Chapter 11:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Luke Acts
John 11
Concise Complete
The sickness of Lazarus. (1-6) Christ returns to Judea.
(7-10) The death of Lazarus. (11-16) Christ arrives at Bethany. (17-32) He
raises Lazarus. (33-46) The Pharisees consult against Jesus. (47-53) The Jews
seek for him. (54-57)
Verses 1-6 It is no
new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the
corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his
people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the
wrath to come; however, it behoves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends
and relatives when sick and afflicted. Let this reconcile us to the darkest
dealings of Providence, that they are all for the glory of God: sickness, loss,
disappointment, are so; and if God be glorified, we ought to be satisfied. Jesus
loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. The families are greatly favoured in
which love and peace abound; but those are most happy whom Jesus loves, and by
whom he is beloved. Alas, that this should seldom be the case with every person,
even in small families. God has gracious intentions, even when he seems to
delay. When the work of deliverance, temporal or spiritual, public or personal,
is delayed, it does but stay for the right time.
Verses 7-10 Christ
never brings his people into any danger but he goes with them in it. We are apt
to think ourselves zealous for the Lord, when really we are only zealous for our
wealth, credit, ease, and safety; we have therefore need to try our principles.
But our day shall be lengthened out, till our work is done, and our testimony
finished. A man has comfort and satisfaction while in the way of his duty, as
set forth by the word of God, and determined by the providence of God. Christ,
wherever he went, walked in the day; and so shall we, if we follow his steps. If
a man walks in the way of his heart, and according to the course of this world,
if he consults his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God, he
falls into temptations and snares. He stumbles, because there is no light in
him; for light in us is to our moral actions, that which light about us to our
natural actions.
Verses 11-16 Since
we are sure to rise again at the last, why should not the believing hope of that
resurrection to eternal life, make it as easy for us to put off the body and
die, as it is to put off our clothes and go to sleep? A true Christian, when he
dies, does but sleep; he rests from the labours of the past day. Nay, herein
death is better than sleep, that sleep is only a short rest, but death is the
end of earthly cares and toils. The disciples thought that it was now needless
for Christ to go to Lazarus, and expose himself and them. Thus we often hope
that the good work we are called to do, will be done by some other hand, if
there be peril in the doing of it. But when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead,
many were brought to believe on him; and there was much done to make perfect the
faith of those that believed. Let us go to him; death cannot separate from the
love of Christ, nor put us out of the reach of his call. Like Thomas, in
difficult times Christians should encourage one another. The dying of the Lord
Jesus should make us willing to die whenever God calls us.
Verses 17-32 Here
was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it
was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not
from the house. When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in
ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and
prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the
house; this temper formerly had been an advantage to her, when it put her at
Christ's feet to hear his word; but in the day of affliction, the same temper
disposed her to melancholy. It is our wisdom to watch against the temptations,
and to make use of the advantages of our natural tempers. When we know not what
in particular to ask or expect, let us refer ourselves to God; let him do as
seemeth him good. To enlarge Martha's expectations, our Lord declared himself to
be the Resurrection and the Life. In every sense he is the Resurrection; the
source, the substance, the first-fruits, the cause of it. The redeemed soul
lives after death in happiness; and after the resurrection, both body and soul
are kept from all evil for ever. When we have read or heard the word of Christ,
about the great things of the other world, we should put it to ourselves, Do we
believe this truth? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make
such a deep impression upon us as they do, if we believed the things of eternity
as we ought. When Christ our Master comes, he calls for us. He comes in his word
and ordinances, and calls us to them, calls us by them, calls us to himself.
Those who, in a day of peace, set themselves at Christ's feet to be taught by
him, may with comfort, in a day of trouble, cast themselves at his feet, to find
favour with him.
Verses 33-46
Christ's tender sympathy with these afflicted friends, appeared by the troubles
of his spirit. In all the afflictions of believers he is afflicted. His concern
for them was shown by his kind inquiry after the remains of his deceased friend.
Being found in fashion as a man, he acts in the way and manner of the sons of
men. It was shown by his tears. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief. Tears of compassion resemble those of Christ. But Christ never approved
that sensibility of which many are proud, while they weep at mere tales of
distress, but are hardened to real woe. He sets us an example to withdraw from
scenes of giddy mirth, that we may comfort the afflicted. And we have not a High
Priest who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. It is a good
step toward raising a soul to spiritual life, when the stone is taken away, when
prejudices are removed, and got over, and way is made for the word to enter the
heart. If we take Christ's word, and rely on his power and faithfulness, we
shall see the glory of God, and be happy in the sight. Our Lord Jesus has taught
us, by his own example, to call God Father, in prayer, and to draw nigh to him
as children to a father, with humble reverence, yet with holy boldness. He
openly made this address to God, with uplifted eyes and loud voice, that they
might be convinced the Father had sent him as his beloved Son into the world. He
could have raised Lazarus by the silent exertion of his power and will, and the
unseen working of the Spirit of life; but he did it by a loud call. This was a
figure of the gospel call, by which dead souls are brought out of the grave of
sin: and of the sound of the archangel's trumpet at the last day, with which all
that sleep in the dust shall be awakened, and summoned before the great
tribunal. The grave of sin and this world, is no place for those whom Christ has
quickened; they must come forth. Lazarus was thoroughly revived, and returned
not only to life, but to health. The sinner cannot quicken his own soul, but he
is to use the means of grace; the believer cannot sanctify himself, but he is to
lay aside every weight and hinderance. We cannot convert our relatives and
friends, but we should instruct, warn, and invite them.
Verses 47-53 There
can hardly be a more clear discovery of the madness that is in man's heart, and
of its desperate enmity against God, than what is here recorded. Words of
prophecy in the mouth, are not clear evidence of a principle of grace in the
heart. The calamity we seek to escape by sin, we take the most effectual course
to bring upon our own heads; as those do who think by opposing Christ's kingdom,
to advance their own worldly interest. The fear of the wicked shall come upon
them. The conversion of souls is the gathering of them to Christ as their ruler
and refuge; and he died to effect this. By dying he purchased them to himself,
and the gift of the Holy Ghost for them: his love in dying for believers should
unite them closely together.
Verses 54-57
Before our gospel passover we must renew our repentance. Thus by a voluntary
purification, and by religious exercises, many, more devout than their
neighbours, spent some time before the passover at Jerusalem. When we expect to
meet God, we must solemnly prepare. No devices of man can alter the purposes of
God: and while hypocrites amuse themselves with forms and disputes, and worldly
men pursue their own plans, Jesus still orders all things for his own glory and
the salvation of his people.
Chapter 11:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| McGee
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Luke Acts
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
