Bible Nerd Wife

✨“Let Us Go to Him”✨

—

by

Bonnie Moore
in , , , ,

John 11:1–16 (NKJV)

A group of four men walking together in a natural setting, with one man in a white robe and a yellow sash talking animatedly to the others, who are dressed in traditional biblical attire.

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love 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 may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”

13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

✨ Observational Insights

👥 Who is Present?

Jesus is with His twelve disciples. The close-knit group travels together, likely reflecting, questioning, and learning as they walk.

📛 Names Mentioned

  • Jesus – central in both action and speech
  • Mary – later identified as the one who anointed His feet
  • Martha – Lazarus’s sister
  • Lazarus – the friend whom Jesus loves, now sick and later declared dead
  • Thomas – also called the Twin, boldly speaks up

🗣️ Who is Spoken About?

Mary, Lazarus, the disciples, and Jesus Himself—all are woven into the conversation, some near, some far, but all deeply connected.

🧍‍♂️ Near and Far

  • Jesus and His disciples are together, physically far from Bethany.
  • Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are absent from the scene, but close to the heart of Jesus.

🤔 Confusion and Clarity

The disciples appear confused:

  • Why wait?
  • Why return to danger?
  • What does “sleep” mean?They misunderstand both the timing and the intent of Jesus.

🛐 Acts of Trust

Thomas shines here—his willingness to go with Jesus into possible death shows bold loyalty, even in uncertainty.

🗣️ Who Speaks and Who Listens?

Jesus speaks truth, layered with meaning.

The disciples listen… and wrestle.

🧩 Hard Sayings

  • Returning to Judea, where danger awaits
  • Lazarus is “sleeping”, though He is dead
  • Talk of walking in the light versus stumbling in darkness

These words call for spiritual insight, not just surface understanding.

🔁 Repeated or Emphasized Words

  • Sick, sickness
  • Death, sleep
  • Love
  • Light, darkness

Each carries a weight of spiritual meaning, hinting at Jesus’ power over death and His divine timing.

✨ Poetic Language

  • “Are there not twelve hours in the day?”
  • “Our friend Lazarus sleeps…”Jesus uses imagery to teach about time, light, and spiritual sight.

🔁 Echoes in John

  • John 1:4–5 — Light shines in the darkness
  • John 3:19–21 — Walking in the light versus darkness
  • John 8:12 — Jesus, the light of the world

These connections deepen the layers of meaning.

⚔️ Conflict and Tension

  • The looming threat of stoning
  • Confusion about Jesus’ choices
  • The emotional weight of waiting when someone is suffering

This is a story thick with tension, both physical and spiritual.

😨 Misunderstanding and Fear

There’s fear of returning to Judea…

Misunderstanding about sleep and death…

And the ever-present tension between danger and divine purpose.

⚖️ What’s at Stake?

Not just Lazarus’s life, but the faith of the disciples and the unfolding of God’s glory.

💓 Stirring Moments

“So when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days…”

The deliberate wait—so painful on the surface—becomes a moment of deep mystery.

📖 A Surprising Verse

“Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (v.16)

Thomas’s boldness—unexpected and noble—reveals a heart willing to suffer with Christ.

🌱 Growth and Change

By the end, a decision is made.

Jesus is going.

Thomas is going.

Faith is moving, even in fog.

Courage is rising, even in sorrow.

🕰️ Historical and Cultural Background

This passage is packed with meaning that becomes even clearer when we understand the world into which Jesus spoke these words. Let’s walk through the historical and cultural setting together.

📍 Bethany: A Village of Peace and Friendship

  • Location: Bethany was a small village on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about 2 miles east of Jerusalem (John 11:18).
  • The name Bethany may mean “house of affliction” or “house of dates.” Either meaning fits—this is a place where suffering and comfort will both meet.
  • Jesus often visited this home. It seems to have been a place of rest, welcome, and dear friendship (cf. Luke 10:38–42).

💛 This makes the story deeply personal—this isn’t a random miracle. It is one involving beloved friends just outside a city that would soon cry for His crucifixion.

