Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of John
Chapter 11: I Am the Resurrection, and the Life
John 11 is the greatest of the signs, the raising of Lazarus, given so that we might believe. When word comes that Lazarus is sick, Jesus delays, 'that the Son of God might be glorified,' and by the time He arrives His friend has lain four days in the grave. To grieving Martha He speaks one of the mightiest of the 'I am' sayings: 'I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.' At the tomb, moved to the depths, 'Jesus wept,' and then, giving thanks to the Father, He cries with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth,' and the dead man comes out bound in graveclothes. Many believe, but the rulers, alarmed, gather a council, and Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies the gospel: 'it is expedient... that one man should die for the people,' and John adds, not for that nation only, but to 'gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.' From that day they plot His death. The chapter shows us the Lord of life and death, the Son of God who weeps with us and calls the dead to life, and the Saviour going willingly toward His own death that many might live.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of John chapter 11. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, declares Himself the resurrection and the life, weeps at the grave, and the council resolves to put Him to death. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
For the Glory of God
Jesus waits, that the sign might display God's glory.
The Resurrection and the Life
He that believeth in Him shall live, though he die.
Behold How He Loved Him
The Lord of life shares our grief at the grave.
Lazarus, Come Forth
A word calls the four-days dead out of the tomb alive.
He That Believeth in Me Shall Live (John 11:1-27)
Jesus delays, lets Lazarus die, and meets Martha's grief with the revelation that He Himself is the resurrection and the life.
I Am the Resurrection, and the Life
"Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."
Word Study
"resurrection," Greek anastasis (ἀνάστασις). The word means a rising up, a standing again, resurrection from the dead. Martha believed in a future resurrection "at the last day," but Jesus lifts her from a doctrine to a Person: "I am the resurrection, and the life." He does not merely bring resurrection or promise it; He is it. Resurrection life is not a distant event only but a present reality found in Him, for He is the living source of it. To have Christ is to have resurrection and life now, so that "he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." The One who says "I am" here speaks with the divine name and the divine power; only God is the fountain of life, and that God stands before Martha in flesh, about to prove His word by calling her brother from the grave.
Explanation
Jesus deliberately delays until Lazarus is dead, so that a greater sign than healing may reveal His glory. To grieving Martha's "if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died," He responds with the fifth great "I am": "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." He does not merely promise resurrection at the last day; He is resurrection in person, so that death itself must yield to His presence. Martha's confession -- "thou art the Christ, the Son of God" -- is the faith the sign is meant to produce. Life stands before the tomb, and He is about to prove His own words.
Gospel Focus
The sisters send a simple, faith-filled message: "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." Yet Jesus, who "loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," deliberately delays two days, and Lazarus dies. This delay is not indifference but love with a higher purpose: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." Sometimes the Lord's delay is designed to work a greater good and a greater glory than an immediate answer would. When Jesus resolves to return to hostile Judaea, the disciples fear for His life, and Thomas, in gloomy devotion, says, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Jesus tells them plainly, "Lazarus is dead," and adds, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe." By the time He arrives, Lazarus has been in the tomb "four days already", beyond all hope by every human reckoning. Martha comes out to meet Him with a mixture of faith and grief: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." Jesus assures her, "Thy brother shall rise again," and Martha, thinking of the general resurrection, answers, "I know that he shall rise again... at the last day." Then Jesus draws her from a truth to Himself, with one of the greatest of all His sayings: "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." Death has no final power over those who are in Christ; the believer may die physically, yet he shall live, and in the deepest sense he "shall never die," for he possesses eternal life. Resurrection is not merely something Christ does; it is who He is. And He presses it home personally: "Believest thou this?" Martha's answer is a full confession of faith: "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." Before the miracle is worked, faith confesses the One who is Himself the life. The Lord of resurrection asks each of us the same question, and calls us to the same faith.
Lazarus, Come Forth (John 11:28-44)
The Lord of life weeps with the grieving, then calls the four-days dead out of the tomb by a word.
Said I Not Unto Thee, That Thou Shouldest See the Glory of God?
"And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 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. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 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. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go."
