📘 Companion Resource
These study notes align with The Gospels Discipleship Journal (John Reading) — a structured, Scripture-first guide designed to help you build daily habits of reading, reflection, and prayer.
If you want to move from occasional reading to consistent spiritual formation, this journal walks you step-by-step through the Gospel accounts in chronological order, helping you see the life of Jesus unfold clearly and cohesively.
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Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life—He conquers death not only by calling the dead from the grave, but by giving His own life in their place.
How to Use These MTSM Study Notes
These study notes are designed to provide foundational insight into the passage you have read in The Gospels Discipleship Journal .
Before reading these notes, spend time with the Scripture itself. Wrestle with the text. Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.
These notes are meant to supplement your reading — not replace it. They are a guide to help you understand the passage more clearly, not a substitute for personal engagement with God’s Word.
📘 John Gospel Hub
Want to study John in order? Visit our central hub for all John SM Study Notes, links to deeper 3-Tier Commentary, and helpful study resources.
Introduction: When Death Meets the Glory of God
John 11 records the climactic seventh sign in this Gospel: the raising of Lazarus.
Up to this point, Jesus has shown authority over:
- Disease
- Distance
- Nature
- Provision
- Darkness
Now He confronts humanity’s greatest enemy: death.
This miracle does more than restore a life.
It reveals who Jesus is.
And it sets in motion the events that will lead to His own crucifixion.
The raising of Lazarus is not merely about resurrection power.
It is about substitution.
One man will walk out of the tomb —
and another will soon walk into one.
Jesus, the Friend Who Delays (John 11:1–16)
Lazarus of Bethany—brother of Mary and Martha—became gravely ill.
The sisters sent a simple message:
“Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” (11:3)
They did not tell Jesus what to do.
They simply trusted His love.
John emphasizes that Jesus loved them deeply.
And yet—
He stayed two more days.
To us, delay feels like indifference.
But to Jesus, delay served glory.
He declared:
“This sickness will not end in death… it happened for the glory of God.” (11:4)
By the time He arrived, Lazarus would be unmistakably dead.
Four days in the tomb.
No doubt.
No ambiguity.
When Jesus finally prepared to go to Judea, the disciples worried about danger.
But Jesus lived on the Father’s timetable, not human fear.
Then He said:
“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.”
They misunderstood.
So He spoke plainly:
“Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, because now you will really believe.” (11:14–15)
Even grief was being used to grow faith.
Thomas, often labeled doubting, showed loyal courage:
“Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.” (11:16)
He didn’t yet understand resurrection.
But he was willing to follow.
Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:17–37)
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days.
Martha ran to meet Him:
“Lord, if only you had been here…”
Faith and disappointment mixed together.
Jesus replied:
“Your brother will rise again.”
Martha believed in the future resurrection at the last day.
But Jesus moved the conversation from doctrine to Himself.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” (11:25)
Not merely:
“I bring resurrection.”
But:
“I AM resurrection.”
Life is not an event.
It is a Person.
Martha confessed:
“Yes, Lord… you are the Messiah.” (11:27)
Her theology deepened into worship.
Then Mary came.
She fell at His feet.
The same words.
The same grief.
But this time—
Jesus wept.
Two words.
Massive meaning.
He was not weeping from helplessness.
He was deeply moved—angered and troubled at the devastation of death.
Death is not natural.
It is an intruder.
An enemy.
And Jesus stood before it.
Jesus, the Power Who Calls the Dead (John 11:38–44)
At the tomb, Jesus commanded:
“Roll the stone aside.”
Martha hesitated.
Four days meant decay.
Jesus reminded her:
“You will see God’s glory if you believe.” (11:40)
He prayed aloud—not for Himself, but for those watching.
Then came the command that shattered the silence of the grave:
“Lazarus, come out!”
And the dead man walked out.
Still wrapped in graveclothes.
Jesus told them:
“Unwrap him and let him go.”
This was not yet resurrection to immortality.
Lazarus would die again.
But the sign was unmistakable.
The One standing outside the tomb commands the dead inside it.
Jesus, the Substitute Who Must Die (John 11:45–57)
The miracle divided the crowd.
Many believed.
Others ran to report Him.
The religious leaders gathered in fear:
“If this continues, Rome will crush us.”
Caiaphas, the high priest, spoke coldly:
“It’s better for one man to die for the people.”
He meant political convenience.
But John reveals divine irony.
Caiaphas was unknowingly prophesying:
Jesus would die not just for Israel,
but to gather God’s children from every nation.
From that day on, the plot was set.
Lazarus walked free.
Jesus would soon walk toward the cross.
The raising of Lazarus sealed His death sentence.
Conclusion: From the Tomb to the Cross
John 11 shows us something profound:
Jesus does not conquer death from a distance.
He walks into its shadow.
He weeps at its pain.
He commands its retreat.
And then—
He submits to it.
So that we never have to face it alone.
The friend who delayed in Bethany
was preparing to defeat death at Calvary.
Truths and Lessons for Today
1. God’s Delays Are Not Denials
Jesus loved Lazarus—and still waited.
🡲 Application: When God delays, trust that He is preparing a greater glory than you can yet see.
📖 “It happened for the glory of God.” (11:4)
2. Jesus Is the Resurrection, Not Just the Rescuer
He does not merely fix death—He defeats it.
🡲 Application: Anchor your hope in Christ Himself, not just in circumstances changing.
📖 “I am the resurrection and the life.” (11:25)
3. One Man Died So Many Could Live
Caiaphas spoke more truth than he knew.
🡲 Application: Live gratefully and boldly. Christ took your grave so you could share His life.
📖 “Jesus would die… to bring together and unite all the children of God.” (11:51–52)
Want to go deeper?
Our MTSM 3-Tiered Commentary offers richer context and greater insight for those who want more than surface-level notes. It’s a great next step in studying God’s Word.
John 11 MTSM Commentary (coming soon)
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