1Byl nemocen jeden člověk, Lazar z Betanie, z vesnice, kde bydlela Marie a její sestra Marta. 2Byla to ta Marie, která Pána pomazala vonným olejem a jeho nohy vytřela svými vlasy; její bratr Lazar byl nemocen. 3Sestry mu poslaly vzkaz: „Pane, hle, ten, kterého máš rád, je nemocen.“ 4Když to Ježíš uslyšel, řekl: „Tato nemoc není k smrti, ale k Boží slávě, aby Boží Syn byl skrze ni oslaven.“ 5Ježíš miloval Martu i její sestru a Lazara. 6Když uslyšel, že je Lazar nemocen, zůstal ještě dva dny na místě, kde byl. 7Až potom řekl učedníkům: „Pojďme opět do Judska.“ 8Učedníci mu řekli: „Rabbi, teď tě Židé chtěli ukamenovat, a zase tam chceš jít?“ 9Ježíš odpověděl: „Což nemá den dvanáct hodin? Kdo chodí ve dne, neklopýtá, protože vidí světlo tohoto světa. 10Kdo však chodí v noci, klopýtá, poněvadž v něm není světlo.“ 11To pověděl a potom jim řekl: „Náš přítel Lazar usnul; ale jdu, abych ho probudil.“ 12Učedníci mu řekli: „Pane, spí-li, bude v pořádku.“ 13Ježíš však mluvil o jeho smrti, zatímco oni si mysleli, že mluví o přirozeném spánku. 14Tehdy jim Ježíš řekl otevřeně: „Lazar zemřel. 15A kvůli vám se raduji, že jsem tam nebyl, abyste uvěřili. Pojďme k němu.“ 16Tomáš, řečený Didymos, řekl svým spoluučedníkům: „Pojďme i my, ať spolu s ním zemřeme!“ 17Když Ježíš přišel, shledal, že Lazar je již čtyři dny v hrobě. 18Betanie byla blízko Jeruzaléma, vzdálena asi patnáct stadií. 19Mnozí z Židů přišli k Martě a Marii, aby je potěšili ve smutku pro jejich bratra. 20Když Marta uslyšela, že Ježíš přichází, vyšla mu vstříc; Marie seděla v domě. 21Marta Ježíšovi řekla: „Pane, kdybys byl zde, můj bratr by nezemřel. 22Ale i nyní vím, že o cokoli bys Boha požádal, Bůh ti to dá.“ 23Ježíš jí řekl: „Tvůj bratr vstane.“ 24Marta mu řekla: „Vím, že vstane při vzkříšení v poslední den.“ 25Ježíš jí řekl: „Já jsem vzkříšení i život. Kdo věří ve mne, i kdyby zemřel, bude žít. 26A každý, kdo žije a věří ve mne, jistě nezemře na věčnost. Věříš tomu?“ 27Řekla mu: „Ano, Pane, já jsem uvěřila, že ty jsi Mesiáš, Syn Boží, který má přijít na svět.“ 28Když to pověděla, odešla a zavolala svou sestru Marii; tajně jí řekla: „Učitel je tu a volá tě.“ 29Ta, když to uslyšela, rychle vstala a šla k němu. 30Ježíš ještě nepřišel do vesnice, ale byl dosud na tom místě, kde se s ním setkala Marta. 31Když Židé, kteří byli s Marií v domě a potěšovali ji, uviděli, že rychle vstala a vyšla, vydali se za ní; domnívali se, že jde k hrobu, aby se tam vyplakala. 32Jakmile Marie přišla tam, kde byl Ježíš, a uviděla ho, padla mu k nohám a říkala: „Pane, kdybys byl zde, můj bratr by nezemřel.“ 33Když ji Ježíš uviděl, jak pláče a jak pláčou Židé, kteří přišli s ní, v duchu se rozhorlil, zachvěl se 34a řekl: „Kam jste ho položili?“ Řekli mu: „Pane, pojď a podívej se!“ 35Ježíš zaplakal. 36Židé říkali: „Hle, jak ho měl rád.“ 37Někteří z nich však řekli: „Nemohl ten, který otevřel oči slepého, způsobit také, aby tento člověk nezemřel?“ 38Ježíš, znovu v sobě rozhorlen, přišel k hrobu; byla to jeskyně a na ní ležel kámen. 39Ježíš pravil: „Odstraňte ten kámen!“ Marta, sestra toho zesnulého, mu řekla: „Pane, již zapáchá, vždyť je to čtvrtý den.“ 40Ježíš jí říká: „Neřekl jsem ti, že jestliže uvěříš, uvidíš Boží slávu?“ 41Odstranili tedy kámen. Ježíš pozvedl oči vzhůru a řekl: „Otče, děkuji ti, že jsi mne vyslyšel. 