Jesus has been at the winter Feast of Dedication, where he proclaimed himself equal to God.
John 11: 1-10, Lazarus gets sick
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"
Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."
John reveals that Jesus has deliberately waited a bit, in order to allow some plan to come to fruition. This entire story (maybe the entire gospel) has something to say about the existence of evil.
I don't understand Jesus's response to his disciples.
John 11: 11-17, A fool's errand
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better."
Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
The disciples' concern and commitment to Jesus is touching. I understand the response of Thomas; it is one of loyalty, submission and -- possibly -- desperation. Thomas says, "What else is there?"
John 11: 18-24, In Bethany
Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
Martha's response demonstrates a common Jewish belief -- "Yes, in the Last Day the dead will be resurrected." It is a statement of faith, but also a statement of grief and acceptance of her brother's death.
John 11: 25-27, The resurrections and the life
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
Although "the resurrection and the life" has become a Christian phrase, one should ask here what it really means. Both seem to be singular -- the resurrection is a future event. To the Jews it would have been viewed as a very physical event, the revival and renewal the physical body. As to "the life" -- are we talking about "the eternal life" or "the only life worth living?" Jesus elaborates on this a little and Martha gives a clear affirmation of her commitment to this.
In the next passage, Jesus demonstrates his power over the resurrection.
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