Commentary on the Gospel of John

                                Chapter Eleven

                                                                                                                                              Verses 6-10

Jesus waited two days for Lazarus to die in the place where He was. Jesus waited because He wanted to instill a new type of faith in His followers. After Jesus knew that Lazarus was dead, He told His disciples that they should return to Judea.

Jesus' disciples objected. They were afraid that Jesus would be stoned to death. How often do believers in Christ as being God forget about His Almighty Power. Jesus had already told them that no human could kill Him, but they had evidently forgotten that. John 10:17-18.

Jesus answered their objection by reminding them that He had a ministry to the world that He had to fulfill. As Jesus so often did, He used everyday, ordinary occurrences to represent a spiritual message. Jesus taught that those who walk in the daytime usually do not stumble, but those who walk in the night are apt to stumble. Jesus meant that humans need light to keep from stumbling. Jesus had already taught that He is "the Light of the world." John 8:12. Those who see His Light and follow Him do not stumble; that is, they do not lose their salvation by grace. But those who walk in darkness do not have His Light and so they stumble; that is, they lead a life of unforgiven sin, and they fall into the regions of death when they die. Jesus reminded His disciples that he had to go to Judea to fulfill His ministry.