Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

So on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days,

“When he heard he was sick, he abode two days still . . . where he was--at least twenty-five miles off. Beyond all doubt this was just to let things come to their worst, in order to display His glory.”

After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”

“"The phrase here employed, 'our friend Lazarus,' means more than 'he whom Thou lovest' in Joh 11:3, for it implies that Christ's affection was reciprocated by Lazarus" [LAMPE].”

and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

“"It is beautifully congruous to the divine decorum that in presence of the Prince of Life no one is ever said to have died" [BENGEL]. that ye may believe--This is added to explain His "gladness" at not having been present.”

Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

“Here, however, though alleged by many interpreters there is nothing of the sort. He perceives clearly how this journey to Judea will end, as respects his Master, and not only sees in it peril to themselves, as they all did, but feels as if he…”

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,

“Bethany was nigh Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs--rather less than two miles; mentioned to explain the visits of sympathy noticed in the following words, which the proximity of the two places facilitated.”

So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Mary stayed at home.

“Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him--true to the energy and activity of her character, as seen in Lu 10:38-42. (See on Lu 10:38-42). but Mary sat . . . in the house--equally true to her placid character.”

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

“Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died--As Mary afterwards said the same thing (Joh 11:32), it is plain they had made this very natural remark to each other, perhaps many times during these four sad days, and not without having their…”

But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”

“But I know that even now, &c.--Energetic characters are usually sanguine, the rainbow of hope peering through the drenching cloud.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.

“As death comes by sin, it is His to dissolve it; and as life flows through His righteousness, it is His to communicate and eternally maintain it (Ro 5:21).”

“Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

“I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, &c.--that is, And having such faith in Thee, I can believe all which that comprehends.”

When the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to…

“The Jews . . . followed her . . . to the grave--Thus casually were provided witnesses of the glorious miracle that followed, not prejudiced, certainly, in favor of Him who wrought it. to weep there--according to Jewish practice, for some days after burial.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you put him?” He asked.

“The word here rendered "groaned" does not mean "sighed" or "grieved," but rather "powerfully checked his emotion"--made a visible effort to restrain those tears which were ready to gush from His eyes.”

“Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered.

“Where have ye laid him? . . . Lord, come and see--Perhaps it was to retain composure enough to ask this question, and on receiving the answer to proceed with them to the spot, that He checked Himself.”

Jesus wept.

“But was there nothing in those tears beyond sorrow for human suffering and death? Could these effects move Him without suggesting the cause?”

But some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”

“But this disposition to dictate to divine power, and almost to peril our confidence in it upon its doing our bidding, is not confined to men of no faith.”

Jesus, once again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.

“Jesus again groaning in himself--that is, as at Joh 11:33, checked or repressed His rising feelings, in the former instance, of sorrow, here of righteous indignation at their unreasonable unbelief; (compare Mr 3:5) [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].”

“Take away the stone,” Jesus said. “Lord, by now he stinks,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man. “It has already been four days.”

“Jesus said, Take ye away the stone--spoken to the attendants of Martha and Mary; for it was a work of no little labor [GROTIUS]. According to the Talmudists, it was forbidden to open a grave after the stone was placed upon it.”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

“He prayed (says LUTHARDT well) not for what He wanted, but for the manifestation of what He had; and having the bright consciousness of the answer in the felt liberty to ask it, and the assurance that it was at hand, He gives thanks for…”

I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”

“His last utterance was a "loud cry" (Mt 27:50). "He shall not cry," said the prophet, nor, in His ministry, did He. What a sublime contrast is this "loud cry" to the magical "whisperings" and "mutterings" of which we read in Isa 8:19;”

Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation,

“Caiaphas . . . prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation--He meant nothing more than that the way to prevent the apprehended ruin of the nation was to make a sacrifice of the Disturber of their peace.”

So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.

“Martha served--This, with what is afterwards said of Mary's way of honoring her Lord, is so true to the character in which those two women appear in Lu 10:38-42, as to constitute one of the strongest and most delightful confirmations of the truth of both…”

Then Mary took about a pint of expensive perfume, made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair.

“The only use of this was to refresh and exhilarate--a grateful compliment in the East, amidst the closeness of a heated atmosphere, with many guests at a feast.”

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.

“But as the time was so near at hand when that office would have to be performed, and she was not to have that privilege even alter the spices were brought for the purpose (Mr 16:1), He lovingly regards it as done now.”

The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”

“"In the act of love done to Him she had erected to herself an eternal monument, as lasting as the Gospel, the eternal word of God.”

The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

“Even so, from the day of this solemn entry into Jerusalem, "Christ our Passover" was virtually set apart to be "sacrificed for us" (1Co 5:7).”