John 11:4

4 Jesus received the message and said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is to promote the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

John 11:4 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:4

When Jesus heard that
That his friend Lazarus was sick,

he said;
either to his disciples, or to the messenger or messengers that brought the account to him, and that on purpose to yield some relief to the afflicted family when it should be reported to them:

this sickness is not unto death;
it was to issue in death, but not in death which was to continue, or under which Lazarus was to continue till the general resurrection; for though he should die, yet he should be so quickly restored again to life, that it scarcely deserved the name of death. The Jews distinguish between sickness and sickness; there are some that are sick, the greater part of whom are, (Myyxl) , "for life"; and there are others that are "sick", the greater part of whom are, (htyml) , "for death" ^F26, or are sick unto death, whose sickness issues in death; but this of Lazarus's was not to be unto death, at least not finally:

but for the glory of God;
of his power and goodness in raising him again:

that the Son of God might be glorified thereby;
that is, that his glory, as the Son of God, might be made manifest in the resurrection of him from the dead; see ( John 2:11 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 71. 2.

John 11:4 In-Context

2 (It was the Mary who poured the perfume over the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.)

3 So the sisters sent to Him to say, "Master, he whom you hold dear is ill."

4 Jesus received the message and said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is to promote the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

6 When, however, He heard that Lazarus was ill, He still remained two days in that same place.