42Já jsem věděl, že mne vždycky slyšíš, ale řekl jsem to kvůli zástupu, který tu stojí okolo, aby uvěřili, že ty jsi mne poslal.“ 43A když to řekl, silným hlasem zvolal: „Lazare, pojď ven!“ 44Ten, který byl mrtvý, vyšel, ruce i nohy měl svázány pruhy plátna a jeho tvář byla zavinuta šátkem. Ježíš jim řekl: „Rozvažte ho a nechte ho odejít!“ 45Mnozí z Židů, kteří přišli k Marii a spatřili, co učinil, v něho uvěřili. 46Někteří z nich však odešli k farizeům a řekli jim, co Ježíš učinil. 47Velekněží a farizeové shromáždili veleradu a říkali: „Co uděláme? Vždyť tento člověk činí mnohá znamení. 48Jestliže ho necháme tak, všichni v něho uvěří a přijdou Římané a vezmou nám toto místo i národ.“ 49Jeden z nich, nějaký Kaifáš, který byl onoho roku veleknězem, jim řekl: „Vy nic nechápete; 50ani nemyslíte na to, že je pro vás lépe, aby jeden člověk zemřel za lid, než aby zahynul celý národ.“ 51Toto však neřekl sám ze sebe, ale jako velekněz onoho roku vyslovil proroctví, že Ježíš má zemřít za národ, 52a ne jenom za národ, ale také za to, aby rozptýlené Boží děti shromáždil v jedno. 53Od toho dne byli tedy rozhodnuti, že ho zabijí. 54Ježíš pak již nechodil veřejně mezi Židy, ale odešel odtud do kraje blízko pustiny, do města jménem Efraim, a tam zůstal s učedníky. 55Byly blízko židovské velikonoce a mnozí z venkova vystupovali před svátky do Jeruzaléma, aby se očistili. 56Hledali Ježíše, a jak stáli v chrámě, říkali si mezi sebou: „Co myslíte? Že by nepřišel na svátky?“ 57Velekněží a farizeové totiž vydali nařízení, že pokud by se někdo dověděl, kde je, má to oznámit, aby ho mohli zajmout.
Matthew Henry - Concise Commentary 1 It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the wrath to come; however, it behoves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends and relatives when sick and afflicted. Let this reconcile us to the darkest dealings of Providence, that they are all for the glory of God: sickness, loss, disappointment, are so; and if God be glorified, we ought to be satisfied. Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. The families are greatly favoured in which love and peace abound; but those are most happy whom Jesus loves, and by whom he is beloved. Alas, that this should seldom be the case with every person, even in small families. God has gracious intentions, even when he seems to delay. When the work of deliverance, temporal or spiritual, public or personal, is delayed, it does but stay for the right time.
7 Christ never brings his people into any danger but he goes with them in it. We are apt to think ourselves zealous for the Lord, when really we are only zealous for our wealth, credit, ease, and safety; we have therefore need to try our principles. But our day shall be lengthened out, till our work is done, and our testimony finished. A man has comfort and satisfaction while in the way of his duty, as set forth by the word of God, and determined by the providence of God. Christ, wherever he went, walked in the day; and so shall we, if we follow his steps. If a man walks in the way of his heart, and according to the course of this world, if he consults his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God, he falls into temptations and snares. He stumbles, because there is no light in him; for light in us is to our moral actions, that which light about us to our natural actions.
