Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 11:17-27

"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." — John 11:17-27 (ASV)

1. The Evangelist, after telling us that Lazarus was to be raised, now describes the events surrounding it. He does so in three parts:

1. He mentions some others.
2. He reveals Christ’s feelings, at Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping (John 11:33).
3. He describes the actual raising of Lazarus, at Jesus again groaning in himself (John 11:38).

Regarding the others, he mentions:

1. The condition of Lazarus.
2. The consolation the Jews were giving to his sisters, at now Bethany was near Jerusalem.
3. The devotion of these sisters, at Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus had come.

2. The condition of Lazarus is described regarding the time of his death and his location: Jesus therefore came and found that he had already been in the tomb four days. This makes it clear, as we said above, that Lazarus had died the very day Christ was told about his illness.

3. According to Augustine, these four days signify four deaths. The first day indicates the death of original sin, which we humans contract as offspring: sin came in to the world through one man and death through sin (Romans 5:12). The other three days refer to death by actual sin, for every mortal sin is called a death: evil will slay the wicked (Psalms 34:21). These days are differentiated according to which law is transgressed.

Thus, the second day indicates the transgression of the law of nature: they have transgressed the laws... broken the everlasting covenant, that is, the law of nature (Isaiah 24:5). The third day signifies the transgression of the written law: did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keep the law? (John 7:19). The fourth day represents the transgression of the law of the Gospel and of grace; and this is more serious than the others: a man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:28–29).

Another interpretation would be this:

1. The first day is the sin of the heart: remove the evil of your thoughts from before my eyes (Isaiah 1:16).
2. The second day is the sin of speech: let no evil talk come out of your mouths (Ephesians 4:29).
3. The third day is the sin of deed: cease to do evil (Isaiah 1:16).
4. The fourth day is customary sin arising from evil habit: you can do good who are accustomed to do evil (Jeremiah 13:23).

However it is explained, the Lord cleanses those who have been dead for four days—that is, those transgressing the law of the Gospel and those held prisoner by the habit of sin.

4. Next, the condition of the visitors is described. We are told what made their presence possible and how many there were. Their presence was made easier because the deceased was near Jerusalem; the Evangelist says, now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia off. This was almost two miles, because a mile contains eight stadia. Thus, it was easy for many of the Jews to go there from Jerusalem.

The mystical interpretation is this: Bethany means the ‘house of obedience,’ and Jerusalem means the ‘vision of peace.’ Thus we may understand that those who are in the state of obedience are near the peace of eternal life: my sheep hear my voice; and I give them eternal life (John 10:28). He says fifteen stadia, because anyone who wishes to go from Bethany, that is, the state of obedience, to the heavenly Jerusalem, must pass through fifteen stadia. The first seven belong to the observance of the old law, because the number seven pertains to the old law, which keeps the seventh day holy. The other eight belong to the fulfilling of the New Testament, because the number eight refers to the New Testament on account of the octave of the resurrection.

Their number is mentioned as being large: and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them. This was an act of piety: rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15); do not fail those who weep, but mourn with those who mourn .

5. Now the Evangelist describes the sisters, first Martha, and then Mary, at and when she had said these things, she went, and called her sister Mary (John 11:28). He describes Martha in three ways:

1. Her going to meet Christ.
2. The devotion she showed to Christ.
3. The degree of enlightenment to which Christ raised her.

6. We are told that Martha immediately went to meet Jesus: Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus had come, went to meet him without delay. The Evangelist says, had come, perhaps because when Christ was drawing near, someone went ahead and told Martha that Jesus was on his way; and when she heard this, she at once ran to meet him. The reason why Martha was the first to hear about this and hurry out alone was because of her anxiety; thus our Lord says, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things (Luke 10:41). And so, since she was occupied with every detail, she was constantly coming and going and was more likely to meet the messengers. But Mary sat with those who had come from Jerusalem, and the news would not have reached her as quickly. Chrysostom thinks that Martha did not tell Mary about this at once because Mary was with the Jews, and Martha knew that they were persecuting Christ and had already planned his death. So, she was afraid that if she told her, and Mary also came to meet Christ, they would have come with her as well. For this reason, she preferred not to tell her.

