John 11

Chapter 11: http://www.esvbible.org/John+11/

In this chapter, as in Chapter 2, Jesus proves that He doesn't have to do anything on anyone's timetable except for God the Father's. When He learned that His friend Lazarus was sick, Jesus went to go see Him even though He knew that the Jews there wanted to kill Him. After first learning of Lazarus's condition, Jesus is concerned and tells the disciples that Lazarus is sick for God's glory; however, it still must have puzzled the disciples that Jesus waited two days before He went to visit Lazarus and his sisters. Thomas, one of the disciples, doesn't trust that Jesus will pull out a victory in this situation, but he is brave and says that the disciples will go and die with Jesus. Lazarus's resurrection is significant because God says that He will raise up anyone who lives in Christ. He starts even while Jesus is alive. When we accept Jesus as of Lord and Savior, He raises up our dead and doomed lives, so that we may have everlasting life. Jesus raised Lazarus as a pre-show of His own resurrection. He also showed that His power wasn't limited to healing the sick and He proved that He was the one in control of life and death.

At this point, the Pharisees decide that it is time to kill Jesus, and the chief priest, Caiaphas, knows that Jesus must die not only for Israel but for all of God's children, so he decides that they must kill Jesus. Although Jesus knows that the cross is His eventual goal, He flees to the countryside because He knows He can't leave until He has finished His work, and His time has come.