Joh 11:9-11 | KingComments | STEP | After two days, the moment comes when the Lord tells His disciples that they will go to Judea again. He does not say anything about His purpose to go there, but mentions the area to test His disciples and teach them new lessons. The disciples know the enmity that the people in that area have against the Lord. They remember all too well how the Jews recently tried to stone Him ( ). After all, He had left – in their eyes perhaps fled – to escape His murderers. Is it not a challenge of fate, then, to visit that area again? They are unaware that as long as it is not yet the Father’s time His enemies can do nothing to Him. The Lord responds to their questioning with important teaching about going the way that is clear. A way is clear once the Father has made it known. If it is the will of the Father, it is day. The known will of God and His Word are the light of day. Christ lived on earth from His relationship with the Father and the knowledge of His will. He therefore always walked in full daylight and never stumbled. This is also true for us. If we follow Christ Who lived as an Example for us on earth and Who is the light of the world for us, we will not stumble, i.e. we will not make wrong decisions. If we go our way without knowing the will of the Father from the Word of God, we will walk in the night. Then we will certainly stumble, because there will be no light in us from a relationship with the Father which would show us the way to go.

‏ John 11:9-11

The Lord Wants to Go to Judea Again

After two days, the moment comes when the Lord tells His disciples that they will go to Judea again. He does not say anything about His purpose to go there, but mentions the area to test His disciples and teach them new lessons.

The disciples know the enmity that the people in that area have against the Lord. They remember all too well how the Jews recently tried to stone Him (Jn 8:59 ; Jn 10:31). After all, He had left – in their eyes perhaps fled – to escape His murderers. Is it not a challenge of fate, then, to visit that area again? They are unaware that as long as it is not yet the Father’s time His enemies can do nothing to Him.

The Lord responds to their questioning with important teaching about going the way that is clear. A way is clear once the Father has made it known. If it is the will of the Father, it is day. The known will of God and His Word are the light of day. Christ lived on earth from His relationship with the Father and the knowledge of His will. He therefore always walked in full daylight and never stumbled.

This is also true for us. If we follow Christ Who lived as an Example for us on earth and Who is the light of the world for us, we will not stumble, i.e. we will not make wrong decisions. If we go our way without knowing the will of the Father from the Word of God, we will walk in the night. Then we will certainly stumble, because there will be no light in us from a relationship with the Father which would show us the way to go.

The Purpose of the Journey

After the important teaching about going the way of the Father, the Lord tells His disciples why He is going to Judea again. He does this in a way that again invites the disciples to respond. He talks about the fact that Lazarus, “our friend”, has fallen asleep, but that He goes to him to awaken him out of sleep. Except once in Matthew 26 and once in Luke 12, the Lord Jesus uses the word “friend” or “friends” for His disciples only in this Gospel (Mt 26:50; Lk 12:4; Jn 11:11 ; Jn 15:13-15).

What He tells His disciples about what He is going to do with Lazarus, is again misunderstood by them, as their reaction shows. Like the sisters, they address Him with “Lord”. Then they tell Him their vision on the matter. They conclude from His words that the prospects for healing are favorable because Lazarus is asleep. If he sleeps, he will recover. Again, their remark shows how much they view this situation from a human point of view only.

The fact that He said that this sickness serves the glory of God and of the Son of God has not reached them. But the Lord has spoken about death and not about the literal sleep, as they believe. To Him, the death of the believer is also no more than sleep. In His omnipotence He can awaken someone from sleep as well as from death.

To remove any doubt from the disciples about how Lazarus’ condition actually is, the Lord tells them in plain language that Lazarus is dead. He also says that He is glad for their sakes that He was not with Lazarus during his sickness. If He had been there, Lazarus would not have died, because where He is, death can never assert its power. Where He is, death must give way.

If He had been there, they would not have been able to see His glorious power in the resurrection that they will now see in a special way. That is why they will believe. It is not about them coming to faith in Him, because they really believe in Him. It is about them believing in Him as the Son of God by witnessing His power over death.

Then the Lord says: “Let us go to him.” To Him Lazarus is still present and to be visited even though he has died. He is going to meet him. By this the Lord does not mean what David once said in view of the son he had conceived in fornication with Bathsheba who had died. David said that he would go to him, that is, at the time of his death, but that the boy would not return to him (2Sam 12:23). No, the Lord will meet Lazarus as a living one because He will raise him from the dead.

Thomas makes the decision to go with him. He urges his fellow disciples to do the same. What Thomas says shows his love for the Lord. For him it is certain that the Lord will have to pay with death for His journey to Judea. If that is so, then he is prepared to die with Him. At the same time Thomas shows that he has no understanding of what really drives the Lord, not only of the purpose of His mission, but also of the will and the way of the Father He is going. His statement also shows that he does not know himself. With all his sincerity he will, when it comes down to it, flee like all other disciples (Mt 26:56).