Why did Jesus stay two more days after hearing Lazarus was sick?

Jesus’ delay can feel strange, because the passage clearly says He loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Yet when He hears Lazarus is sick, He stays two more days where He is. He explains that this sickness is “for the glory of God,” so that the Son of God would be glorified. By waiting, He allows Lazarus to die so that the coming miracle will show God’s power over death in a clearer way. The delay is not a lack of love, but a different kind of love that aims to grow faith and reveal God’s purpose.

What does Jesus mean by, “This sickness is not unto death”?

When Jesus says, “This sickness is not unto death,” He does not mean Lazarus will not die at all, because later He says plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” He means that death will not be the final word in this story. The sickness will not end in permanent death or defeat, but in God’s glory and in the Son being honored. Through Lazarus’s death and raising, Jesus shows His authority over death and leads His disciples, and others who see it, into a deeper belief in who He is.

Why does Jesus describe Lazarus’s death as sleep?

Jesus tells His disciples, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” They first think He is talking about normal rest, but He is speaking about Lazarus’s death. Calling death “sleep” shows how temporary it is in God’s hands and hints at resurrection. For Jesus, waking the dead is as simple as waking someone from sleep. This picture comforts believers, because it shows that for those who belong to Him, death is not the end, but something from which He can and will rouse them.

What does Jesus mean about walking in the day and not stumbling?

When the disciples fear going back to Judea because people had tried to stone Jesus, He answers with the image of twelve hours in the day. He says that a person who walks in the day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. This picture points to living and moving within God’s will and timing. While Jesus’ “hour” had not yet come, He could walk safely in the work the Father gave Him. It encourages believers to follow God’s light instead of fear, trusting His guidance even when the path looks risky.

Who are Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, and why are they important here?

Lazarus, with his sisters Mary and Martha, lives in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem. The text notes that this is the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, showing a close, loving relationship with Jesus. Their message to Him, “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick,” shows that Jesus had real human friendships and deep affection for them. Their home becomes the setting where Jesus’ love, His seeming delay, and His power over death all come together in one story that points to God’s glory.

Why were the disciples afraid to go back to Judea with Jesus?

The disciples remind Jesus that “the Jews of late sought to stone thee,” so they are afraid to return to Judea, where there had been strong opposition and attempts on His life. From their view, going back looks like walking straight into danger. Jesus answers by speaking of walking in the day and not stumbling, teaching them that as long as He is following the Father’s timing, He is not acting blindly. This exposes the tension between fear and faith and shows that following Jesus can involve real risk, yet also real confidence in God’s leading.

Why does Jesus say He is glad He was not there when Lazarus died?

Jesus says, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe.” He is not glad about Lazarus’s suffering or the sisters’ pain, but He is glad about what the outcome will do for the disciples’ faith. If He had healed Lazarus before death, they would have seen another healing. By arriving after Lazarus has died, they will see His power to call a dead man back to life. This stronger sign is meant to lead them into a deeper trust in Him as the Son of God.

What does Thomas mean by, “Let us also go, that we may die with him”?

When Thomas says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him,” he is responding to Jesus’ decision to return to dangerous territory. He expects that going with Jesus to Judea could cost them their lives. His words sound gloomy, but they also show a kind of loyalty: if Jesus is going, Thomas is ready to go with Him, even if it leads to death. This line shows the mixture of fear, confusion, and courage that often marks real discipleship and highlights how following Jesus can involve costly obedience.

What does this passage teach about God’s timing in suffering?

This passage shows that God’s timing in suffering does not always match what we would choose. Jesus loves this family, yet He waits two days before going to them. His delay leads to greater pain at first, but it also leads to a greater display of God’s glory and a deeper faith in those who witness what happens. It suggests that when help seems slow, it is not proof that God has forgotten. Instead, He may be working toward a larger purpose that we cannot yet see, one that both honors Him and strengthens trust.

John.11.1

John 11:1

KJV

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

The Death of Lazarus

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

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

When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

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.

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.