John 11:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But since they did not understand, He adds, "He has died, and I rejoice for your sake." Why specifically "for your sake"? Because I foretold his death though I was not there. Thus, when I raise him, there will be no suspicion. Do you see how imperfect the disciples still were, and how they did not understand His power as they should? This came from fear, which at that time agitated and troubled their souls. When He said, "He has fallen asleep," He added, "I go to awaken him." But when He said, "He has died," He no longer added, "I go to raise him." He did not wish to foretell in words what He was about to confirm by deed. Everywhere He teaches us not to seek glory, and not to make promises indiscriminately.

"I rejoice for your sake," He says, because from this you can become more firmly assured of My divine dignity. I was not there and am far away, yet I tell you beforehand that death has occurred in Bethany. I say this not on the basis of hearsay, but as God, seeing for Myself what has happened far away. Some have understood the Lord's words, "I rejoice for your sake," in this way: My not being there will serve to establish you in faith. For if I had been there, I would have healed the sick man. This too would have been a miracle, but it would have shown little of My power. Now, however, when I was not there and Lazarus has died, I will go and raise him. You must therefore be more firmly established in faith in Me.

Since the disciples did not understand that He had called death sleep, He revealed it more clearly, saying, "He has died." He says that He rejoices, not from love of glory because He intends to perform a miracle, but because this would become an occasion for the disciples' faith. The saying, "that I was not there," has this meaning: if I had been there, he would not have died, for I would have had mercy on him even in a slight illness. But now death has occurred in My absence, so that by raising him I may give you great benefit for your faith in Me. Christ says this not because He performs divine works only when He is present. Rather, He says that, had He been present, He would not have allowed His friend to come under death's dominion. And He says, "Let us go to him," as to one who is alive. For the dead live for Him as God, since they are to live.

At first He had spoken somewhat indistinctly: "He has fallen asleep." And now He said plainly, "Lazarus has died, and I rejoice for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe" (Jn 11:14-15). "I know that he has died, and I was not there. For it was reported that he was sick, not that he had died." But what could remain hidden from the Creator, into whose hands the soul of the dead man had departed? Therefore He said, "I rejoice for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe." They were to begin to marvel, since the Lord called Lazarus dead, though He had not seen him dead and had not heard this reported. Here, of course, we must remember that even the faith of His disciples, who already believed in Him, still required miracles for its strengthening.

They were convinced that if they went with Him, they would be stoned. Therefore He strengthened them with consolation, saying, "Lazarus, our friend, has died, and I rejoice for your sake"; cf. Jn 11:14-15. But if He rejoiced, why did He weep when He came? From this, see how far even those closest to Him differ from the Lord. A man, in whom all natures are hidden, manifests each of them in its proper place, now spirit and now body. So also the Lord showed hunger for bread, revealing human nature (Mt 4:2-3), and tears for His friend. All physicians apply effort and care before a man dies. But Lazarus's physician turned to the dead man, so that in his death He might show the superiority of His medical art. He rejoiced when He heard, but wept when He came.

"And I rejoice that I was not there." I rejoice for your sake, that you may believe more firmly when you see the resurrection of Lazarus.

If I had been there, either Lazarus would not have died, or this miracle would not have seemed so great. Or it would have fallen under suspicion, as was said above. "But let us go to him," so that it may not seem that we do not love our friends.

"I was not there" and "let us go" are said by Jesus Christ as man.

Does He who does not desire the death of a sinner now rejoice over the death of a friend?

"I rejoice, but not for Myself, and not for the dead man, but for you. For I needed death for the confirmation of your faith."

Jesus waited for Lazarus's death, remaining in the same place until He could announce to His disciples that Lazarus had died. Then He told them of His intention to go to him: "Lazarus has died, and I rejoice" (Jn 11:14-15). Does this mean love? Christ rejoiced because their sorrow over the dead man would soon be changed into joy at his resurrection from the dead. "And I rejoice for your sake." Why for your sake? Because the death and resurrection of Lazarus were a complete foreshadowing of the Lord's own death and resurrection. What was about to be fulfilled in the Lord was already being fulfilled in His servant.

"Lazarus has died, and I rejoice for your sake that I was not there. But let us go to him." Do you see how modestly He speaks, and with what incomplete explanation of the intended purpose He goes to show the miracle? As when He said, "He has fallen asleep," He did not add, "I go to raise him," so here also He is silent about this. He says, "I rejoice for your sake, that you may believe, that I was not there." If I had been there, that is, as man, death would not have prevailed. "But let us go to him." Why? So that you may believe that I can also raise the dead by My command. "Lazarus has died." Earlier, when He foretold his death obscurely by the word, "He has fallen asleep," He called him friend, replacing death with the name of friend.

At this Jesus added that He rejoiced for their sake, for the Apostles, that He had not been in Bethany when Lazarus was sick. Healing him from sickness could not have strengthened their faith in Him as the coming resurrection would.

Ending this conversation, which had been prompted by the Apostles' fears, Jesus said, "But let us go to him."

Then He told them that Lazarus had fallen asleep, and that He was now going to awaken him. At least three of them should have remembered how, on another well-known occasion, the Savior had spoken of death as sleep. But either others had heard those words, or they were too slow to recall them. Since they understood His words as referring to ordinary natural sleep, He had to tell them plainly that Lazarus had died. He also said that He rejoiced in this for their sake, that they might believe, because He was now going to raise him to life.

"I rejoice for your sake," and so forth. If the Lord had been in Bethany while Lazarus was sick, then, seeing the sorrow and tears of His friends, He would have healed the sick man at their request. Then the greater and higher manifestation of His glory and of God's glory would not have occurred, as it appeared in the miracle of Lazarus's resurrection. Further: "I rejoice for your sake," He says, "because from this you can become more firmly assured of My divine dignity. I was not there and am far away, yet I tell you beforehand that death has occurred in Bethany. I say this not on the basis of hearsay, but as God, seeing for Myself what has happened far away" (Theophylact).

Verses 11-16. When Jesus said that Lazarus was sleeping and that it was necessary to awaken him, the disciples thought He was speaking of ordinary sleep. Yet among the Jews death too was called sleep: Sir 46:22; Sir 48:14; Jer 51:39; 1 Thess 4:13; Acts 7:60; Acts 13:36. "If Lazarus has fallen asleep, he will recover," the disciples said. The Hebrews used to say, "The sleep of a sick man is a sign of recovery." The Savior then said plainly that Lazarus had died, and added that He rejoiced that He had not been at his sickbed. Why? Otherwise love would have compelled Him, at the request of those He loved, to restore health to the sick man. But would that have been the same as restoring life to one who had died?

Let us again note the detail with which this event is described, including the words spoken by the disciples and their thoughts, which were open to the Knower of hearts. Apart from the divine character of the sacred books, the Lord, when choosing an instrument for writing them, does not remove the writer's individual human personality. In the Gospel of John we see that the sacred narrative is written by an eyewitness. He was not only present at all these events, but was close to the Lord in the flesh, "the disciple whom Jesus loved." The disciples thought, according to popular belief, that a sick man's sleep meant a speedy healing. So they addressed this remark to the Lord, asking His view of the sleep about which He Himself had spoken, after adding that He was going to awaken Lazarus.