John 11:15
and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus is glad He wasn't there because Lazarus's death, while tragic, provides a far more powerful opportunity for His disciples to truly believe in His divine power. His absence allows for a greater manifestation of God's glory, confirming His identity as Messiah in a way a simple healing could not.
Jesus has just told his disciples that Lazarus is "sleeping" but then plainly states that Lazarus is dead. He expresses gladness that he wasn't present when Lazarus died, explaining that his absence will serve to strengthen the disciples' faith. Despite the somber news and the delay, Jesus immediately resolves to go to Bethany to be with Lazarus, and by extension, his grieving sisters.
Jesus expresses gladness that he wasn't present when Lazarus died. Why would Jesus be glad about such a sorrowful event?
Jesus wasn't glad that Lazarus died, but glad that his absence created an opportunity for a more profound display of God's power. If Jesus had been there, he might have healed Lazarus as he got sick, or immediately after he died. But by waiting, the miracle of raising Lazarus after he had been dead for four days would be so undeniable that it would serve as a powerful confirmation of Jesus' identity as the Son of God for the disciples. This delayed healing was specifically timed to strengthen their faith during a crucial period leading up to Jesus' own death and resurrection.
Even when faced with Lazarus's death and the disciples' fear, Jesus resolutely says, 'Let us go to him.' What does this show about his love?
Despite the disciples' apprehension and the potential danger, Jesus' immediate response is to go to Lazarus. The original Greek phrasing 'unto him' carries a tender intimacy, as if Lazarus were still alive and present. This shows that death, for Jesus, does not sever the personal connection he has with his friends. It demonstrates a bold love that walks towards even death itself, not out of recklessness, but out of a divine purpose to overcome it and to be with those who grieve. Thomas’s response, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him,' while expressing loyalty, reveals a fear-driven mindset that Jesus’s presence and purpose would soon correct.
Understand the original words
pisteuō · Greek Verb
A wholehearted trust, reliance, and commitment to God and His promises. It involves an intellectual assent to the truth of the Gospel, an emotional trust in Christ, and a volitional surrender of one's life to Him.
Jesus' decision to delay his arrival was strategic; he knew that allowing Lazarus to remain dead for four days would create an even more profound sign, strengthening his disciples' faith before the intense trials ahead.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus travels throughout Galilee and Judea, teaching, healing, and performing miracles, gathering disciples and attracting crowds.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Receives News of Lazarus' Illness
Jesus is ministering elsewhere when he learns that his dear friend Lazarus is gravely ill.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Delays His Journey to Bethany
Despite hearing of Lazarus' sickness, Jesus intentionally waits two more days before setting out for Bethany.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Lazarus Dies and is Buried
By the time Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days and is already buried in a tomb.
Early 1st century AD
This verse directly sets up Jesus' statement in 11:15, explaining the divine purpose behind Lazarus's illness and death: 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'
John 11:39-40Jesus's instruction to Martha to remove the stone reveals the tension between God's power and human faith, mirroring the reason Jesus was glad for His absence earlier—to strengthen their belief: 'Then Jesus told them, “Remove the stone.” ... Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”'
Luke 7:11-17This account of Jesus raising the widow's son at Nain shows Jesus's compassion and power in acting decisively, highlighting how the delay in Lazarus's case, as noted in John 11:15, was specifically to amplify the miracle for the disciples' faith.
Romans 8:28This passage echoes the sentiment in John 11:15, that God works all things for the ultimate good of those He loves and calls, even when those circumstances involve suffering or apparent absence: 'We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.'
vincentJohn 11:15: "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him."
For your sakes - to the intent ye may believeThese two clauses, which are separated in the A.V. and Rev., are, in the Greek order, placed together: for your sakes, to the intent ye may believe; the latter clause being explanatory of the former.That I was not thereBengel's comment is beautiful and characteristic. "It accords beautifully with divine propriety that we rea…
henryJohn 11:11-16: "These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep."
11:11-16 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…
Jesus is glad He wasn't there because Lazarus's death, while tragic, provides a far more powerful opportunity for His disciples to truly believe in His divine power. His absence allows for a greater manifestation of God's glory, confirming His identity as Messiah in a way a simple healing could not.
Jesus has just told his disciples that Lazarus is "sleeping" but then plainly states that Lazarus is dead. He expresses gladness that he wasn't present when Lazarus died, explaining that his absence will serve to strengthen the disciples' faith. Despite the somber news and the delay, Jesus immediately resolves to go to Bethany to be with Lazarus, and by extension, his grieving sisters.
Jesus has just told his disciples that Lazarus is "sleeping" but then plainly states that Lazarus is dead. He expresses gladness that he wasn't present when Lazarus died, explaining that his absence will serve to strengthen the disciples' faith. Despite the somber news and the delay, Jesus immediately resolves to go to Bethany to be with Lazarus, and by extension, his grieving sisters.
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Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
Jesus calls Lazarus forth from the tomb, and he comes out alive, a powerful sign that leads many to believe in Jesus.
Early 1st century AD
Growing Opposition to Jesus
The miracle of Lazarus' resurrection increases the fame of Jesus but also intensifies the fear and plotting of the religious authorities.
"and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”" — Jesus is glad He wasn't there because Lazarus's death, while tragic, provides a far more powerful opportunity for His disciples to truly believe in His divine power. His absence allows for a greater…
