11:11-13
We now get back to the central issue of Lazarus. First, Jesus speaks enigmatically, referring to Lazarus as just being asleep, and He going to waken Him. Why did Jesus say things this way? Part of what He is doing is doing away with the fear of death. To speak of Lazarus as “being asleep” and Jesus “wakening” him was not euphemistic talk, seeking to soften the awfulness of the situation. He was expressing the truth. Death has been defeated. We will still die, but then we will rise again. So death is just like sleep, it has lost its sting.
11:14-16
Jesus then speaks plainly. There is truth in what He has said in the previous three verses, but death is still painful, it is still real. At this point the disciples have no idea what Jesus is going to do. Jesus knew what He was going to do, and He wanted the disciples to believe. He wanted them to know who He was and the full extent of His power (Eph 1:19,20), we need to know the same.
Thomas gets more mentions in John’s gospel than he does in the synoptics, where he hardly figures at all. We could read these words as being resigned to their fate, or as being prepared to remain committed to Jesus, even in danger.
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