Our physical bodies die, but our spirits have eternal life. And in the future, we will have new bodies, too (1 Corinthians 15:35-58).
Two truths are stated here. The believer may die, as Lazarus had done, but by Christ's power will live, i.e., experience resurrection. But even more important is the possession of eternal life gained through faith in Christ. Those who have this life can never die in the sense of being separated from the source of life
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Challenged to believe this, Martha made the very confession for which this book was written, but she did not understand the implications of her own statement.
Her statement was Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God
John 20:31 (HCSB)31 But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.
What elements of doubt and faith do you see in Martha's statements to Jesus?
How does Jesus stretch Martha's faith in this brief encounter?
Jesus declares to Martha that "he who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die". What kind of "life" and "death" is Jesus referring to in each case?
How should Christ's statement radically alter our views of life and death?
John 11:28-33 (NLT)28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.”29 So Mary immediately went to him.
30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him.31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there.32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.
Jesus waited for Mary outside the village. When she met him, she was very sad. These events had upset her greatly. She said the same words that her sister Martha had said. She was not afraid to show Jesus how she felt. She did not hide her emotions. She was very honest about her feelings. She said that if she had been there her brother wouldn’t have died.
Why do you think John emphasizes that Jesus was deeply moved by Mary's grief and the anguish of those with her?
Jesus did not hide his emotions. He saw the people crying. And this ‘upset him very much’. The Greek words for ‘upset’ are very difficult to translate here. The words describe strong emotions that include anger. John does not explain why Jesus felt like this.
John 11:34-37 (NLT)34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.”35 Then Jesus wept.36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!”37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
When Jesus wept, however, it was genuine. The Greek word for ‘wept’ is not the same as the *Greek word for ‘crying’ in verse. The Word In verse 33 can be translated wailing. Probably, some of the people were crying just because that was the custom. But Jesus wept real tears because he felt genuinely sad.
The people knew that Jesus had loved Lazarus very much. He was one of Jesus’ special friends. But, like Mary and Martha, the people could not understand why Jesus had not cured Lazarus. They did not believe that Jesus could do anything after Lazarus’s death. They knew that Jesus did miracles. But they did not even imagine that he could make Lazarus become alive again.
John 11:38-44 (NLT)38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
Four days is significant.
Many Jew believed that the soul remained near the body for three days after death in the hope of returning to it. If this idea was in the minds of these people who had come to mourn with Mary and Martha, they would have thought all hope was gone for Lazarus.
It was a common custom for the Jews to use caves as graves. Often, they put several dead bodies in one grave. They put a large stone across the entrance. This was because they did not want any wild animals to enter the cave. The stone also prevented a bad smell. So Martha was worried about the smell if anyone moved the stone. But Jesus did not answer Martha about the smell. Instead, he encouraged her to have faith. Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” Jesus said to the people, ‘Unwrap him and let him go.’
Then Jesus prayed aloud. He did not need to pray aloud. But he wanted the people there to hear him. His Father had sent him to the earth. But Jesus wanted the people to realise this. So he spoke his prayer aloud.
Jesus had raised other people from the dead before
Matthew 9:18-26 (NKJV)18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.23 When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,24 He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him.25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.26 And the report of this went out into all that land.
Luke 7:11-15 (NKJV)11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
But Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. So when he walked out of the grave, it would have caused a shock to everybody!
Based on this passage, how would you respond to those who believe that grief is incompatible with real faith?
John 11:45-54 (NLT)45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.46 But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.47 Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs.48 If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”49 Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about!50 You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”51 He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation.52 And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.53 So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.54 As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.
Some of the people told the Pharisees what Jesus had done. Perhaps they were excited about what this miracle proved. It proved that he was the Messiah. And so they thought that the
Jewish leaders would be pleased.
The Jewish leaders met together. They needed to decide what they should do about Jesus. This was because they were not pleased. In fact, they were very worried.
A little background.
The Romans had ruled the Palestine where the Jews lived. But they allowed the Jews to have a certain amount of freedom. They allowed the Jews to follow the Jewish religion and to keep their own customs and traditions. But the Romans allowed this only if the Jews did not cause trouble for the government.
So many Jews, especially the leaders, wanted to stay friendly with the Romans. The had good positions which allow them to become wealthy. But the Romans had cruel punishments for anybody who opposed them. The Jewish leaders knew this. And they did not want the Romans to become angry. Then the Jews would lose what freedom that they had.
That was the leaders they were doing fine, but most of the population hated the Romans. They wanted to be completely free. They were waiting eagerly for the Messiah to come, because they expected the Messiah to lead them in a battle against the Romans. They believed that he would defeat the Romans.
So the Jewish leaders were very worried about Jesus because many people were following him. And they thought that he might lead these people to fight against the Romans. Then the Romans would punish all the Jews. (Actually, something like this happened about 40 years later. Some Jews fought against the Romans. So the Romans attacked Jerusalem and they destroyed the Temple in 70 AD which Jesus prophesied.)
Matthew 24:1-2 (NKJV)1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
The Jewish leaders wanted to stop what was happening. They decided that there was only one way to do this. Jesus had to die!
It was Caiaphas, the High Priest, who suggested this. John, the author of the Gospel, pointed out that it was a prophecy. However, Caiaphas did not realise that he was speaking a prophecy. He thought that he was making just a political decision. He did not understand that his words had a different, spiritual meaning. But God used him to say this, because he was the most important Jewish leader at that time.
In fact, Jesus would die on behalf of the Jews. But he would not die to save them from the Romans’ punishment. He would die to save them from the punishment that is the result of sin. Also, he would die to save all people who believed in him, not just the Jews. And he would unite all people who share the same belief in him.
But it wasn’t time yet so he went away with his disciples. They went to a town outside Jerusalem. This has been tentatively identified as a place twelve miles or so north of Bethany, near where the high plateau breaks away in rugged terrain leading down to the Jordan valley.
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
How would you explain the fact that the people who see the same miracle respond in two totally different ways?
John 11:55-57 (NLT)55 It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began.56 They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?”57 Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.
Many Jews were arriving in Jerusalem to prepare themselves for the Passover. The Jews had to do certain things before they could worship God. For example, they had to wash themselves in a special way. And they might decide to offer sacrifices.
Everybody in Jerusalem was talking about Jesus. The people who had just arrived there were eager to see him. The Jewish leaders also wanted to see him because they wanted to arrest him. So they ordered the people to talk to them if anybody saw him.
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