His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
The disciples warned Jesus against returning to Judea to Bethany to Lazarus after waiting two days, reminding Him that the Jews had lately tried to stone Him and seeking to keep Him from the great danger. They had misunderstood His words about awaking Lazarus out of sleep to mean rest that would bring recovery, while He meant death, which He then told them plainly. He set their warning aside because Lazarus was dead and He must go, His life being safe while He followed His Father's will with His appointed work not yet finished like the daylight still left in a day. The delay was not lack of interest but deliberate purpose to make the death an occasion for undoubted proof of divine power, to unite the questioning disciples to Him in unbreakable faith and to work a crowning miracle to convince all who could be convinced that He is the Saviour of the world. Going to raise Lazarus meant entering the darkened shadow of His own death, knowing He must pay the ransom on the cross of Calvary and taste death for every man.
Setting and Disciples' Warning
The verse comes after Jesus waited two days and then decided to go into Judea again to awake Lazarus out of sleep, and going again means returning to Bethany to Lazarus. The disciples misunderstood sleep to mean rest that brings recovery, while Jesus meant death, which He then stated plainly. Lazarus's sisters had sent word expecting Jesus to come and heal him, but Jesus delayed and Lazarus died before He arrived, though Jesus knew what was happening and could have prevented the death.
Bethany was where Jesus often found rest at the house of Lazarus, having no home of His own and depending on the hospitality of friends and disciples. There He gladly escaped when weary and thirsting for human fellowship to a peaceful household away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angry Pharisees and the weary conflict of public life, finding sincere welcome, pure holy friendship, interested appreciative listeners, and a quiet home with human tenderness, courtesy, and affection. There He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom knowing His words would be understood and treasured, opening in private what He did not tell the mixed multitude, speaking without parables, unfolding the volume of Providence and imparting heavenly instruction that greatly blessed receivers. This was in contrast to the multitudes in the open fields who were slow of hearing even as He unfolded the beauties of nature to show how God's hand upholds the world and to call out appreciation of God's goodness in dew, rain, and sunshine given alike to good and evil, desiring men to realize God's regard for the human instrumentalities He created.
The disciples feared for Jesus' safety and questioned His decision to return to Judea, reminding Him that the Jews had lately sought to stone Him. They tried to stop and keep Him from going because the danger was great. The setting was intense and repeated hostility: Lazarus knew of the Pharisees' enmity and the unjust charges they sought to bring. The Jews were determined to kill Jesus. He had been driven from the people He came to save to temporary shelter in a strange city, and His powerful works and teaching could not overcome the prejudice and hatred of those who rejected the light.
The disciples could not dissuade Him, so Thomas proposed that they all accompany their Master to die with Him, and the twelve went with Jesus toward Bethany.
Christ's Answer and Purpose
Jesus brushed aside the warning because Lazarus was dead and He must go. To the fear that He would be stoned He answered that His life was safe while He followed His Father's will and His appointed work was not yet finished, with the remaining time of His work like the daylight still left in a day. He had not gone at once because in His immediate presence disease was always rebuked, since He could not witness suffering without bringing relief and could not witness disease or death without combatting the power of Satan.
The two days of waiting were not lack of interest in the stricken family but a deliberate purpose to make the death of Lazarus an occasion for undoubted proof of divine power. That proof was meant to unite the disciples to Him in a faith that could not be broken when some were already questioning whether they had been deceived and whether He was really the Christ since He had not saved Lazarus whom He loved. It was to be a crowning miracle that would convince all who could by any means be convinced that He is the Saviour of the world. For that reason He told them He was glad for their sakes that He had not been there, so that they might believe.
Going to raise Lazarus meant entering the darkened shadow of His own death, for He knew that for that life He must pay the ransom on the cross of Calvary, that every rescue brought Him deeper humiliation, and that He must taste death for every man. He wept at the grave of Lazarus at the thought that He could not save everyone whom Satan had laid low in death, though He had given Himself a ransom for many, even all who would return to loyalty to God.
Miracle and Its Outcome
The return to Judea warned against in the verse culminates in the raising of Lazarus, the resurrection account to which the verse belongs. That resurrection was the crowning miracle of Christ's life and the last and crowning evidence given to the Jews that Jesus was the Son of God. It stood as a final test for the Jewish nation and as undeniable evidence of His Messiahship to Nicodemus. By raising Lazarus, whose body had already begun to decay, Christ gave convincing proof of His divine power and divinity. In that act He revealed the Father to believers and unbelievers and demonstrated His own character as Savior and Life-giver.
He brought Lazarus back from the grave and filled his sisters with joy, showing His power over death. Thus Lazarus became a living testimony that Jesus was the Son of God. That testimony led many to believe. The crowning miracle had a powerful effect and drew a large, enthusiastic crowd to Jesus.
Despite that demonstration of divine power, the raising increased hostility rather than producing faith. Jesus' enemies answered the miracle with greater hatred instead of belief, and the Jewish people rejected Him. Lazarus himself returned only to mortal life and remained subject to death. He remained subject to death and decay, unlike those raised to everlasting life at Christ's resurrection, including the saints then raised to everlasting life.