⚔️ Returning to Judea: A Dangerous Step

  • At the end of John 10, Jesus had narrowly escaped being stoned by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.
  • The disciples’ protest in 11:8 reflects genuine fear:“Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

This trip back to Judea wasn’t just unwise—it could have been deadly. But Jesus was walking according to the Father’s timing, not man’s fears (see John 7:30; John 8:20).

🌞 “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” is likely a cultural reference to working during the appointed daylight hours—a symbol of walking in the will and light of God.

🛏️ “Sleep” as a Cultural Image of Death

  • In both Jewish and early Christian culture, sleep was often used as a euphemism for death.
    • See: Daniel 12:2; 2 Samuel 7:12; Acts 7:60; 1 Thessalonians 4:14
  • But it wasn’t just poetic—it carried theological hope: sleep implied that the dead might be awakened.

Jesus intentionally uses this phrase to foreshadow resurrection—both Lazarus’s and our own.

🤍 Mourning and Burial Customs

Though not detailed until later in the chapter, it helps to know:

  • Jewish burials usually happened within 24 hours.
  • The body was washed, wrapped, and placed in a tomb, often a cave.
  • Mourners would gather for seven days of grieving (called shiva), with loud wailing, weeping, and comforting from friends and neighbors.

This cultural backdrop will become especially vivid when Jesus finally arrives at the tomb. But even here, it’s helpful to know the depth of sorrow and ritual surrounding Lazarus’s death.

🙋‍♂️ Thomas the Twin: A Real Disciple

  • Thomas is called Didymus, meaning “Twin” in Greek (v.16).
  • In this passage, we glimpse a side of Thomas often overlooked: brave, devoted, realistic.

While we later associate him with doubt (John 20:24–29), here he is willing to suffer and die beside Jesus.

💭 Some scholars believe his words may be tinged with melancholy or even sarcasm—but others (and many in the early church) saw this as a sign of his courage and devotion.

A traveler with a staff stands on a path looking towards a small village surrounded by greenery and mountains under a cloudy sky.

🌿 Summary of the Setting

  • This passage unfolds in a world fraught with danger, religious opposition, and deep emotion.
  • But also in a setting of hospitality, friendship, trust, and courageous love.
  • Jesus is not just performing a miracle—He is drawing His friends and disciples into a revelation of who He is, even as the cross draws nearer.

🗝️ Key Word Studies

1. “Sick” – Greek: asthenō (ἀσθενέω)

“Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” (v.3)

  • Meaning: to be weak, feeble, or lacking strength; often used for both physical sickness and spiritual frailty.
  • This is not just a mild illness—it hints at helplessness and dependence.
  • In John, physical weakness often parallels spiritual need.

🕊️ Lazarus wasn’t just sick—he was incapable of saving himself, much like all of us apart from Christ.

2. “Love” – Greek: phileō (φιλέω) and agapaō (ἀγαπάω)

Two different words for love appear in this passage:

  • Phileō – used in verse 3: “he whom You love (phileō) is sick”
    • This is brotherly affection, warm, intimate love—a friendship bond.
  • Agapaō – used in verse 5: “Jesus loved (agapaō) Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
    • This is divine, self-giving love, often used of God’s love for mankind.

💛 These two loves show Jesus’ deep emotional connection and His divine, unwavering commitment.

3. “Glory” – Greek: doxa (δόξα)

“It is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (v.4)

  • Meaning: honor, splendor, brightness, divine revelation.
  • In John’s Gospel, “glory” is often tied to Jesus revealing His identity—especially through miracles.

🌟 Lazarus’ death will become the backdrop for God’s majesty and mercy to be unveiled.

4. “Sleep” – Greek: koimaō (κοιμάω)

“Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” (v.11)

  • Meaning: to sleep, rest, or lie down. Commonly used for death in both OT and NT.
  • Used in a tender, hopeful way—as if death is not final, but temporary under God’s power.

🌼 Jesus speaks of death as something He can awaken us from—an astounding claim only God could make.

5. “Light / Darkness” – Greek: phōs (φῶς) / skotia (σκοτία)

“If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” (vv.9–10)

  • Phōs – literal light, but also spiritual illumination and understanding.
  • Skotia – darkness, both physical and moral blindness.

🌞 To walk in the light is to walk in God’s will and wisdom.

🌑 To walk in darkness is to walk in fear, ignorance, or sin.

