Anchor My Faith

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Author: Stephen Weller
694 words, 4 minutes read time

Ready To Return To Judea

Scripture: John 11:9-16

In the previous lesson we established places and people that would be involved in the drama surrounding the death of Lazarus. In this lesson Jesus tries to calm down his disciples and leave for Bethany.

^{Jn 11:9} “Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”’

In verse 8, covered in the preceding lesson, the disciples asked Jesus why he was going back to Judea since the Jews were seeking to stone him there. Jesus answers their question with a metaphor in which he uses “walks in the day” to mean walk in the light Jesus gives; that is, to walk in fellowship with him, believing and obeying his words. In contrast to this, he then uses “walks in the night” to mean walk apart from Jesus, not believing him and not obeying him. This would be an indication that the person does not have spiritual life because “the light in not in him.”

The connection in this metaphor is made through connecting the fact that Jesus is “the light of the world (John 8:12) to “the light of this world.” Everyone knows it is easier and safer to walk during the twelve hours of day when it is light than to walk during the dark of night when it is easy to stumble over things. In like manner, if one has the light that Jesus brings into that one’s life, then that person will not stumble over spiritual truths and will find meaning and purpose in life.

For Jesus to walk in the day requires him, at this time, to return to Judea to raise Lazarus from the dead as an illustration in his teaching that he is the resurrection. Jesus started his walk when he left heaven and came to earth. He will continue that walk to the cross and into the grave, but it does not end there because he will rise from the dead and ascend into heaven to complete his journey.

^{Jn 11:11} “After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”’

We have another metaphor in using sleep to mean death. As illustrated in 1 Kings 2:10 ESV: “Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.” it was common to use sleep to mean death in the Old Testament. In Daniel 12:2 (ESV) we read: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” In this verse death is compared to a deep sleep from which people will one day be awakened, either to everlasting life or to everlasting contempt.

^{Jn 11:12} “The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” ¹³ Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.”

The disciples were thinking of sleep and its benefit in recovering from an illness, but Jesus was thinking of death from which he would bring Lazarus back to life.

^{Jn 11:14} “Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”’

In order for Jesus to teach his disciples and others about the resurrection and that he was the resurrection, he needed Lazarus dead. With his death the stage is now set, and we are ready for the performance.

^{Jn 11:16} “So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Conclusion

From what Thomas said it is clear that the disciples were afraid to go back to Judea, but since Jesus was determined to return, the disciples would accompany him.