But if the Jews were conspiring against Christ, why were they there with Lazarus and his sisters, who were intimate friends of Christ and like his disciples? Chrysostom answers that they were there in spite of the orders of their leaders, to comfort them, because they were good women and in great need. Or again, they were there because they were not evil men but were well-disposed toward Christ, for a great number of the people were believers.

Mystically, these events signify the active life, which is signified by Martha, who went to meet Christ in order to serve his members; and the contemplative life, which is signified by Mary, who sat at home dedicating herself to the rest of contemplation and to purity of conscience: when I enter my house, I will find rest with her .

7. Martha is shown to have an extraordinary devotion, at Martha therefore said to Jesus: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not be dead. Here she reverently mentions two things to Christ: one of these relates to the past, and the other to the future. She looks to the past when she says, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not be dead, for she believed that there would be no place for death when the Lord was present, since she had seen the woman healed by merely touching the fringe of Jesus’ garment (Matthew 9:20). This was reasonable, for life is contrary to death; but Christ is life and the tree of life: she is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her (Proverbs 3:18). So if the tree of life could preserve one from death, much more could Christ. However, her faith was still imperfect, for she thought that Christ had less power when he was absent than when he was present. Thus she said, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not be dead. Of course, this can be said of a limited and created power, but it should not be said of the infinite and uncreated power which is God, because God is equally related to things both present and absent; indeed, all things are present to him: am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off? (Jeremiah 23:23).

She looks to the future when she adds, but I also know that whatever you will ask of God, God will give it to you. In saying this she spoke the partial truth, because it belonged to Christ in his human nature to petition God; thus we read that he often prayed, and as it says above, if a man is a servant of God and does his will, he hears him (John 9:31). Yet it was less than the whole truth, for by saying this she seemed to be thinking of Christ as a saintly man who could by his prayer revive someone already dead, just as Elisha by his prayer raised one who was dead.

8. We see how she advanced when the Evangelist adds, Jesus said to her: your brother will rise again. Because she was still imperfect in her understanding, our Lord raised her to higher things by his teaching. First, he foretells the resurrection of her brother; second, he shows that he has the power to resurrect, at I am the resurrection and the life.

Concerning the first point, he does two things:

1. He foretells the coming miracle.
2. We see Martha’s understanding of the resurrection, at Martha said to him.

9. The miracle our Lord foretold is the raising of Lazarus; thus he says, your brother will rise again: your dead will live, their bodies will rise (Isaiah 26:19). We should note here that Christ raised three persons from death: the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue (Matthew 9:25); the widow’s son, who was being carried outside the gate of the city (Luke 7:12); and Lazarus, who had been four days in the tomb. The girl was still in her home, the youth was outside the gate, and Lazarus was in the tomb. He raised the girl in the presence of only a few witnesses: the girl’s father and mother, and the three disciples, Peter, James, and John. He raised the young man in the presence of a large group. And Lazarus was raised with a number of people standing by, and when Christ was deeply affected.

These three persons represent three kinds, or types, of sins. Some sin by consenting in their hearts to mortal sin; and these are signified by the girl who was dead in her own home. Others sin through outward signs and acts, and these are signified by the dead youth who was being carried outside the city gate. Finally, those who are firmly habituated to sin are buried in the tomb. Yet, our Lord raises all of them. But those who sin only by consent, and die by sinning mortally, are more easily raised. And because their sin is private, it is healed with a private correction. When sin advances outwardly, it needs a public remedy.

10. Martha’s understanding of the promised resurrection is given when the Evangelist says, Martha said to him: I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. It was unheard of for anyone to raise a person who had been four days in the tomb, so it would not have entered Martha’s heart that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead then and there. But she did believe that this would happen at the general resurrection. Therefore, she says, I know, that is, I hold it with the greatest certainty, that he will rise again... at the last day; as above, I will raise him up on the last day (John 6:40).

11. When the Evangelist says, Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life, our Lord raises Martha to higher things:

1. Jesus shows his own might and power.
2. He mentions the effect of his power: he who believes in me, although he be dead, will live.
3. He demands faith: do you believe this?

12. His power is life-giving; thus he says, I am the resurrection and the life. It is as though he were saying to Martha: “Do you believe that your brother will rise on the last day? But this general event, that all will rise, will be caused by my power. Consequently, I, by whose power all will rise at that time, am also able to raise your brother now.”

