Jean 11

1 Il y avait un homme malade, Lazare, de Béthanie, village de Marie et de Marthe, sa soeur.

2 C'était cette Marie qui oignit de parfum le Seigneur et qui lui essuya les pieds avec ses cheveux, et c'était son frère Lazare qui était malade.

3 Les soeurs envoyèrent dire à Jésus: Seigneur, voici, celui que tu aimes est malade.

4 Après avoir entendu cela, Jésus dit: Cette maladie n'est point à la mort; mais elle est pour la gloire de Dieu, afin que le Fils de Dieu soit glorifié par elle.

5 Or, Jésus aimait Marthe, et sa soeur, et Lazare.

6 Lors donc qu'il eut appris que Lazare était malade, il resta deux jours encore dans le lieu où il était,

7 et il dit ensuite aux disciples: Retournons en Judée.

8 Les disciples lui dirent: Rabbi, les Juifs tout récemment cherchaient à te lapider, et tu retournes en Judée!

9 Jésus répondit: N'y a-t-il pas douze heures au jour? Si quelqu'un marche pendant le jour, il ne bronche point, parce qu'il voit la lumière de ce monde;

10 mais, si quelqu'un marche pendant la nuit, il bronche, parce que la lumière n'est pas en lui.

11 Après ces paroles, il leur dit: Lazare, notre ami, dort; mais je vais le réveiller.

12 Les disciples lui dirent: Seigneur, s'il dort, il sera guéri.

13 Jésus avait parlé de sa mort, mais ils crurent qu'il parlait de l'assoupissement du sommeil.

14 Alors Jésus leur dit ouvertement: Lazare est mort.

15 Et, à cause de vous, afin que vous croyiez, je me réjouis de ce que je n'étais pas là. Mais allons vers lui.

16 Sur quoi Thomas, appelé Didyme, dit aux autres disciples: Allons aussi, afin de mourir avec lui.

17 Jésus, étant arrivé, trouva que Lazare était déjà depuis quatre jours dans le sépulcre.

18 Et, comme Béthanie était près de Jérusalem, à quinze stades environ,

19 beaucoup de Juifs étaient venus vers Marthe et Marie, pour les consoler de la mort de leur frère.

20 Lorsque Marthe apprit que Jésus arrivait, elle alla au-devant de lui, tandis que Marie se tenait assise à la maison.

21 Marthe dit à Jésus: Seigneur, si tu eusses été ici, mon frère ne serait pas mort.

22 Mais, maintenant même, je sais que tout ce que tu demanderas à Dieu, Dieu te l'accordera.

23 Jésus lui dit: Ton frère ressuscitera.

24 Je sais, lui répondit Marthe, qu'il ressuscitera à la résurrection, au dernier jour.

25 Jésus lui dit: Je suis la résurrection et la vie. Celui qui croit en moi vivra, quand même il serait mort;

26 et quiconque vit et croit en moi ne mourra jamais. Crois-tu cela?

27 Elle lui dit: Oui, Seigneur, je crois que tu es le Christ, le Fils de Dieu, qui devait venir dans le monde.

28 Ayant ainsi parlé, elle s'en alla. Puis elle appela secrètement Marie, sa soeur, et lui dit: Le maître est ici, et il te demande.

29 Dès que Marie eut entendu, elle se leva promptement, et alla vers lui.

30 Car Jésus n'était pas encore entré dans le village, mais il était dans le lieu où Marthe l'avait rencontré.

31 Les Juifs qui étaient avec Marie dans la maison et qui la consolaient, l'ayant vue se lever promptement et sortir, la suivirent, disant: Elle va au sépulcre, pour y pleurer.

32 Lorsque Marie fut arrivée là où était Jésus, et qu'elle le vit, elle tomba à ses pieds, et lui dit: Seigneur, si tu eusses été ici, mon frère ne serait pas mort.

33 Jésus, la voyant pleurer, elle et les Juifs qui étaient venus avec elle, frémit en son esprit, et fut tout ému.

34 Et il dit: Où l'avez-vous mis? Seigneur, lui répondirent-ils, viens et vois.

35 Jésus pleura.

36 Sur quoi les Juifs dirent: Voyez comme il l'aimait.

37 Et quelques-uns d'entre eux dirent: Lui qui a ouvert les yeux de l'aveugle, ne pouvait-il pas faire aussi que cet homme ne mourût point?

38 Jésus frémissant de nouveau en lui-même, se rendit au sépulcre. C'était une grotte, et une pierre était placée devant.

39 Jésus dit: Otez la pierre. Marthe, la soeur du mort, lui dit: Seigneur, il sent déjà, car il y a quatre jours qu'il est là.

40 Jésus lui dit: Ne t'ai-je pas dit que, si tu crois, tu verras la gloire de Dieu?

41 Ils ôtèrent donc la pierre. Et Jésus leva les yeux en haut, et dit: Père, je te rends grâces de ce que tu m'as exaucé.

42 Pour moi, je savais que tu m'exauces toujours; mais j'ai parlé à cause de la foule qui m'entoure, afin qu'ils croient que c'est toi qui m'as envoyé.

