John 12:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Let it be Christ, as you say, because He broke the Sabbath, because He made Himself equal to the Father, and because of the Romans. But of what can you accuse Lazarus? Why do you wish to kill him? Is his fault that he received a benefit? Do you see how inclined they are to murder? Christ worked many miracles, but none hardened them to such a degree. Not the miracle upon the paralytic, nor the miracle upon the blind man, did this. This was because the miracle upon Lazarus was by its very nature more wondrous, and because it was performed after many miracles. It was indeed astonishing to see a four-days-dead man walking and speaking. And what a fine thing for the feast, is it not, to add murder to the celebration! Moreover, in those other cases they thought they could accuse Christ of breaking the Sabbath and thereby turn the people away from Him. Here they could accuse Him of nothing, and so they plot against the one whom He raised. Here they could not even say that He opposed the Father, because His prayer stopped their mouths. Since their usual pretext for accusation was now taken away, while the miracle was evident, they resolved on murder. They would certainly have done the same to the blind man, had they not had a pretext for accusing Him of breaking the Sabbath. Besides, the blind man was obscure, and they cast him out of the temple. But Lazarus was a notable man, as is clear from the many who gathered to comfort his sisters. The miracle was also performed in the sight of all, and in a most extraordinary manner. Therefore everyone hastened to see. This was what tormented them: as the feast approached, everyone left the celebration and went to Bethany. So they plotted to kill Lazarus, without even considering that this was a crime. Such was their inclination to murder. For this reason the original Law begins with the commandment: You shall not kill (Ex 20:13). And the prophet reproves them for this: Your hands are full of blood (Is 1:15).

It means adherents of the old order of things, and therefore those unfavorably disposed toward the Lord. Those who were well disposed are distinguished from them below by the name a great multitude of the people (Jn 12:12). They came not only because of Jesus, in order, as usual, to observe His actions more or less hostilely. They also came to see Lazarus and be convinced that he was truly alive. Perhaps some of these many came with a good aim and without hostile intentions against the Lord. Yet fear of the Sanhedrin (Jn 11:57) undoubtedly forced them to do this secretly. Among those who came to Bethany because of Lazarus, many were convinced of the truth of the great miracle performed upon him by the Lord. They believed in Him as the Messiah, and from being unfavorably disposed toward Him became His followers and withdrew from the Sanhedrin. This further enraged the chief managers of the supreme court, the chief priests. They saw that even those inhabitants of Jerusalem who had formerly obeyed them were leaving them because of the miracle performed upon Lazarus. Therefore they resolved to kill Lazarus together with Christ (Jn 11:53). They wished to erase every trace of the miracle and force the people by fear to keep silent about it. But to their shame, what happened was precisely what, after the Sanhedrin's orders (Jn 11:57), they certainly did not expect (cf. Jn 12:19). The Lord entered Jerusalem solemnly as king, and the people received Him with joy as the Messiah.

The Hebrews used it as an exclamation expressing joy on solemn occasions, like our hurrah. Thus the expression Hosanna in the highest means the wish that cries of joy and gladness be heard not only here, but also in the highest, in heaven, where God is. Christ the Savior entered Jerusalem not as one condemned to death, but as King and Victor over death. The members of the Sanhedrin had to suppress their malice. They even decided to postpone carrying out their plan until after Pascha, when the people had dispersed. But Christ went voluntarily to suffering and death for our salvation. By the will of God's providence, the Lord Jesus Christ had to suffer before Pascha. How heavy it was for the human heart of Christ the Savior to hear this rejoicing of the people, when He, as God, knew that in a few days these joyful cries would be replaced by malicious shouts: Crucify! Crucify Him! All four Evangelists describe the solemn entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem (Mt 21:1-11; Mk 11:1-11; Lk 19:29-44; Jn 12:12-19). Only by comparing them do we receive the full picture of this moving event in the earthly life of Christ the Savior. On this day, and on the following three days, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Jesus Christ did not remain overnight in Jerusalem. He went away to Bethany, probably to the house of Lazarus.

Having already resolved in their council to kill Christ (Jn 11:53), they now decided also to kill Lazarus. His guilt, in the words of St John Chrysostom, consisted only in this, that he had received a benefit: the assurance of the resurrection of all. Lazarus, condemned to death by the Sanhedrin, was later forced to flee to Cyprus, and even there he was not safe.

Do you see how bloodthirsty their desires are? Christ worked many miracles, but none stirred up such fury in them. Not the miracle upon the paralytic, nor the miracle upon the blind man, did this. This was because the miracle upon Lazarus was more astonishing than the others, and came after them. It was utterly incredible to see a four-days-dead man walking and speaking. And what a fine thing for the feast, to add murder to the religious celebration! Moreover, in the other cases they thought they could accuse Christ of breaking the Sabbath and so turn the people away from Him. Here they could accuse Him of nothing, and therefore they plot against the One whom He raised. Here they could not even say that He opposed the Father, because His prayer stopped their mouths (Chrysostom).

Without doubt, they became the first disciples of the Apostles and the first members of the Christian Church of Jerusalem. They were counted worthy to receive baptism and the gracious sanctification of the Holy Spirit. They were in part those men cut to the heart who are mentioned in Acts 2:38. What, then, were the Jews doing at that time? Their representatives were now the chief priests, that is, the high-priestly Sadducean party. This party had undertaken the execution of the Sanhedrin's final decision, made, as we have seen, after Caiaphas' opinion was heard (Jn 11:49, 53). They resolved to kill Lazarus also. It was as though they were deliberately and visibly entering into battle with God, who had performed the miracle of resurrection. Once a man sets out to commit a crime conceived with full awareness of the evil being done, he no longer stops before the number of victims. Still less does he stop before the question of justice. There is no doubt that the Pharisees and the high-priestly party, as is clear also from Caiaphas' words, shamelessly acknowledged before their own reason and conscience that the murder of the Lord Jesus could not be justified. Nor could the newly proposed murder of Lazarus be justified by any arguments or sophistries, except by the aim of preserving their influence over the people. Later, on this same path, they would need other victims, beginning with the protomartyr Stephen.