11 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 sleep, that sleep is only a short rest, but death is the end of earthly cares and toils. The disciples thought that it was now needless for Christ to go to Lazarus, and expose himself and them. Thus we often hope that the good work we are called to do, will be done by some other hand, if there be peril in the doing of it. But when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, many were brought to believe on him; and there was much done to make perfect the faith of those that believed. Let us go to him; death cannot separate from the love of Christ, nor put us out of the reach of his call. Like Thomas, in difficult times Christians should encourage one another. The dying of the Lord Jesus should make us willing to die whenever God calls us.
17 Here was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not from the house. When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the house; this temper formerly had been an advantage to her, when it put her at Christ's feet to hear his word; but in the day of affliction, the same temper disposed her to melancholy. It is our wisdom to watch against the temptations, and to make use of the advantages of our natural tempers. When we know not what in particular to ask or expect, let us refer ourselves to God; let him do as seemeth him good. To enlarge Martha's expectations, our Lord declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. In every sense he is the Resurrection; the source, the substance, the first-fruits, the cause of it. The redeemed soul lives after death in happiness; and after the resurrection, both body and soul are kept from all evil for ever. When we have read or heard the word of Christ, about the great things of the other world, we should put it to ourselves, Do we believe this truth? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make such a deep impression upon us as they do, if we believed the things of eternity as we ought. When Christ our Master comes, he calls for us. He comes in his word and ordinances, and calls us to them, calls us by them, calls us to himself. Those who, in a day of peace, set themselves at Christ's feet to be taught by him, may with comfort, in a day of trouble, cast themselves at his feet, to find favour with him.
33 Christ's tender sympathy with these afflicted friends, appeared by the troubles of his spirit. In all the afflictions of believers he is afflicted. His concern for them was shown by his kind inquiry after the remains of his deceased friend. Being found in fashion as a man, he acts in the way and manner of the sons of men. It was shown by his tears. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Tears of compassion resemble those of Christ. But Christ never approved that sensibility of which many are proud, while they weep at mere tales of distress, but are hardened to real woe. He sets us an example to withdraw from scenes of giddy mirth, that we may comfort the afflicted. And we have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. It is a good step toward raising a soul to spiritual life, when the stone is taken away, when prejudices are removed, and got over, and way is made for the word to enter the heart. If we take Christ's word, and rely on his power and faithfulness, we shall see the glory of God, and be happy in the sight. Our Lord Jesus has taught us, by his own example, to call God Father, in prayer, and to draw nigh to him as children to a father, with humble reverence, yet with holy boldness. He openly made this address to God, with uplifted eyes and loud voice, that they might be convinced the Father had sent him as his beloved Son into the world. He could have raised Lazarus by the silent exertion of his power and will, and the unseen working of the Spirit of life; but he did it by a loud call. This was a figure of the gospel call, by which dead souls are brought out of the grave of sin: and of the sound of the archangel's trumpet at the last day, with which all that sleep in the dust shall be awakened, and summoned before the great tribunal. The grave of sin and this world, is no place for those whom Christ has quickened; they must come forth. Lazarus was thoroughly revived, and returned not only to life, but to health. The sinner cannot quicken his own soul, but he is to use the means of grace; the believer cannot sanctify himself, but he is to lay aside every weight and hinderance. We cannot convert our relatives and friends, but we should instruct, warn, and invite them.
47 There can hardly be a more clear discovery of the madness that is in man's heart, and of its desperate enmity against God, than what is here recorded. Words of prophecy in the mouth, are not clear evidence of a principle of grace in the heart. The calamity we seek to escape by sin, we take the most effectual course to bring upon our own heads; as those do who think by opposing Christ's kingdom, to advance their own worldly interest. The fear of the wicked shall come upon them. The conversion of souls is the gathering of them to Christ as their ruler and refuge; and he died to effect this. By dying he purchased them to himself, and the gift of the Holy Ghost for them: his love in dying for believers should unite them closely together.
54 Before our gospel passover we must renew our repentance. Thus by a voluntary purification, and by religious exercises, many, more devout than their neighbours, spent some time before the passover at Jerusalem. When we expect to meet God, we must solemnly prepare. No devices of man can alter the purposes of God: and while hypocrites amuse themselves with forms and disputes, and worldly men pursue their own plans, Jesus still orders all things for his own glory and the salvation of his people.
