John 11:1 - There was a sick man named Lazarus, from Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
John 11:2 - Lazarus sister Mary was the one who poured oil on Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.
John 11:3 - Lazarus’s sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him the one he loved is ill.
John 11:4 - Upon hearing that, Jesus responded, The illness sweeping the region does not cause death, but rather life. God brought the illness to glorify my name.
John 11:5 - Jesus loved Martha, her sister and Lazarus.
John 11:6 - After learning that he was ill, he remained where he was for two days.
John 11:7 - Following that event, he related to his disciples, Again, we are going to Judea.
John 11:8 - His disciples tell him, Master, the Jews recently wanted to stone you; and you go there again?
John 11:9 - Jesus, in turn, asked, Does a day not have twelve hours? A man who walks in daylight does not stumble because he sees the light of the world.
John 11:10 - People who walk at night will fall down because there is no light.
John 11:11 - Then he said, Our friend Lazarus is only sleeping; but I am going to wake him up.
John 11:12 - His followers then said to him, Lord if he can sleep it will be good for him.
John 11:13 - Jesus had talked of his death, but they thought that he was talking about a needed rest.
John 11:14 - Jesus then told them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
John 11:15 - I am happy for all of your benefit that I was not present, for what motivation you believe; however, we should go to him.
John 11:16 - Then Thomas, who is also known as a twin, said to the other disciples, Come on let’s go and die along with him.
John 11:17 - Then when Jesus came to the grave, he discovered that he had lain dead for four days.
John 11:18 - Bethany was close to Jerusalem, only about two miles away.
John 11:19 - Concerning their brother, many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them.
John 11:20 - Martha,upon hearing that Jesus was coming, went out to greet him while Mary stayed in the house.
John 11:21 - Then Martha said to Jesus. Lord, if you are here, my brother has not died.
John 11:22 - I am certain that whatever you ask for from God, God will provide.
John 11:23 - Jesus told the lady that her brother would come back to life.
John 11:24 - Martha told him, I know that he will come alive again on the last day.
John 11:25 - This is what Jesus told her: I am rebirth and I am life, and he who gives me his faith but dies will yet live:
John 11:26 - And anyone who believes in me and lives like I do will never die. Do you believe that?
John 11:27 - She said to him, Lord: I think you are the Christ, Son of God. This world needs your help.
John 11:28 - After she had made her statement she left and secretly reported to her sister Mary that the Master was there and wanted her to come to him.
John 11:29 - When she heard that she immediately got up and ran to him.
John 11:30 - Jesus hadn’t yet gotten to town and was still in the place Martha had met him.
John 11:31 - The Jews who were with her in the house, comforting her, saw Mary get up and hurry out; and they followed her, saying: She’s going to the grave to weep there.
John 11:32 - Mary told Jesus that her brother wouldn’t have died if he had been there.
John 11:33 - When Jesus saw that she and Jews who accompanied her were crying, he felt terrible and was very concerned.
John 11:34 - The Lord asked where they put him and they showed Him.
John 11:35 - Jesus cried.
John 11:36 - Then the Jews said, look how he loved him!
John 11:37 - Some of them questioned that if he had the power to make blind men see then he could have prevented his own death.
John 11:38 - Jesus, again being moved came to the grave. It was a cave with a stone on top of it.
John 11:39 - Jesus said to Martha, the sister of the dead man, Take the stone away, she replied to the Lord, By this time there will be a smell, for he has been dead for four days.
John 11:40 - Jesus said to her, Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?
John 11:41 - Then they rolled away the boulder that was blocking the door to the tomb. And Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed, Father, thank you that you always hear me.
John 11:42 - Though I know that You always hear me, I said it for the sake of the people standing near, that they might know that it is You who has sent me.
John 11:43 - And after he had spoken that, he yelled, Lazarus, come here.
John 11:44 - Lazarus came out of the grave with all his burial clothes and the cloth over his face. Jesus said to the others there to free Lazarus from his burial clothes.
John 11:45 - Then many Jews that had seen the things Jesus had done came to Mary and believed in him.
John 11:46 - But some of those who saw what happened hurried to the Pharisees, and told them what Jesus had done.
John 11:47 - His miracles had drawn a great deal of attention, so the Pharisees and head priests met to decide a course of action.
John 11:48 - If we don’t do something about him, every man will start believing what he says: following this the Romans will intervene and usurp our position and our nation.
John 11:49 - And one of them, named Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, said to them: You don’t know anything at all,
John 11:50 - Do not contemplate that it is faster for us that only one will die for all of the people rather than the entire nation.
John 11:51 - These words were not uttered in relation to his situation, but rather that of Jesus, whom as high priest he foretold should die for the nation.
John 11:52 - For God’s Word is not limited to one nation but for all mankind.
John 11:53 - From that day on, they met together to plan how they would kill him.
John 11:54 - Jesus stopped being around the Jews and went away to Ephraim where he worked with His disciples.
John 11:55 - And the Jews’ passover was near: and many traveled from the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
John 11:56 - As they stood in the temple they talked among themselves and looked for Jesus, they asked each other if they thought Jesus would attend the feast.
John 11:57 - Both the head priests and Pharisees commanded that any man who knew his whereabouts should provide the information so that he could be taken into official custody.