John 15, The Vine

Jesus has been telling the disciples that he is going away, but that they are not to be concerned, for he will leave them with The Counselor. Jesus is apparently still in the Upper Room

John 15:1‑8, The Vine
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. 

"No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Jesus is the source of spiritual nutrient.  We grow like a wild vine if we are linked to him and relying on him.  This is necessary for all who consider themselves a Jesus-follower.  If we stay linked to the vine, we begin to "bear fruit", developing in healthy ways into the person God wants us to become.

John 15: 9-16, My commandment
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit‑‑fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

The first mark of the Christian is that we love each other. We should start there. "Greater love has no one than this..." is a statement that Jesus will demonstrate his love for those around him whom he has chosen, not just as disciples, but as friends.

John 15: 17-27, The world will hate you (if you love each other)!
This is my command: Love each other.

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Remember the words I spoke to you: `No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: `They hated me without reason.'

"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

The quote in verse 20 is from John 13:16. The quote in verse 25 is from Psalms 35:19 or Psalms 69:4.

There is a warning included in the command, "Love each other."  If one follows Jesus, and along the way, insists in acting in love, the world will turn away.  The World has other goals.  The citizen of heaven should not expect to gain power and control in this realm.  (And the citizen of heaven does not want power and control in the next realm!)

What comfort does this passage give us? What is the explanation for our persecution? What responsibility does this give us?

Meditation: What should be a Christian’s expectations of society?  (Is society getting better and better as Christians make an impact? Is it getting worse and worse? staying the same? Should Christians expect success? failure? pleasure? pain? understanding? anger?)

How do our expectations influence our actions? Why is it important to have proper expectations?

John 14, Counselor

Jesus has been speaking to his disciples, telling them how they should live in his absence. Judas has left the room to betray him.

John 14: 1-4, In my Father's house
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Jesus prepares to leave but reassures his followers that he has a longterm plan that includes preparing a home for them.

John 14: 5-7, The Way, Truth, Life
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

Thomas asks a good question.  "Where are you going?"  The disciples thinks Jesus is going into exile. But Jesus is speaking metaphorically, about an eternal kingdom, of which the path is simply through him.

John 14: 8-14, Ask!
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'?  Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Both Thomas and Philip are fixating on a literal journey and Jesus, with a hint of frustration, explains that he is (or represents) the Father.

Is this promise, "Ask in my name", just to Philip and the disciples? Or is it universal?  What does it mean?

John 14: 15-21, The Counselor
"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever‑‑ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

As Jesus leaves, he promises a replacement for himself, the Counselor, who will not ever leave the disciples.  The Christian now recognizes that Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit, provided more fully at Pentecosst.

John 14: 22-26, Follow my teachings ... and the Holy Spirit
Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The disciples are to follow the teachings of Jesus and that will be made possible by the promised Holy Spirit.

John 14: 27-31a, Peace
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

You heard me say, `I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.

I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me." 

Something deep is going on here.  Evil, represented by "the prince of this world" is being allowed to win, for a time.  But Jesus is at peace and passes this security on to his followers.  I only understand parts of this.

John 14: 31b, Time to leave
"Come now; let us leave.

This chapter ends with this a short sentence, as if everyone is about to stand up and leave.  Yet the intimate teachings continue for three more chapters.  It is likely that they continue as they walk towards the Mount of Olives.

John 13, Preparation

Jesus has entered Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  The has been welcomed and praised as the Messiah.

John 13:1-3, Evening meal
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

We are looking at a very intimate setting ‑‑ Jesus has hundreds of disciples and many public teachings. Now, the night before the cross, he deliberately begins some teachings with the closest disciples. His intimate instructions will be at a level not found elsewhere in the gospels. (These instructions are particularly absent in the synoptic gospels.) He is with "family" here.

There are two commands in this chapter that are intended for all who genuinely believe they are a follower of Jesus.  They are the "mark of a Christian".

John 13: 4-17, Wash my feet
so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

“I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

The apostle John records here the strange scene of the Creator kneeling down and serving his creatures.  This is the first command of this passage, a "mark" of a Christian, that we "wash the feet" of others. The metaphor is obvious.

This account does not appear in the other gospels but Luke (Luke 22: 24-27) records a dispute among the disciples about their rankings in the upcoming kingdom, to which Jesus responds by telling them that they should serve others and says "I am among you as one who serves."  It is easy to imagine this dispute just before Jesus begins to wash the disciples' feet.

Peter's response is touching.  "Don't you dare be a servant to me!" he exclaims.  Then when Jesus rebukes him, Peter goes to the other extreme, "Wash all of me!"