Word Study
"wept," Greek dakruo (δακρύω). The word means to shed tears, to weep; it appears only here in the New Testament, in the shortest verse of the Bible, "Jesus wept." The word for the mourners' weeping (klaio) is a loud wailing, but the word for Jesus is the quiet shedding of tears. Here is the true humanity of the Son of God: the Lord of life, who knew He was about to raise Lazarus, still wept at the grave, entering fully into human grief and the sorrow of a world under the curse of death. And with it goes the deeper word "groaned" (embrimaomai), a stirring of holy indignation, for Jesus was moved and troubled at death itself, the enemy He came to destroy. "Jesus wept" tells us that the God who raises the dead is not distant from our sorrows but weeps with those who weep.
Explanation
At the tomb the eternal God, made flesh, enters fully into human grief: "Jesus wept." The One who is the resurrection and the life is also truly man, groaning and weeping with those He loves -- deity and real humanity in one person. Then, after praying aloud so the crowd may know the Father sent Him, He cries with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth," and the dead man walks out bound in grave-clothes. The tears and the command belong to the same Lord: He weeps as a man and raises the dead as God. It is a preview of His own resurrection and of the day when all in the graves shall hear His voice.
Gospel Focus
Mary comes and falls at Jesus' feet with the same words as her sister, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died," and her weeping, and that of the mourners, moves Jesus deeply: "he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled." Then comes the tender wonder of "Jesus wept." The One who is the resurrection and the life, who knows He will in moments call Lazarus back, nonetheless sheds real tears. This is no mere performance; it is the compassion of God incarnate, entering fully into our grief. He weeps not because He has no hope but because death is a dreadful intrusion, an enemy, and He shares the sorrow of those He loves. The onlookers read His tears rightly, "Behold how he loved him!", though some question why the healer of the blind did not prevent this death. Jesus, "again groaning," comes to the grave, a cave sealed with a stone. He commands, "Take ye away the stone," and practical Martha protests that after four days the body would stink. But Jesus recalls her to faith: "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Then, before the watching crowd, He lifts His eyes and prays, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always," praying aloud not because He needed to persuade the Father, with whom He is one, but "because of the people which stand by... that they may believe that thou hast sent me." Then the mighty word: "Lazarus, come forth." With a single command the Lord of life summons a four-days-dead man from the tomb, "and he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes." It is a foretaste of the great day when His voice will raise all the dead, for the dead hear the voice of the Son of God and live. And with practical tenderness Jesus adds, "Loose him, and let him go", the risen man is freed from the trappings of death. Here is the sign that proves His claim: He who says "I am the resurrection, and the life" backs the word with the deed, calling the dead to life. The weeping Saviour is the conquering Lord of the grave.
One Man Should Die for the People (John 11:45-57)
The raising of Lazarus divides the people, and the rulers resolve on His death, while Caiaphas unknowingly prophesies the gospel.
That He Should Gather Together in One the Children of God
"Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him."
Word Study
"expedient," Greek sumphero (συμφέρω). The word means to bring together, to be profitable, to be advantageous. Caiaphas meant it in cold political calculation: "it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people," better to sacrifice one troublesome man than to risk Roman reprisal on the whole nation. He spoke as a cynical schemer. But John tells us that "this spake he not of himself," for as high priest he unknowingly prophesied a truth far deeper than he intended: that Jesus should die "for that nation," and beyond it "gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad." The word intended for political convenience became the language of the atonement, for it truly was expedient, in the highest sense, that One should die for the people. The one man dying for the many is the very heart of the gospel: Christ died for us, that we might not perish but be gathered into one.
Explanation
The greatest sign produces the sharpest division: many believe, but the leaders, fearing Rome, resolve to kill Him -- and even the raised Lazarus. Caiaphas the high priest, cynically calculating that "one man should die for the people," speaks better than he knows: John notes he "prophesied" that Jesus would die "for that nation, and not for that nation only, but that... he should gather together in one the children of God." The plot to destroy Him becomes, in God's hand, the very means of the world's redemption. From this day they take counsel to put Him to death, and Jesus withdraws until His hour.
