Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
--This is understood to be Mary Magdalene's Brother...for there were many Mary's in this day...
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is NOT unto DEATH, but for the GLORY OF GOD, that the SON OF God might be glorified thereby.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
---These were His FRIENDS...
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
---He abode there for He knew it was NOT a sickness unto death as HE UNDERSTOOD it but for HIS GLORY...for JESUS Loved Lazarus, Mary, and Martha...
7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light IN him.
---This passage of Scripture is a mystery for it means more for He said ..."he stumbleth, because there is no light IN him"...Not about Him...but IN Him...SO the Light is the Key in Natural and Spiritual and more...the answer will come in time...
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
---See Jesus Knew he would be as so...but being favored of God, brings testings...
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
---He was Manifesting His power to many to defy things in their minds...
16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
---Stated with firmness and assurety...
25 Jesus said unto her, ((((((( I. AM. THE. RESURRECTION. AND. THE. LIFE: HE. THAT. BELIEVETH. IN. ME. THOUGH. HE. WERE. DEAD. YET. SHALL. HE. LIVE:
26 AND. WHOSOEVER. LIVETH. AND. BELIEVETH. IN. ME. SHALL. NEVER. DIE. ))))))) BELIEVEST THOU THIS?
---He defies All ODDS for those WHO BELIEVE and OBEY...per v26 and it goes back to believing and Obeying which gives GREAT BENEFITS...yet Jesus weeps...a great mystery and more and it is for several reasons here...for These served Him and believed with him...
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
---Showing a limited faith in verse 32 if thou hadst been here ...but it was NOT GOD's Will He be there...IT WAS a TRIAL for GOD's GLORY.
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
---a deep mystery and a Godly one for it was deeper than that which appeared to the eye nor could they or even we to this day grasp it...but the answer will come...for I have asked Him..."seek and ye shall find" etc...
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38 Jesus therefore AGAIN GROANING in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
Now here is Jesus About to do a Miracle and she Reminds Him...and says Lord by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. ...Now how does that make Him feel??? when She just stated she believed in Him when he asked her in V26...Now why did she say such a demeaning frustrating statement...human nature? what was her problem some say pure ignorance...but she is like WHAT ARE YOU DOING JESUS you know he stinks by now?...See their Limited Faith, God is like I AM the RESURRECTION and the LIFE...again such as so DIDN'T grasp what HE TRULY MEANT...we are still pondering His words to this day...for the mystery is great and infinite...
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said. I. NOT. UNTO. THEE, THAT, IF THOU WOULDEST BELIEVE, THOU SHOULDEST SEE THE GLORY OF GOD?
---Here in v40 Jesus says DIRECTLY to HER...AS her response needed to be dealt with...I can feel the frustration and being annoyed...I have always felt such when I read HIS words...but yet the paintings of such show him to be weak SEEK HIS WORD, and avoid those weak paintings for they are a lie...for His face was Marred and it was a bloody piece of meat on the cross...sin is ugly...in all levels within and without and back in and back out...I feel the coldest in his eyes piercing her very own...nothing like the paintings...this is the All KNOWING GOD...don't forget that...HE'S A GOD NOT A MAN...DESPITE HER REMARK, IT DOESN'T NOT STOP THE GLORY OF GOD...
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
---FOR IT MUST NEEDS BE SAID DUE TO REMARKS WHICH AFFECT OTHERS STANDING BY AND MUST NEEDS BE ADDRESSED...FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR FAITH...FOR JESUS TURNED HIS EYES TO HEAVEN...AND LOOKED NOT AT THEM.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
---NOW I always get excited about this because there He is standing...from clotted caked gooey blood and It was a dry climate so I know this would be against ALL ODDS and more...and there he arose to a thriving living human being...
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
---The good one believed on Him; the Busybodies when and told the Pharisees the latest news..
46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.
47 THEN gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees A COUNCIL, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
---Why if they were so holy and righteous why didn't they praise God at the miracle? where did that all go? ...besides that in v48 There you have it as why they wanted him dead....to take away both OUR PLACE AND NATION...why they sought to kill him.
49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53 THEN FROM THAT DAY FORTH THE TOOK COUNSEL TOGETHER FOR TO PUT HIM TO DEATH.
---A premeditated killing and set up...from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
55 And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.
