Jesus has been at the winter Feast of Dedication, where he identified himself as the Messiah, and as God. He is not far from a small village, Bethany.
John 11: 1-3, Lazarus is sick
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (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.)
3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
Mary is identified as the woman who poured perfume on the feet of Jesus and washed his feet with her hair. This story will be told later in John, in the next chapter. It is also told in Mark 14: 3-9 and Matthew 26.
Mary has a sister, Martha, and a brother, Lazarus. Lazarus is ill enough to frighten his sisters who send for Jesus.
The gospel writer, John, adds the description of Mary as an aside, believing that his readers already know of her, presumably through the other gospels. This fits the motive suggested by early church fathers, that the gospel of John was written as an addition to those gospels, adding details that they had not covered.
John 11: 1-10, Lazarus gets sick
Mary has a sister, Martha, and a brother, Lazarus. Lazarus is ill enough to frighten his sisters who send for Jesus.
The gospel writer, John, adds the description of Mary as an aside, believing that his readers already know of her, presumably through the other gospels. This fits the motive suggested by early church fathers, that the gospel of John was written as an addition to those gospels, adding details that they had not covered.
John 11: 1-10, Lazarus gets sick
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,
7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.
10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have 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. Is he saying that walking in light -- following God's plan? -- is safe?
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