43 Ayant dit cela, il cria d'une voix forte: Lazare, sors!

44 Et le mort sortit, les pieds et les mains liés de bandes, et le visage enveloppé d'un linge. Jésus leur dit: Déliez-le, et laissez-le aller.

45 Plusieurs des Juifs qui étaient venus vers Marie, et qui virent ce que fit Jésus, crurent en lui.

46 Mais quelques-uns d'entre eux allèrent trouver les pharisiens, et leur dirent ce que Jésus avait fait.

47 Alors les principaux sacrificateurs et les pharisiens assemblèrent le sanhédrin, et dirent: Que ferons-nous? Car cet homme fait beaucoup de miracles.

48 Si nous le laissons faire, tous croiront en lui, et les Romains viendront détruire et notre ville et notre nation.

49 L'un d'eux, Caïphe, qui était souverain sacrificateur cette année-là, leur dit: Vous n'y entendez rien;

50 vous ne réfléchissez pas qu'il est dans votre intérêt qu'un seul homme meure pour le peuple, et que la nation entière ne périsse pas.

51 Or, il ne dit pas cela de lui-même; mais étant souverain sacrificateur cette année-là, il prophétisa que Jésus devait mourir pour la nation.

52 Et ce n'était pas pour la nation seulement; c'était aussi afin de réunir en un seul corps les enfants de Dieu dispersés.

53 Dès ce jour, ils résolurent de le faire mourir.

54 C'est pourquoi Jésus ne se montra plus ouvertement parmi les Juifs; mais il se retira dans la contrée voisine du désert, dans une ville appelée Ephraïm; et là il demeurait avec ses disciples.

55 La Pâque des Juifs était proche. Et beaucoup de gens du pays montèrent à Jérusalem avant la Pâque, pour se purifier.

56 Ils cherchaient Jésus, et ils se disaient les uns aux autres dans le temple: Que vous en semble? Ne viendra-t-il pas à la fête?

57 Or, les principaux sacrificateurs et les pharisiens avaient donné l'ordre que, si quelqu'un savait où il était, il le déclarât, afin qu'on se saisît de lui.

Jean 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

The sickness of Lazarus. (1-6) Christ returns to Judea. (7-10) The death of Lazarus. (11-16) Christ arrives at Bethany. (17-32) He raises Lazarus. (33-46) The Pharisees consult against Jesus. (47-53) The Jews seek for him. (54-57)

Verses 1-6 It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the wrath to come; however, it behoves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends and relatives when 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 be glorified, we ought to be satisfied. Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. The families are greatly favoured in which love and peace abound; but those are most happy whom Jesus loves, and by whom he is beloved. Alas, that this should seldom be the case with every person, 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 does but stay for the right time.

Verses 7-10 Christ never brings his people into any danger but he goes with them in it. We are apt to think ourselves zealous for the Lord, when really we are only zealous for our wealth, credit, ease, and safety; we have therefore need to try our principles. But our day shall be lengthened out, till our work is done, and our testimony finished. A man has comfort and satisfaction while in the way of his 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 shall we, if we follow his steps. If a man walks in the way of his heart, and according to the course of this world, if he consults his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God, he falls into temptations and snares. He stumbles, because there is no light in him; for light in us is to our moral actions, that which light about us to our natural actions.

Verses 11-16 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, does but sleep; he rests from the labours of the past day. Nay, herein death is better than sleep, that 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 be peril in the doing of it. But when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, many were brought to believe on him; and there was much done to make perfect the faith of those that believed. Let us go to him; death cannot separate 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.

Verses 17-32 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 seemeth him good. 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 for ever. 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.

Verses 33-46 Christ's tender sympathy with these afflicted friends, appeared by 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 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, that we may comfort the afflicted. And we have not 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 got over, and way is made for the word to enter the heart. If we take Christ's word, and rely on his power and faithfulness, we shall 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 nigh 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 loud voice, that they might be convinced 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 that sleep in the dust shall 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 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 hinderance. We cannot convert our relatives and friends, but we should instruct, warn, and invite them.

Verses 47-53 There can hardly be a more clear discovery of the madness that is in man's heart, and of its desperate enmity against God, than what is here recorded. Words of prophecy in the mouth, are not clear evidence of a principle of grace in the heart. The calamity we seek to escape by sin, we take the most effectual course to bring upon our own heads; as those do who think by opposing Christ's kingdom, to advance their own worldly interest. The fear of the wicked shall come upon them. The conversion of souls is the gathering of them to Christ as their ruler and refuge; and he died to effect this. By dying he purchased them to himself, and the gift of the Holy Ghost for them: his love in dying for believers should unite them closely together.

Verses 54-57 Before our gospel passover we must renew our repentance. Thus by a voluntary purification, and by religious exercises, many, more devout than their neighbours, spent some time before the passover at Jerusalem. When we expect to meet God, we must solemnly prepare. No devices of man can alter the purposes of God: and while hypocrites amuse themselves with forms and disputes, and worldly men pursue their own plans, Jesus still orders all things for his own glory and the salvation of his people.