Exegesis for John 11:1-45

RLD

17 March 2002, 5th Sunday in Lent

This week I am beginning this exegesis on Wednesday. I was out of town

for a funeral on Monday and Tuesday. Then, we have a Presbytery meeting

on Friday and Saturday. I'll see how much work I get done on this.

As of Thursday morning, I have done most of the exegesis. The sections

on Old Testament and the Hellenistic world are especially weak. But, in

the interests of doing this work alongside the rest of my ministry, I

will move on. However, in the back of my mind I am wondering how to

make stronger connections between John and the Hebrew and Hellenistic

traditions. I'll continue to mull over this, even as I begin to work on

this week's sermon.

Step I - (Initial) Acquaintance

A. Comparison of English or other published translations

NRSV

24 I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day

26 will never die

33 greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved

44 unbind him and let him go

CEV

24 I know that he will be raised to life on the last day, when all the

dead are raised

26 will never really die

33 he was terribly upset

44 Untie him and let him go

Peterson

24 I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of

time

26 does not ultimately die at all

33 a deep anger welled up in him

44 Unwrap him and let him loose

B. Greek/Hebrew Textual Criticism

33 it seems that even ancient authorities where disturbed by this

description of Jesus. A few Alexandrian texts soften this description

by adding "os" instead of "kai". Notice that Peterson's English

translation has Jesus as angry, while the NRSV describes him as deeply

moved.

C. One's Own Rough Translation

1 Now there was a certain ailing one, Lazarus from Bethania, of the

village of Maria and Martha, her sister.

2 And it was Maria, the one anointing the Lord with myrrh and wiping off

the feet of him with her hair, of whom the brother Lazarus ailed.

3 Sent therefore the sisters to him, saying, "Lord, behold, whom you

love, ails."

4 And hearing, Jesus said, "This ailment not is to death but for (huper)

the glory of God, that may be glorified the son of God through it."

5 And Jesus loved (agape) Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6 When therefore he heard that he ailed, then he remained in which place

he was two days.

7 Then after this he says to the disciples, "Let us go into Judea

again."

8 Say to him the disciples, "Rabbi, now were seeking you to stone you,

the Jews, and again you go there?"

9 Answered Jesus, "Not twelve hours are there of the day? If anyone

walks in the day, that one does not stumble, because the light of this

cosmos (that one) sees.

10 But if anyone walks in the night, that one stumbles, because the

light is not in him."

16 Said therefore, Thomas, called Twin, to his fellow disciples, "Let us

also go, that we may die with him."

24 Says to him Martha, "I know that he will rise in the rising in the

last day."

25 Said to her Jesus, "I am the rising and the life. The one believing

in me even that one might die will live,

26 and all living and believing in me by no means dies into the age. Do

you believe this?"

27 She says to him, "Yes, Lord. I have believed that you are the

Christ, the son of God, the into the cosmos coming."

33 Jesus therefore when he saw her weeping and the Jews coming with her

weeping, groaned in the spirit and troubled himself,

34 and said, "Where have you put him?" They say to him, "Lord, come and

see."

35 Cried Jesus.

36 Said therefore the Jews, "See how he loved (ephilei) him."

44 Came out, the one having died, bound the feet and hands with

bandages, and the face of him with a bandage had been bound. Jesus says

to them, "Loose him and let him go."

45 Many therefore of the Jews, the ones having come to Mary, and having

seen what he did, believed in him.

Step II - Disposition

A. Genre - How the text says what it says

Notice that John refers to a story in 11.2 that has not happened yet.

He expects his readers to either a) know this story without having to

read it from John, or b) to read his gospel in a circular manner, over

and over, perhaps as an act of religious devotion. If b) correct, then

John wrote this gospel with the intent of it being read in a devotional

manner. It is not literature meant to be read just once, for

informational purposes.

B. Personal Interaction - Questions and observations

11.4 Lazarus' death is for God's glory. This seems very similar to the

blind man in 9.3 whose blindness was not the result of sin, but that

God's works might be revealed in him.

11.22 Martha does not tell Jesus what to do, but she makes it clear she

expects something to happen. This is very similar to Jesus's mother at

the wedding in Cana (2.5). She does not tell Jesus what to do, but it

is obvious she wants something done. Is this an attitude of prayer that

we should emulate?

11.24 What does anastasei mean to Martha? Who was be raised and when?

It seems to me that the two translations of "anastesetai" are

significantly different in meaning. To be resurrected, from the Latin

"to resurge", implies coming to life again. To be raised could imply

inheriting an entirely new kind of life.

Why does Jesus cry and/or get angry?

C. Organization - Where the elements of "B" are located

Step III - Composition

A. Immediate Context - preceding/following pericope

The kephalaia from the early Church include John 11.1 through 12.2 as

one reading. In addition to the lectionary reading, this includes the

Jews going to the Pharisees to tell of what Jesus had done. In

response, Caiaphas says Jesus should be killed to keep the Romans from

destroying "both our holy place and our nation." Because of this Jesus

no longer walked openly among the Jews and people began to wonder if he

would make an appearance at the Passover festival. The reading ends

with Jesus going to a dinner in Bethany where Martha serves and Lazarus

was at the table with Jesus.