Should we literally wash each others' feet?  Is this is a "sacrament"? Or is this a more general symbol?

John 13:18-30, A traitor in our midst
"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: `He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 

After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."

His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means." Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"

Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor.

As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

This is a digression from the teachings, it seems to me. What is the relevance of this passage to the rest of the evening, to the rest of the teachings?

There is poetry in John's writings.  As soon as Judas leaves, there is darkness.

The Old Testament quote in verse 18 is from Psalm 41:9.

John 13:31-35, The second mark of a Christian
When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

NIV footnotes regarding verse 32: Many early manuscripts do not have "If God is glorified in him"

As Jesus is planning his leave, he gives "a new command".  This is the second "mark" of a Christian, that we love one another.  This will be a central theme is the writings of the apostle John.

John 13:36-38, Peter's question
Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"

Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."

Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

So what’s Peter’s reaction to Jesus’ second command?  What can we learn from this passage?

The chapter ends somewhat down or "dark". We have had some sober teachings from Jesus and a statement about betrayal. Chapters 14 to 17 continue with very important and intimate teachings, especially now that Judas has left.

John 12: 23-50, The Seed

Jesus has just entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, praised by the people as the new Messiah.

John 12: 23-26, The Seed must die
Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Eternal life requires dying.  The seed is a metaphor.

John 12: 27-33, Struggling with death and evil

"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" 

Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.  Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

The prince of this world is a demonic being opposed to God, often called Satan, Lucifer, the devil.

John reports that in the midst of angst and anxiety, Jesus admits that it is for this very event that he entered the world.

John 12: 34-41, What Isaiah saw
The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, `The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this `Son of Man'?"

Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.  This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

The Messiah (Christ) was to reign forever.  So said the Old Testament prophets.  So why is he going to die?

The quote in verse 38 is from Isaiah 53:1, and the quote in verse 40 Isaiah 6:10.

John 12: 42-50, Speaking for the Father
Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

This is a strong condemnation: that the religious people loved the praise of men more than God.

John 12: 1-22, Messiah, Christ, Anointed

Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead.  It is now spring in Palestine. Time for the Passover.

The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" mean the same thing, "Chosen One" or "Anointed One".  The Messiah should be anointed....

John 12: 1-8, Anointment by Mary
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

It is, of course, very natural for Lazarus's family to hold a meal in his honor!  Mary anoints Jesus and Judas protests.  John records the true motives of Judas.  Meanwhile Jesus makes a comment that has long been misunderstood, for his comment is not about the poor (among whom he has lived and ministered) but about the upcoming crucifixion and burial.

John 12: 9-11, Angry priests
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

So the priests want to kill a resurrected man??

John 12: 12-19, The last week begins
The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 
  "Hosanna!"
  "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  
  "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.

The other gospels have this story; John provides additional details.  And the disciples first miss the prophetic nature of this event.

According to John's gospel, the resurrection of Lazarus is a major reason for the crowd's reaction on his entry to Jerusalem.

NIV Footnotes: "Hosanna" is a Hebrew expression meaning "Save!", which became an exclamation of praise. The quote in verse 13 is from Psalm 118:25-26 and the quote in verse 15 is from Zechariah 9:9.

John 12: 19-22 Pharisees and Greeks
So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

John reports some Greeks visiting Jesus.  These men would certainly not be Jews.  But little else is reported about this meeting.  John's point seems to be that non-Jews were beginning to hear about Jesus and were attracted to him.

John 11: 28-57, A Resurrection

Lazarus has just died and Jesus has just been speaking to his sister, Martha, about the resurrection.

John 11: 28-36, Jesus wept
And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you."

When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "

Come and see, Lord," they replied.

Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

Why does Jesus weep?  Why is he moved?  Evil and death are painful.  Even if they have a purpose, there is pain and suffering to be endured and Jesus appears to endure it with Martha.

John 11: 37-42, Before the tomb
But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. 

"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. 

Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew 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."

Jesus is outside the tomb of Lazarus.  There he insists on praying about the unthinkable.

John 11: 43-45, Resurrection

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"  The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. 

Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.

This is a remarkable story. Of course the observers put faith in Jesus.

John 11: 46-53, But still some are not happy

But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs.  If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.

So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

The Pharisees always come across as sour religious legalists, opposed to any pleasure. Even today, this is the stereotype of the religious fundamentalist.  (There is good reason for this stereotype.)

Caiaphas, in suggesting that they kill Jesus to protect the nation, prophesies.

John 11: 54-57, Passover approaches
Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.  They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?" But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.

Tension builds.  Surely the Messiah will come to the Passover.  Then events will get very interesting!

John 11: 1-27, Jesus Weeps at the Tomb of Lazarus

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.