1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with myrrh and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 The sisters then sent for Jesus, saying, “Lord, see, he whom you love is sick.” 4 When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but instead it is for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, Jesus stayed two more days in the place where he was. 7 Then after this, he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, right now the Jews are trying to stone you, and you are going back there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of light in a day? If someone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world. 10 However, if he walks at night, he will stumble because the light is not in him.” 11 He said these things, and after these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may wake him out of sleep.” 12 The disciples therefore said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he was speaking about the sleep of resting. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 I am glad, for your sakes, that I was not there so that you may believe. Let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go so that we may die with Jesus.” 17 When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. 19 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them about their brother. 20 Then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Even now, I know that whatever you ask from God, he will give to you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, even if he dies, will live; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she went away and called her sister Mary privately. She said, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 When she heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 So when the Jews, who were with her in the house and who were comforting her, saw Mary getting up quickly and going out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and was troubled; 34 he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how much he loved Lazarus!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of a blind man, also have made this man not die?” 38 Then Jesus again, being deeply moved in himself, went to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of Lazarus, the one who had died, said to Jesus, “Lord, by this time the body will be decaying, for he has been dead for four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that, if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me. 42 I knew that you always listen to me, but it is because of the crowd that is standing around me that I said this, so that they may believe that you have sent me.” 43 After he had said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out; his feet and hands were bound with cloths, and his face was bound about with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” 45 Then many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council together and said, “What will we do? This man does many signs. 48 If we leave him alone like this, all will believe in him; the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 However, a certain man among them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing. 50 You do not consider that it is better for you that one man dies for the people than that the whole nation perishes.” 51 Now this he said not from himself. Instead, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation; 52 and not only for the nation, but so that the children of God who are scattered would be gathered together into one. 53 So from that day onward they planned how to put Jesus to death. 54 No longer did Jesus walk openly among the Jews, but he departed from there into the country near to the wilderness into a town called Ephraim. There he stayed with the disciples. 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country before the Passover in order to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus, and speaking one with another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the festival?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given an order that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might seize him.
John 11 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Lazarus
A man of Bethany, brother of Mary and Martha, whom Jesus loved and raised from the dead and who was later at table with Him.
Cited in the guide: John 11:1; John 11:5; John 12:1
Martha
A woman of Bethany who received Jesus into her home, was distracted with serving, and whose brother Lazarus Jesus raised.
Cited in the guide: Luke 10:38; John 11:1; John 11:5
Mary
Sister of Martha and Lazarus of Bethany, who sat at Jesus' feet to listen and who anointed the Lord's feet with perfume and wiped them with her hair.
Cited in the guide: Luke 10:39; John 11:1; John 11:2
Thomas
One of the Twelve, called Didymus, who said 'Let us also go, so that we may die with Him', was absent when Jesus first appeared, and was among those who fished with the disciples…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:3; John 11:16; John 20:24
Places
Bethany
Bethany was Jesus' lodging near Jerusalem during Passion week and the home of Lazarus. Luke sets the Ascension close by.
Cited in the guide: John 11:1; John 12:1; Luke 24:50
Cross references (56)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 John 12:17; Luke 10:38–42; John 12:9; 2 Kings 20:1–12; John 11:11
- 2 John 12:3; Matthew 26:6–7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37–38
- 3 John 11:5; Revelation 3:19; Hebrews 12:6–7; John 13:23; Psalm 16:3