6. “Die with Him” – Greek: apothnēskō (ἀποθνῄσκω)

“Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (v.16)

  • This is a literal death Thomas anticipates—not metaphorical.
  • But it hints at something deeper: to walk with Jesus might mean laying down your life.

🕊️ It foreshadows what discipleship truly costs—and the hope beyond that cost.

🔍 Theological Themes

1. Divine Timing Is Not Human Timing

“So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days…” (v.6)

This might feel like a contradiction: Jesus loves them deeply, and yet He delays. But that delay is not neglect—it’s purpose.

🕊️ The theme here is trust in God’s higher plan. What feels like delay is often preparation for something greater.

2. Jesus’ Love Is Both Personal and Purposeful

  • He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (v.5).
  • His choice to wait and to return to Judea is not based on emotion alone—it is tied to the glory of God (v.4) and faith of the disciples (v.15).

🧡 Divine love is not always comfortable, but it is always redemptive.

3. The Glory of God Is Revealed Through Suffering

“…that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (v.4)

Jesus frames Lazarus’ illness as a pathway to God’s glory.

  • This teaches us to see hardship not just as misfortune, but as an opportunity for God to be seen clearly.
  • Glory here is not flashing light—it’s the truth of who Jesus is breaking through the fog of death.

4. Jesus Has Power Over Death

“Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” (v.11)

Jesus speaks of death as if it were nothing more than sleep—a bold statement that prefigures both Lazarus’ resurrection and His own.

💫 The authority to “wake” the dead belongs to God alone. Jesus is revealing His divine identity.

5. Faith Requires Walking into Darkness with Jesus

“Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” (v.16)

Thomas’ statement, while somber, is profound. He does not fully understand, but he is willing to walk where Jesus goes.

  • This theme of costly discipleship reminds us that believing in Jesus is not always safe or easy—it often means following Him into risk, confusion, or sorrow.
  • Yet this path is also one of resurrection and revelation.

6. Light vs. Darkness — Knowing When to Walk

“If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble…” (vv.9–10)

Jesus is not just talking about sunlight—He’s speaking of God’s appointed time, and spiritual clarity.

  • To walk “in the light” means to follow Jesus with discernment, knowing that obedience and faith protect from stumbling.
  • To walk “in the night” is to be outside of God’s guidance, blind and vulnerable.

🕯️ This passage calls us to walk in the light of Christ, even when that light leads us through valleys of death.

🔗 Old Testament Connections

🕊️ 1. God’s Power to Raise the Dead

The idea of resurrection wasn’t foreign to the Jewish people. There were powerful stories in the Old Testament that pointed forward to what Jesus would do:

📖 1 Kings 17:17–24

 — Elijah Raises the Widow’s Son

  • The prophet Elijah prays, and the widow’s dead son is restored to life.
  • The miracle affirms God’s power and His prophet’s identity—just as Lazarus’ resurrection confirms Jesus as the Son of God.

“See, your son lives!” (1 Kings 17:23)

So similar to what Jesus will say in verse 44 of John 11: “Lazarus, come forth!”

📖 2 Kings 4:32–37

 — Elisha Raises the Shunammite Woman’s Son

  • The prophet Elisha, Elijah’s successor, stretches himself out on the child and calls him back to life.
  • Again, this reinforces that God alone holds the keys to life and death.

🌿 These stories prepared the hearts of Israel to hope in a Messiah who would have power over death.

🌾 2. Sleep as a Picture of Death and Hope

“Our friend Lazarus sleeps…” (John 11:11)

This imagery is deeply rooted in the Old Testament:

📖 Daniel 12:2

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life…”

  • This verse connects sleep with resurrection—the same way Jesus speaks of Lazarus.
  • It was a passage often discussed in Jewish teaching about the final resurrection.

💫 Jesus is fulfilling the hope of Daniel’s words—not just for the end of time, but as a living promise in the present.

🪔 3. Walking in Light vs. Darkness

“If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble…” (John 11:9)

This teaching mirrors familiar wisdom themes from the Old Testament:

📖 Proverbs 4:18–19

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun…

The way of the wicked is like darkness…”

  • To walk in the light is to live with wisdom, discernment, and trust in God’s timing.
  • Jesus’ words recall this imagery—He is the Light of the world, and those who follow Him do not walk in darkness (John 8:12).

