Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 11:14

"Then Jesus therefore said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." — John 11:14 (ASV)

Jesus’ rejoinder to the disciples’ comment made Lazarus’s state unmistakable: “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.” These words seem strange. Why should Jesus be glad that he was not present to save Lazarus from death or to comfort the sisters, and why should Lazarus’s death bring any benefit to the disciples? Jesus considered this an opportunity for a supreme demonstration of power that would certify the Father’s accreditation of him as the Son and confirm the faith of the sisters and the disciples. He was certain of the outcome.