B. Organization of the Compositional Whole

The Gospel of John can be outlined as follows:

Prologue 1.1-18

Jesus' public ministry

The search for the Incarnate Word 1.19-4.54

The rejection of the Incarnate Word 5.1-12.50

Jesus' teachings among his own 13.1-17.26

The rejection and glorification of Jesus 18.1-19.42

The risen Word and the empowerment of his own 20.1-20.31

Epilogue 21.1-21.25

This reading comes near the end of John's examples of Jesus' rejection

by the Jews. He is about to enter Jerusalem, present his final

teachings, and then go to the cross.

C. Issues of Authorship

John shows that even as Jesus raises a person from the dead, the Jewish

authorities can find even more reasons to want him dead. They reason

that the greater things he does, the more followers he will have, and

the more threat he will pose to the Romans, thus bringing on Roman

persecution. For John, then, these Jewish leaders are the ones who take

the good gifts of God and twist their meaning into a threat, thereby

justifying their own violent repression of their own people.

Step IV - Context

A. Primitive Christianity

1 Lk 10.38-39s Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village;

and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister

called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.

5 Mk 10.21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him,

"One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor,

and you will have treasure in heaven;

and come, follow Me."

16 Mk 14.31 But Peter kept saying insistently, "Even if I have to die

with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing

also.

27 Mt 16.15-17! He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon

Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And

Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and

blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

27 Mt 3.11! but He who is coming after me is mightier than I,

33 Mt 9.30! And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them:

"See that no one knows about this!"

35 Lk 19.41-42 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept

over it, saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things

which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.

38 Mt 9.30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them:

"See that no one knows about this!"

38 Mt 27.59-60 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen

cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the

rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and

went away.

44 Lk 19.20 Another came, saying, "Master, here is your mina, which I

kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you

are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what

you did not sow." (The only connection here seems to be the

bandage/handkerchief.)

44 Act 19.12 o that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his

body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went

out.

B. Old Testament and Judaism

9 Jer 13,16 Give glory to the LORD your God,

Before He brings darkness

And before your feet stumble

On the dusky mountains,

And while you are hoping for light

He makes it into deep darkness,

And turns it into gloom.

C. Hellenistic World

Step V - Distillation

A. Summary of Salient Features

Jesus has the power to bring life even from death. Jesus "unbinds us"

from the forces that hold us down and unable to live and breathe and

act.

As the light of the cosmos, Jesus offers to lead us in a way that we

will not stumble.

Some people will not believe no matter what happens.

B. Smooth Translation

1 Now there was a certain ailing man, Lazarus from Bethania, of the

village of Maria and Martha, her sister.

2 And it was Maria, the one who anointed the Lord with myrrh and wiped

his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was ill.

3 Therefore the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold, the one whom

you love is ill."

4 Hearing this, Jesus said, "This ailment will not lead to death, but it

is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through

it."

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6 And so, when he heard that he was ill, Jesus remained in the place he

was two days.

7 After this he said to the disciples, "Let us go into Judea again."

8 The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were seeking you to stone,

and again you go there?"

9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of the day? If anyone

walks in the day, that one does not stumble, because the light of this

cosmos that one sees.

10 But if anyone walks in the night, that one stumbles, because the

light is not in him."

16 Therefore, Thomas, called Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us

also go, that we may die with him."

24 Martha says to him, " I know that he will rise in the resurrection in

the last day."

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who

believe in me, even though they might die, they will live,

26 and all living and believing in me by no means dies eternally. Do

you believe this?"

27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Christ, the

son of God, the one who is coming into the cosmos."

33 Therefore Jesus, when he saw her weeping and the Jews coming with her

weeping, groaned in the spirit and troubled himself,

34 and said, "Where have you put him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and

see."

35 Jesus cried.

36 Therefore the Jews said, "See how fond he was of him."

44 The one having died, came out, his feet and hands bound with bandages,

and his face bound with a bandage. Jesus said to them, "Loose him and

let him go."

45 Therefore, many of the Jews, the ones having come to Mary, and having

seen what he did, believed in him.

C. Hermeneutical Bridge

Although life often seems uncertain to us, Jesus offers us assurance of

a divine purpose for our lives as well as his guidance to follow that

purpose.

Step VI - Contemporary Address

A. Description of Audience

A distant suburban middle-class congregation on the fifth Sunday of

Lent.

B. Intended Goals for the Address

To remind us how easy it is to disbelieve anything, and yet how powerful

belief can be when we let it lead us.

C. Address

Title: "Do you believe this?"

Focus (What does the text say?): Jesus has the power to bring life even

from death. Jesus "unbinds us" from the forces that hold us down and

unable to live and breathe and act.

Function (How will the text affect the listeners?): To remind us how

easy it is to disbelieve anything, and yet how powerful belief can be

when we let it lead us.