📯 4. The Promise of God’s Glory Revealed

“…for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)

God’s glory has always been a sign of His presence and purpose.

📖 Exodus 33:18–22

Moses asked to see God’s glory.

“Please, show me Your glory.”

  • The glory of God was something so weighty, so life-giving, it could only be revealed in part.
  • In John’s Gospel, Jesus is the fullness of that glory (John 1:14).

Here, the glory will be revealed in a miracle of resurrection—the greatest sign before His own.

Four-panel illustration depicting biblical scenes: 1) A man kneels beside a sick child in bed, showing deep concern. 2) An angel comforts a lifeless man, providing hope. 3) A solitary figure resembling Jesus walks through a landscape. 4) A man in a robe raises his arms in prayer towards a divine light, expressing faith and devotion.

🕊️ Summary Thought

This moment is not new—it is an echo, a fulfillment, a continuation of all God has been doing.

  • Elijah and Elisha: God brings life from death.
  • Daniel: Death is a kind of sleep to be awakened from.
  • Proverbs: Light leads safely; darkness stumbles.
  • Exodus: Glory comes when God reveals Himself.

And now, Jesus stands at the center—bringing all those truths together in one act of love.

✨ Thoughtful Reflection Questions

💭 Personal Faith & Trust

  1. Have you ever experienced a time when you prayed for Jesus to come quickly—but He waited?
    • What was that waiting like?
    • Looking back, can you now see how that delay might have been purposeful?
  2. How do you respond when God’s love doesn’t look the way you expected it to?
    • Like Mary and Martha, do you ever wrestle with the timing of His help?
  3. Thomas was willing to go with Jesus into danger—even into death.
    • Is there something in your life right now that feels risky to follow Jesus through?
    • What might it look like for you to say, “Let us also go…”?

🌿 Insight into Jesus’ Heart

  1. Jesus delayed going to Lazarus because of love.
    • How does this change your understanding of His heart?
    • Can love sometimes mean waiting, allowing space for deeper growth?
  2. Jesus said, “Lazarus sleeps… I go to wake him up.”
    • How might this verse shape the way you view death?
    • Do you see it more now as something Jesus can speak over with resurrection?
  3. Jesus talks about walking in the light and not stumbling.
    • What does it mean for you personally to “walk in the light” today?
    • Is there a step you’re avoiding because it feels risky, but Jesus is gently saying it’s time?

🕯️ Going Deeper with God’s Glory

  1. Jesus said this sickness was “for the glory of God.”
    • Has God ever used something painful in your life to reveal something beautiful or powerful about Himself?
  1. When you think about God’s glory, what comes to mind?
    • Do you picture brilliance and majesty—or also quiet, tender moments like this one?

🧎‍♀️ Letting the Passage Shape You

  1. What part of this passage do you most feel today?
    • Are you with the waiting sisters, the confused disciples, the loyal Thomas… or quietly observing it all unfold?
  2. What would it look like for you to “go to Him” today—not just in thought, but in a step of action, surrender, or trust?

✅ References

📚 Free Online Sources Used in This Post:

📚 Paid Print or Digital Books Used in This Post:

  • Tenney, Merrill C. John: The Gospel of Belief. Eerdmans, 1997. (Available for purchase via Christianbook or Amazon).
  • Barclay, William. The Gospel of John, Volume 2. Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. (Available for purchase via Logos or Christianbook).
  • Myers, Alicia D. Characterizing Jesus: A Rhetorical Analysis on the Fourth Gospel’s Use of Scripture in Its Presentation of Jesus. Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2012. (Available on Bloomsbury Publishing or Amazon).

🤖 Artificial Intelligence Assistance

ChatGPT. “✨Let Us Go to Him✨ — John 11:1–16.” OpenAI, 2025, https://chat.openai.com.

This post was prayerfully prepared in collaboration with ChatGPT, a research assistant designed to support deep, Christ-centered Bible study. All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version (NKJV), and supporting references include Strong’s Concordance, cultural background texts, and trusted Gospel study materials. May this work bring glory to God and encouragement to the hearts of those who read it. 🕊️

Discover more from Bible Nerd Wife

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Comments

Leave a Reply