John 11:15

15 For your benefit, I am glad I was not there. Now you will believe. But let us go to him."

John 11:15 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:15

And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there
At Bethany, before he died, or when he died; because he might have been prevailed upon through the solicitations of his dear friends, Mary and Martha, and through tender affection to Lazarus, to have prevented his death, by rebuking the distemper, and restoring him to health, or to have raised him immediately as soon as he was dead; and in either case the miracle would not have been so illustrious, nor have been such a means of confirming the faith of his disciples, as now it would be:

to the intent ye may believe;
more strongly, that he was the Son of God, and true Messiah:

nevertheless, let us go unto him;
to Lazarus, to the grave where he lies: the Syriac version reads, "let us go there"; to Bethany, where he lived, and died, and now lay interred.

John 11:15 In-Context

13 Jesus had been speaking about the death of Lazarus. But his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.

15 For your benefit, I am glad I was not there. Now you will believe. But let us go to him."

16 Then Thomas, who was called Didymus, spoke to the rest of the disciples. "Let us go also," he said. "Then we can die with Jesus."

17 When Jesus arrived, he found out that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.