John 11:1. Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town or Mary and her sister Martha.
In God's book, towns are most remarkable for saints that dwell in them. «The town of Mary and her sister Martha.» A day will come when a city shall be more illustrious for a saint than for a Caesar be more renowned for deeds of faith than for deeds of battle. It was «the town of Mary and her sister Martha.»
John 11:2-3. (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.
They did not say anymore. They felt that it was quite enough to tell him that Lazarus was sick, and they left it to the tender heart of Jesus to do whatever seemed good in his sight. Some prayers would be all the better if they were shorter all the better if they did not so much declare our own will as declare our confidence in the good will of Christ. I like the omissions of Martha's and Mary's prayer.
John 11:4. 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.
Our Saviour sneaks in a different style from us. He should have said that the sickness was unto death, but, ultimately, to the glory of God. But he who sees the end from the beginning streaks with a grandeur of style which could not be imitated by us. So the Lord speaks of things, not as they seem to be, nor even as they are in the present moment, but as they shall be in the long run. «Not unto death, but that the Son of God might be glorified.»
John 11:5. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
Yet Lazarus died. Jesus loved Lazarus, yet Lazarus was sick. Jesus was not of that cruel sort of people, of whom we have some in these days, who call themselves saints, and who attribute all sickness among God's people to their sin or to their want of faith. Not he. Here was one that was sick, but Jesus loved him just as much for all that.
John 11:6. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Notice the connection. «Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus»; and yet when he had heard that Lazarus was sick, «he abode two days still in the same place where he was.» Sometimes true love may think fit to make us wait. It may be the truest love on God's part to let us lie sick, and not to come post-haste to us to make us well. Ay, the truest love may demand that the sickness should turn to death, for out of the death he may bring the greater glory. The Lord acts not upon the scale of man, for he sees not as man sees. He sees the end as well as the beginning.
John 11:7. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
and that because he loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. If that love in its wisdom made him tarry, yet that love in its sincerity at last moved him to seek the house of grief.
John 11:9. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?
Is there not a time in which the sun will not go down in which it is safe and right for men to work?
John 11:9-10. 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.
There is a singular turn, is there not, in that expression? We expected it to be «Because he seeth not the light of the world,» instead of which the Saviour says, «Because there is no light in him» because in spiritual things our light not only comes from above, but it shines within; and without that inner light we are sure to stumble.
John 11:11. 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.
It is the Saviour's way to use terms concerning his miracles, which, so far from exaggerating them, even appear to depreciate them. He is about to raise a man from the dead, but he says, «Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.» I am afraid that our tendency is always to describe our actions in the largest possible terms consistent with truth; perhaps, sometimes forgetting those last words. But the Saviour describes truthfully what he does, but still in terms which, like his humanity, seem to veil the glory. Wonderfully condescending is it of him to speak thus:
John 11:12. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
It is considered to be a sign of getting better when a patient can sleep.
John 11:13-16. 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 fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
A singular mixture of faith and unbelief. He so believes his Master that he is willing to die with him. He so doubts him that, although the Saviour had plainly told him that he was immortal till his work was done, yet he is afraid that his Master and all of them will be put to death. Oh, the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves, and the Lord accepts us notwithstanding our infirmities.
John 11:17. Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
So that he was probably dead as soon as the messengers arrived to tell the Saviour that he was ill.
John 11:18. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off.
Just a nice little walk which our Saviour had often taken in the evening after the toils of the day in Jerusalem. He had loved to make Bethany his quiet resting-place. «Fifteen furlongs off.»
John 11:19-20. 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.
Because she had not heard that Jesus was come, or else, no doubt, she would have been there as soon as Martha.
John 11:21. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
They had often said to one another, «Oh, we wish the Lord were come.» They had sent for him. They felt sure that he would come. But, alas, their brother had died before the Master had arrived; and now this thought which was uppermost in their hearts is uppermost in their speech, «Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.»
John 11:22. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
There is faith there, and there is unbelief too. She believes that Christ can have what he wills of God, but she does not recognize his own personal Godhead his own power to work resurrection.
John 11:23-26. 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 looked upon the resurrection and the life as things that were to be in some dim and misty future. «No,» says Christ, «I am the resurrection and the life. Not only do I get these things by prayer from God, but I am these things.» And then he goes on to explain it. He says, «I am the resurrection. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. I am the life. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?» He has taken her out of the thought of this poor common animal-life into the thought of the spiritual and higher life, which is, indeed, to the soul what the resurrection is to the body. It was well for the Saviour thus to teach her higher truth than as yet she knew.