The disciples warned Jesus against returning to Judea to Bethany to Lazarus after waiting two days, reminding Him that the Jews had lately tried to stone Him and seeking to keep Him from the great danger. They had misunderstood His words about awaking Lazarus out of sleep to mean rest that would bring recovery, while He meant death, which He then told them plainly. He set their warning aside because Lazarus was dead and He must go, His life being safe while He followed His Father's will with His appointed work not yet finished like the daylight still left in a day. The delay was not lack of interest but deliberate purpose to make the death an occasion for undoubted proof of divine power, to unite the questioning disciples to Him in unbreakable faith and to work a crowning miracle to convince all who could be convinced that He is the Saviour of the world. Going to raise Lazarus meant entering the darkened shadow of His own death, knowing He must pay the ransom on the cross of Calvary and taste death for every man.
Setting and Disciples' Warning
The verse comes after Jesus waited two days and then decided to go into Judea again to awake Lazarus out of sleep, and going again means returning to Bethany to Lazarus. The disciples misunderstood sleep to mean rest that brings recovery, while Jesus meant death, which He then stated plainly. Lazarus's sisters had sent word expecting Jesus to come and heal him, but Jesus delayed and Lazarus died before He arrived, though Jesus knew what was happening and could have prevented the death.
Bethany was where Jesus often found rest at the house of Lazarus, having no home of His own and depending on the hospitality of friends and disciples. There He gladly escaped when weary and thirsting for human fellowship to a peaceful household away from the suspicion and jealousy of the angry Pharisees and the weary conflict of public life, finding sincere welcome, pure holy friendship, interested appreciative listeners, and a quiet home with human tenderness, courtesy, and affection. There He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom knowing His words would be understood and treasured, opening in private what He did not tell the mixed multitude, speaking without parables, unfolding the volume of Providence and imparting heavenly instruction that greatly blessed receivers. This was in contrast to the multitudes in the open fields who were slow of hearing even as He unfolded the beauties of nature to show how God's hand upholds the world and to call out appreciation of God's goodness in dew, rain, and sunshine given alike to good and evil, desiring men to realize God's regard for the human instrumentalities He created.
The disciples feared for Jesus' safety and questioned His decision to return to Judea, reminding Him that the Jews had lately sought to stone Him. They tried to stop and keep Him from going because the danger was great. The setting was intense and repeated hostility: Lazarus knew of the Pharisees' enmity and the unjust charges they sought to bring. The Jews were determined to kill Jesus. He had been driven from the people He came to save to temporary shelter in a strange city, and His powerful works and teaching could not overcome the prejudice and hatred of those who rejected the light.
The disciples could not dissuade Him, so Thomas proposed that they all accompany their Master to die with Him, and the twelve went with Jesus toward Bethany.
Christ's Answer and Purpose
Jesus brushed aside the warning because Lazarus was dead and He must go. To the fear that He would be stoned He answered that His life was safe while He followed His Father's will and His appointed work was not yet finished, with the remaining time of His work like the daylight still left in a day. He had not gone at once because in His immediate presence disease was always rebuked, since He could not witness suffering without bringing relief and could not witness disease or death without combatting the power of Satan.
The two days of waiting were not lack of interest in the stricken family but a deliberate purpose to make the death of Lazarus an occasion for undoubted proof of divine power. That proof was meant to unite the disciples to Him in a faith that could not be broken when some were already questioning whether they had been deceived and whether He was really the Christ since He had not saved Lazarus whom He loved. It was to be a crowning miracle that would convince all who could by any means be convinced that He is the Saviour of the world. For that reason He told them He was glad for their sakes that He had not been there, so that they might believe.
Going to raise Lazarus meant entering the darkened shadow of His own death, for He knew that for that life He must pay the ransom on the cross of Calvary, that every rescue brought Him deeper humiliation, and that He must taste death for every man. He wept at the grave of Lazarus at the thought that He could not save everyone whom Satan had laid low in death, though He had given Himself a ransom for many, even all who would return to loyalty to God.
Miracle and Its Outcome
The return to Judea warned against in the verse culminates in the raising of Lazarus, the resurrection account to which the verse belongs. That resurrection was the crowning miracle of Christ's life and the last and crowning evidence given to the Jews that Jesus was the Son of God. It stood as a final test for the Jewish nation and as undeniable evidence of His Messiahship to Nicodemus. By raising Lazarus, whose body had already begun to decay, Christ gave convincing proof of His divine power and divinity. In that act He revealed the Father to believers and unbelievers and demonstrated His own character as Savior and Life-giver.
He brought Lazarus back from the grave and filled his sisters with joy, showing His power over death. Thus Lazarus became a living testimony that Jesus was the Son of God. That testimony led many to believe. The crowning miracle had a powerful effect and drew a large, enthusiastic crowd to Jesus.
Despite that demonstration of divine power, the raising increased hostility rather than producing faith. Jesus' enemies answered the miracle with greater hatred instead of belief, and the Jewish people rejected Him. Lazarus himself returned only to mortal life and remained subject to death. He remained subject to death and decay, unlike those raised to everlasting life at Christ's resurrection, including the saints then raised to everlasting life.