Matthew Henry Commentary John 11
Matthew Henry Commentary
John 11
Matthew Henry Commentary
John 11
"Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode at that time two days in the place where he was." — John 11:1-6 (ASV)
It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves to be sick; physical illnesses correct corruption and test the graces of God's people. He did not come to preserve His people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins and from the wrath to come. However, we ought to appeal to Him on behalf of our friends and relatives when they are sick and afflicted.
Let this reconcile us to the darkest dealings of Providence: that they are all for the glory of God. Sickness, loss, disappointment, are so; and if God is glorified, we ought to be satisfied. Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. Families in which love and peace abound are greatly favored; but those are most happy whom Jesus loves, and by whom He is loved.
Alas, that this is seldom true for everyone, even in small families. God has gracious intentions, even when He seems to delay. When the work of deliverance, temporal or spiritual, public or personal, is delayed, it only waits for the right time.
"Then after this he saith to the disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. The disciples say unto him, Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him." — John 11:7-10 (ASV)
Christ never brings His people into any danger without going with them in it. We are inclined to think ourselves zealous for the Lord when, in reality, we are only zealous for our wealth, reputation, ease, and safety. Therefore, we need to test our principles. But our days will be lengthened until our work is done and our testimony is finished.
A person finds comfort and satisfaction while in the path of their duty, as set forth by the Word of God and determined by the providence of God. Christ, wherever He went, walked in the day; and so will we, if we follow His steps. If a person walks in the way of their heart and according to the course of this world, if they consult their own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God, they fall into temptations and snares.
They stumble because there is no light in them, for light within us is to our moral actions what light around us is to our natural actions.
"These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover. Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spake of taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus therefore said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him." — John 11:11-16 (ASV)
Since we are sure to rise again at the last, why should not the believing hope of that resurrection to eternal life make it as easy for us to put off the body and die, as it is to put off our clothes and go to sleep? A true Christian, when he dies, only sleeps; he rests from the labors of the past day.
Indeed, in this respect death is better than sleep, because sleep is only a short rest, but death is the end of earthly cares and toils. The disciples thought that it was now needless for Christ to go to Lazarus, and expose himself and them. Thus we often hope that the good work we are called to do will be done by some other hand, if there is peril in doing it.
But when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, many were brought to believe on him; and much was done to perfect the faith of those who believed. Let us go to him; death cannot separate us from the love of Christ, nor put us out of the reach of his call. Like Thomas, in difficult times Christians should encourage one another.
The dying of the Lord Jesus should make us willing to die whenever God calls us.
"So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary still sat in the house. Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, [even] he that cometh into the world. And when she had said this, she went away, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Teacher is her, and calleth thee. And she, when she heard it, arose quickly, and went unto him. (Now Jesus was not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met him.) The Jews then who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going unto the tomb to weep there. Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." — John 11:17-32 (ASV)
Here was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not from the house. When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the house; this temper formerly had been an advantage to her, when it put her at Christ's feet to hear his word; but in the day of affliction, the same temper disposed her to melancholy.
It is our wisdom to watch against the temptations, and to make use of the advantages of our natural tempers. When we know not what in particular to ask or expect, let us refer ourselves to God; let him do as seems good to him. To enlarge Martha's expectations, our Lord declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. In every sense he is the Resurrection; the source, the substance, the first-fruits, the cause of it.
The redeemed soul lives after death in happiness; and after the resurrection, both body and soul are kept from all evil forever. When we have read or heard the word of Christ, about the great things of the other world, we should put it to ourselves, Do we believe this truth? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make such a deep impression upon us as they do, if we believed the things of eternity as we ought. When Christ our Master comes, he calls for us.
He comes in his word and ordinances, and calls us to them, calls us by them, calls us to himself. Those who, in a day of peace, set themselves at Christ's feet to be taught by him, may with comfort, in a day of trouble, cast themselves at his feet, to find favour with him.
"When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews [also] weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him! But some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time the body decayeth; for he hath been [dead] four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst, thou shouldest see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heardest me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the multitude that standeth around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me. And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Many therefore of the Jews, who came to Mary and beheld that which he did, believed on him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done." — John 11:33-46 (ASV)
Christ's tender sympathy with these afflicted friends appeared in the troubles of His spirit. In all the afflictions of believers, He is afflicted. His concern for them was shown by His kind inquiry after the remains of His deceased friend. Being found in fashion as a man, He acts in the way and manner of the sons of men. It was shown by His tears.
He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Tears of compassion resemble those of Christ. But Christ never approved of that sensibility of which many are proud, while they weep at mere tales of distress, but are hardened to real woe. He sets us an example to withdraw from scenes of giddy mirth so that we may comfort the afflicted. And we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities.
It is a good step toward raising a soul to spiritual life when the stone is taken away, when prejudices are removed and overcome, and a way is made for the Word to enter the heart. If we take Christ's word and rely on His power and faithfulness, we will see the glory of God and be happy in the sight. Our Lord Jesus has taught us, by His own example, to call God Father in prayer, and to draw near to Him as children to a father, with humble reverence, yet with holy boldness.
He openly made this address to God, with uplifted eyes and a loud voice, so that they might be convinced that the Father had sent Him as His beloved Son into the world. He could have raised Lazarus by the silent exertion of His power and will, and the unseen working of the Spirit of life; but He did it by a loud call. This was a figure of the gospel call, by which dead souls are brought out of the grave of sin, and of the sound of the archangel's trumpet at the last day, with which all who sleep in the dust will be awakened and summoned before the great tribunal.
The grave of sin and this world is no place for those whom Christ has quickened; they must come forth. Lazarus was thoroughly revived and returned not only to life but also to health. The sinner cannot quicken his own soul, but he is to use the means of grace; the believer cannot sanctify himself, but he is to lay aside every weight and hindrance. We cannot convert our relatives and friends, but we should instruct, warn, and invite them.
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