He is saying two things, namely, that he is the resurrection and the life. We should note that some have need to share in the effect of life: some, indeed, because they have lost life; and others, not because they have lost it, but so that the life they have may be preserved. Regarding the first he says, I am the resurrection, because those who have lost their life by death are restored. Regarding the second he says, and the life, by which the living are preserved.

We should note further that the statement, I am the resurrection, is a causal one. It is the same as saying, “I am the cause of the resurrection,” for this manner of speaking is usually applied only to those who are the cause of something. Now Christ is the total cause of our resurrection, of both bodies and souls; and so the statement, I am the resurrection, indicates the cause. He is saying: the entire fact that everyone will rise in their souls and in their bodies will be due to me: for as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:21).

Furthermore, the fact that I am the resurrection is because I am the life, for it is because of life that they are restored to life, just as it is because of fire that a burning thing which has been extinguished is rekindled: in him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).

13. However, the effect corresponds to the power; thus he says, he who believes in me, although he be dead, will live. First, he treats of the effect which corresponds to the first power; second, the effect which corresponds to the second power. The first thing he said about his power is that he is the resurrection. The effect which corresponds to this is that the dead are brought to life by him. Referring to this he says, he who believes in me, although he be dead, will live. The reason for this is that I am the cause of the resurrection, and the effect of this cause is obtained by believing in me. He says, he who believes in me, although he be dead, will live, because by believing he has me within himself: that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). And one who has me, has the cause of the resurrection. He who believes in me... will live. We saw before that some will rise through faith: the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear will live (John 5:25), with a spiritual life, by rising from the death of sin, and they will also live with a natural life by rising from the penalty of death.

The second thing he says of his power is that he is life. The effect which corresponds to this is the preservation of life. Thus he says, and all who live and believe in me, whoever lives a life of righteousness, the righteous will live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4), will never die, that is, with an eternal death. But they will have eternal life: and this is the will of my Father who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life (John 6:40). This should not be understood to mean that one will not physically die; he will die, but he will be raised up in his soul to a never-ending life, and his flesh will rise and he will never die again. Thus John continued, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).

14. Jesus requires faith so he can bring her to perfection; thus he says, do you believe this? Our Lord does not ask this out of ignorance, because he knew her faith. Indeed, it was he who had infused the faith into her, for the act of faith is from God. But he asks this question so that she might profess outwardly the faith she had in her heart, as we read, for man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved (Romans 10:10).

15. Second, we are given the woman’s answer: yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Yet this answer seems to be unrelated to what our Lord had said. For he had said, I am the resurrection and the life, and then he asked her whether she believed this. She did not answer, “I believe that you are the resurrection and the life,” but I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

There are two explanations for this. Chrysostom thinks that Martha did not understand the profound words of Christ and answered as someone bewildered: “Lord, I do not understand what you are saying, namely, that you are the resurrection and the life; but I do believe this: I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Augustine, on the other hand, says that Martha answers this way because it gives the reason for all that our Lord had said. It is as though she were saying: “Whatever you say about your power and the effect of salvation, I believe it all, because I believe something more, which is the root of all these things,” that is, that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

16. Martha’s profession is complete, for she professes Christ’s dignity, his nature, and his mission, that is, to assume flesh. She professes his dignity, both royal and priestly, when she says, you are the Christ. Now ‘Christ’ means ‘anointed.’ And kings and priests are anointed. Consequently, ‘Christ’ is king and priest. So the angel said: to you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). Furthermore, he is Christ in a unique way, for others are anointed with a visible oil, but he is anointed with an invisible oil, that is, with the Holy Spirit, and more abundantly than others: God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows (Psalms 45:7). Indeed, he was anointed above his fellows, for God does not give the Spirit by measure (John 3:34).

Then she professes that Christ’s nature is divine and equal to the Father; she says, the Son of the living God. In calling him uniquely the Son of the living God, she affirms the truth of his sonship, for he is not the true Son of God unless he is of the same nature as his Father. Thus it is said of Christ: that we may be in his true Son, the Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).

She professes the mystery of his mission when she says, who has come into this world, by assuming flesh. Peter professed the same: you are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16); and Christ says, I came forth from the Father and have come into the world (John 16:28).