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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - John 11:38 - 11:44
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_11:38-44
38So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." 40Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? 41So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." 43When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth. 44The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
Joh_11:38 "a cave" During this period in Palestine graves were either
1. natural caves (Baba Bathra Joh_6:8)
2. caves dug into cliffs and sealed with circular stones rolled into trenches
3. pits dug into the ground and covered by large stones
From archaeological studies in the Jerusalem area option #1 fits best.
Joh_11:39 "Remove the stone" A large stone slipped into a groove was the method used to seal tombs from robbers and animals.
▣ "he has been dead four days" This is a Greek idiom, literally "a four day man."
Joh_11:40 "if" This is a third class conditional sentence which means the action is possible. This verse is a question that expects a "yes" answer.
▣ "the glory of God" God's glory was revealed in Jesus' actions (cf. Joh_11:4). See fuller note at Joh_1:14.
Joh_11:41 "Then Jesus raised His eyes" The normal posture of Jewish prayer was the hands and eyes (open) lifted to heaven. This is an idiom for prayer (cf. Joh_17:1).
▣ "that You heard Me" Jesus "hears" the Father (cf. Joh_8:26; Joh_8:40; Joh_15:15) and the Father "hears" Him. Those who "hear" Jesus have eternal life. This is the continuing word play on "see" and "hear" as parallel to "receive" (Joh_1:12) and "believe" (Joh_3:16). Lazarus "heard" the voice of Jesus and came back to life.
Joh_11:42 This states the purpose of Jesus' prayer and miracle. Jesus often performed miracles to encourage the faith of the disciples, and in this case initiate faith in the Jews from Jerusalem.
Theologically Jesus again magnifies the Father's authority and priority in His works (cf. Joh_5:19; Joh_5:30; Joh_8:28; Joh_12:49; Joh_14:10). This miracle reveals Jesus' intimate relationship with the Father. See Special Topic: Send (Apostellô) at Joh_5:24.
Joh_11:43 "He cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth'" It has been said that if Jesus had not specifically mentioned Lazarus, the whole graveyard would have come forth!
Joh_11:44 Bodies were prepared for burial by washing with water, then wrapping with strips of linen cloth interspersed with spices that helped with the odor. Corpses had to be buried within twenty-four hours because the Jews did not embalm their dead.
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