- 4 John 11:40; John 9:3; 1 Peter 4:14; John 5:23; John 17:5
- 5 John 15:9–13; John 11:36; John 17:26; John 16:27; John 11:8
- 6 Isaiah 30:18; Isaiah 55:8–9; Genesis 42:24; Genesis 22:14; Genesis 43:29–31
- 7 Acts 20:22–24; Acts 15:36; Luke 9:51; John 10:40–42
- 8 John 10:31; John 8:59; Acts 21:12–13; Matthew 16:21–23; John 10:39
- 9 John 9:4; John 12:35; Jeremiah 31:9; Luke 13:31–33; Proverbs 3:23
- 10 Proverbs 4:18–19; 1 John 2:10–11; Jeremiah 13:16; Jeremiah 20:11; Ecclesiastes 2:14
- 11 Daniel 12:2; John 11:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; John 11:43–44; Matthew 27:52
- 13 Matthew 9:24
- 14 John 16:25; John 16:29; John 10:24
- 15 2 Timothy 2:10; John 14:10–11; 1 John 5:13; John 11:4; Isaiah 54:15
- 16 John 13:37; Matthew 26:35; Matthew 10:3; Luke 6:15; Mark 3:18
- 17 John 11:39; Hosea 6:2; Acts 2:27–31; John 2:19
- 18 Luke 24:13; Revelation 14:20; John 11:1; Revelation 21:16; John 6:19
- 19 Job 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; John 11:31; 2 Corinthians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:18
- 20 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Luke 10:38–42; Matthew 25:1; John 11:30; Acts 10:25
- 21 John 11:32; Matthew 9:18; 1 Kings 17:18; Psalm 78:19; John 11:37
- 22 John 9:31; John 11:41–42; Mark 9:23; Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 11:17–19
- 23 John 11:43–44
- 24 Daniel 12:2–3; Acts 24:15; John 5:28–29; Isaiah 26:19; Acts 17:31–32
- 25 1 Thessalonians 4:14; John 3:36; 1 John 5:11–12; John 1:4; Romans 8:10–11
- 26 John 10:28; John 5:24; Romans 8:13; 1 John 5:10–12; John 8:51–53
- 27 Matthew 16:16; John 6:14; John 6:69; Malachi 3:1; 1 John 5:1
- 28 John 13:13; John 11:20; Mark 10:49; John 20:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:17–18
- 29 Psalm 27:8; Proverbs 15:23; Song of Songs 3:1–4; Psalm 119:59–60; Proverbs 27:17
- 30 John 11:20
- 31 John 11:19; 2 Samuel 12:16–18; Genesis 37:35; 1 Corinthians 2:15
- 32 John 11:21; Luke 5:8; Luke 17:16; Luke 8:41; Revelation 5:14
- 33 John 11:38; John 12:27; Mark 3:5; Romans 12:15; Genesis 43:30–31
- 34 Matthew 28:6; John 20:2; Mark 16:6; Mark 15:47; John 1:39
- 35 Luke 19:41; Hebrews 4:15; John 11:33; Isaiah 53:3; Psalm 119:136
- 36 John 11:3; 1 John 3:1; Revelation 1:5; 1 John 4:9–10; Ephesians 5:2
- 37 John 9:6–7; Psalm 78:19–20; John 11:32; Luke 23:35; Matthew 27:40–42
- 38 John 11:33; Matthew 27:60; Luke 24:2; Genesis 23:19; Isaiah 22:16
- 39 John 11:17; Psalm 49:7; Mark 16:3; Philippians 3:21; Genesis 3:19
- 40 John 11:4; John 11:23–26; Romans 4:17–25; Psalm 63:2; John 1:14
- 41 Matthew 11:25; John 17:1; Psalm 123:1; Philippians 4:6; Luke 10:21
- 42 John 3:17; John 17:21; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 4:14; Hebrews 5:7
- 43 2 Kings 4:33–36; Acts 9:40; Acts 9:34; Luke 7:14–15; 1 Kings 17:21–22
- 44 John 5:25; John 20:7; John 11:25–26; Luke 7:15; John 5:21
- 45 John 11:19; John 2:23; John 12:42; John 12:17–19; John 7:31
- 46 Luke 16:30–31; John 9:13; Acts 5:25; John 5:15–16; John 12:37
- 47 Matthew 26:3; Acts 4:16–17; Matthew 5:22; Acts 4:5–6; John 2:11
- 48 1 Thessalonians 2:15–16; Daniel 9:26–27; Matthew 23:35–38; Zechariah 14:1–2; Matthew 27:25
- 49 Proverbs 26:12; Matthew 26:3; John 18:13–14; John 11:51; Luke 3:2
- 50 John 18:14; Luke 24:46; Romans 3:8; John 19:12; John 11:48
- 51 2 Corinthians 5:21; Daniel 9:26; 1 Samuel 23:9; Matthew 20:28; Exodus 28:30
- 52 John 10:16; Isaiah 49:6; 1 John 2:2; 1 Peter 1:1; Ephesians 1:9–10
- 53 Acts 5:33; Acts 9:23; Psalm 2:2; Matthew 26:59; John 11:47
- 54 John 7:1; John 7:4; 2 Chronicles 13:19; John 7:13; John 18:20
- 55 2 Chronicles 30:17–20; Hebrews 9:13–14; John 2:13; Exodus 19:10; John 6:4
- 56 John 7:11; John 11:7–8
- 57 Psalm 109:4; John 10:39; John 9:22; John 5:16–18; John 8:59
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Among all the miracles wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of Lazarus holds a foremost place in preaching. But if we consider attentively who did it, our duty is to rejoice rather than to wonder.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
Many men, when they see any of those who are pleasing to God suffering anything terrible, as, for instance, having fallen into sickness, or poverty, and any other the like, are offended, not knowing that to those especially dear to God it belongeth to endure these things; since Lazarus also was one of the friends of Christ, and was sick.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
Then, when He had raised Lazarus from the dead, and plots were formed against Him by the Pharisees, He withdrew to a city called Ephraim; and from that place, as it is written "He came to Bethany six days before the passover," and going up from Bethany to Jerusalem, He there ate the passover, and suffered on the day following.
When, therefore, we read in the Gospel that the hard-heartedness of the Jews moved Him to sorrowful indignation, that He said, "I am glad for your sakes, to the intent ye may believe," that when about to raise Lazarus He even shed tears, that He earnestly desired to eat the passover with His disciples, that as His passion drew near …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… Lazarus, added also a prayer; and then, lest this should make Him appear less than Him that begat Him, He, to correct this suspicion, added, "I said these things, because of the people which standeth by, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." And neither doth He work all things as one who acted by His own power, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)