Gospel Focus
The raising of Lazarus forces a decision, and it divides. "Many of the Jews... believed on him," but others run to the Pharisees to report Him. The rulers gather a council in alarm: "this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation." Their concern is not truth but their own position and power; they cannot deny the miracles, so they plot against the miracle-worker. Astonishingly, it is the death of Lazarus's raising, the very sign of life, that seals the resolve to kill Jesus. Then Caiaphas, the high priest, speaks with brutal pragmatism: "it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not." He means only to justify judicial murder for political safety. But God overrules his words, and through the mouth of the very man plotting Jesus' death, He utters the gospel. John explains: "this spake he not of himself; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad." Every word is true in a sense Caiaphas never intended. Jesus would indeed die for the people, but as the substitutionary sacrifice, the one dying for the many; and not for Israel only but to gather into one the children of God from every nation, uniting Jew and Gentile in one flock. The high priest, whose office was to offer sacrifice for the people, unknowingly announces the great High Priest offering Himself. From that day the rulers "took counsel together for to put him to death," and Jesus, whose hour was not yet fully come, withdraws for a time to Ephraim. As Passover approaches, the people wonder if He will dare come to the feast, and the authorities post orders for His arrest. All is moving toward the cross, and even the plots of His enemies serve the plan of God, that one Man should die for the people, and gather the scattered children of God into one.
Chapter 11 in Review
John 11 is the sign of signs, the raising of Lazarus. Jesus deliberately delays "for the glory of God," lets His friend die, and comes to a tomb four days sealed. To grieving Martha He reveals Himself: "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." At the grave the Lord of life "wept," sharing our sorrow, then gave thanks to the Father and cried, "Lazarus, come forth," and the dead man came out alive. The miracle divided the people; many believed, but the rulers gathered a council and resolved to kill Him, and Caiaphas unknowingly prophesied that "one man should die for the people," and that Jesus would "gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad." From that day they plotted His death.
For the Apostolic reader this chapter unveils both the deity and the humanity of our Lord, and the heart of His saving work. He is the resurrection and the life, not merely the giver of a future resurrection but its very source in His own person; to have Christ is to have life that death cannot end, so that the believer, though he die, shall live, and shall never truly die. This is the God who alone holds the keys of life and death, standing in flesh before an open grave. And yet the same Lord "wept," entering fully into human grief, the compassionate God incarnate who is touched with the feeling of our sorrows even as He conquers our last enemy. The raising of Lazarus is a foretaste of the great resurrection, when the voice of the Son of God will call all the dead to life. And the plotting that follows, sealed by Caiaphas's unwitting prophecy, draws the whole chapter toward the cross: the one Man would die for the people, the great High Priest offering Himself, to gather into one the scattered children of God from every nation. So believe on the One who is the resurrection and the life; bring your griefs to the Saviour who weeps with you and calls the dead to rise; and rest in the truth that His death was no accident but the appointed sacrifice that gathers us into one.
- The Lord's delays may serve a higher glory than an immediate answer (11:4, 40).
- Christ is the resurrection and the life; believers live though they die (11:25-26).
- "Jesus wept": the Lord of life shares fully in our grief (11:35).
- His word calls the four-days dead from the tomb, a foretaste of the last day (11:43-44).
- Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies the atonement: one man dying for the people (11:50-51).
- Christ's death gathers into one the scattered children of God (11:52).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you trust the Lord even when He seems to delay?
- Have you answered His question, "Believest thou this?", with Martha's confession?
- Do you bring your grief to the Saviour who weeps with those who weep?
- Do you rest in Christ's death as the one sacrifice that gathers you into God's family?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Christ the resurrection and the life: John 5:21-29; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Revelation 1:18. Faith's confession of the Son of God: John 20:31; Matthew 16:16; 1 John 5:1. The compassion of the incarnate Lord: Hebrews 4:15; Isaiah 53:3-4; Romans 12:15. The voice that raises the dead: John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Caiaphas's unwitting prophecy and the atonement: Isaiah 53:5-8; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; 1 John 2:2. Gathering the scattered children of God into one: John 10:16; Ephesians 2:13-18; John 17:20-23. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The sickness, the delay, and the great I am: John 11:1-27; John 5:21-29; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26.
- Jesus wept and called Lazarus forth: John 11:28-44; Hebrews 4:15; John 5:28-29.
- The council and the prophecy of Caiaphas: John 11:45-57; Isaiah 53:5-8; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21.