Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 11:23
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
23. shall rise again ] He uses an ambiguous expression as an exercise of her faith. Some think that these words contain no allusion to the immediate restoration of Lazarus, and that Martha ( Joh 11:24) understands them rightly. More probably Christ includes the immediate restoration of Lazarus, but she does not venture to do so, and rejects the allusion to the final Resurrection as poor consolation.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thy brother shall rise again – Martha had spoken of the power of Jesus. He said nothing of himself in reply. It was not customary for him to speak of himself, unless it was demanded by necessity. It cannot be doubted that by rising again, here, Jesus referred to the act which he was about to perform; but as Martha understood it, referring to the future resurrection, it was full of consolation. The idea that departed friends shall rise to glory is one that fills the mind with joy, and one which we owe only to the religion of Christ.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. Thy brother shall rise again.] That is, directly; for it was by raising him immediately from the dead that he intended to comfort her.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Christ takes no notice of Marthas failings before mentioned, (he can have compassion upon his peoples infirmities), but applies himself to the relief of her under her affliction. He doth not tell her that her brother should be raised to life presently, nor that he would do it; but only saith he shall rise again: to let us know, that a belief of the general resurrection is enough, and ought to be improved by us, to curb our immoderate mourning and passions for those of our friends who are dead in the Lord.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23-27. Jesus saith unto her, Thybrother shall rise againpurposely expressing Himself ingeneral terms, to draw her out.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Jesus saith unto her, thy brother shall rise again. Christ knew what she meant, and accordingly gave her an answer, and yet in such general terms, that she could not tell whether his meaning was, that he should rise now, or at the general resurrection.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Thy brother will rise again ( ). Future middle (intransitive) of . The words promise Martha what she has asked for, if Jesus means that.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Jesus saith unto her,” (legei aute ho lesous) “Jesus says to her personally or directly,” to test her faith, and get a further expression of it, to prepare her for what was to follow.
2) “Thy brother shall rise again.” (anastesetai ho adelphos sou) “Your brother will rise again,” as He led her to see that He could then raise Lazarus from the dead as surely as in the distant future, because the power had already been given Him by the Father to do so, Joh 3:35; Joh 5:21; Joh 5:25 Jesus spoke of His purpose to raise Lazarus immediately, as a pledge and type of the future resurrection, but Martha did not understand.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
23. Thy brother shall rise again. The kindness of Christ is amazing, in forgiving those faults of Martha which we have mentioned, and in promising her, of his own accord, more than she had ventured plainly and directly to ask.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23) Thy brother shall rise again.These words, spoken as they were by our Lord after the purpose of His journey, as expressed in Joh. 11:11, and immediately before the accomplishment of it, cannot be taken to exclude the restoration of Lazarus to physical life. At the same time, the form of the words clearly point, as Martha understood them to point, to the resurrection at the last day. They are chosen for this very purpose; to lead her from the passionate longing for her brothers restoration, and from a vague thought of the Lords power and will to restore him, to a wider and truer conception of what life really is, and to a realisation of the truth that for a true believer in Him there can be no such thing as death. This sign, like every other, is to be no mere wonder, nor is it to be limited to our restored life. It is to lead to the spiritual truth which is signified; and is to be for them and for mankind the true conquest of death by Life.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. Thy brother shall rise Jesus truly closes upon her transient words. He promises what she dares not hope, and dares not believe in its fulness.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Jesus says to her, “Your brother will rise again”.’
He tells her that death may seem to be the final catastrophe, but that for those who are His it is not the end. Can she not be satisfied with this? He wanted her to sort out in her own mind what she was asking.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life:
v. 23. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
v. 24. Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
v. 25. Jesus said unto her, I am the Resurrection and the Life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;
v. 26. and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?
v. 27. She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. Jesus answered Martha’s pleading with a beautiful word of comfort, which incidentally tests her faith. The words sounded as though Jesus were referring only to the final resurrection, on the last day. Here was the hope of faith to which she could always cling. And Martha proved equal to the test; she, with all the other true believers among the Jews, believed in the resurrection of the dead. If nothing more were forthcoming from the hand of Jesus, she would be fully satisfied with this gift of His grace. But her words: I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day, conveyed her hope that the Lord would help also at the present time, at once. This proof of Martha’s humble, but firm trust in Him drew from Jesus that. gem of sayings which is the glorious anchor of faith throughout the ages. Jesus, our Savior, is the Resurrection and the Life. All life, and the giving and returning of life to men, is centered in Him. Eternal life is in Him from eternity. And therefore He can give life, even when death had apparently claimed a person for his own. And with the resurrection the true life in and with Him will have its beginning. We Christians believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, because our faith rests upon Him who died for us and rose again, in order that we might live with Him forever. The believers, therefore, though they seemingly succumb to temporal death, yet have life, are full possessors of life in the very midst of death, they are partakers and sharers with Christ in the full and complete life that had no beginning for Him and shall have no end for them that put their trust in His redemption alone. Death is only the gateway to the full and perfect life; it has no terrors for the Christian, since it has been swallowed up in victory by the resurrection of Jesus. Whatever experience believers have of death is all on this side of the grave; here the fear of death and the terrors of hell sometimes assail them very keenly. But they conquer all these horrors through faith in the words of Christ, and in the very moment of dying, death is overcome; they fall asleep in the wounds of Jesus, and in the next moment they awake in heaven. Since this trust must be found in the heart of every believer, Jesus puts the searching question to Martha: Believest thou this? And Martha joyfully assents and expresses her unwavering faith in her Lord as the promised Christ, the Son of God, as He was prophesied by all the patriarchs and sages of old, whose work should culminate in the overcoming of the last bitter enemy, death. Note: The certainty of the resurrection of the body, as based upon the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, always inspires new hope in the hearts of the believers, even in the days of the greatest sorrow and misfortune, in the midst of sickness and death. This word: I believe in the resurrection of the body, is stronger than death. Though the dead may have rested in their graves for hundreds and even thousands of years, though their flesh has long since been consumed by worms and their bones have fallen into dust, yet they shall arise on the last day.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Joh 11:23-26. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Our Lord’s meaning was, that he should be raised immediately, (see Joh 11:40.) according to her desire; yet, as the thing was so great, and beyond even her own expectation, she durst not understand him in any sense that favoured her wishes: (see Joh 11:24 and on Mat 28:17.) therefore, to cherish her weak faith, and, as it were, to raise her by gradual steps to the belief and acknowledgment of his sovereign power, our Lord said unto her, in the most emphatical words, “I am the resurrection and the life: by me the general resurrection shall be accomplished, and by me a most glorious and happy life shall be given to all my faithful people, and be maintained even to eternal ages. He, therefore, that perseveringly believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he ere long live again; and his re-animated body shall be again united to that soul, which, in its separate state, continues its dependance on my power and faithfulness; and even at present I can loose the bands of death; and, though thy brother is now holden by it, I can recal him when I please to life. And every one that is now living, and perseveringly believes in me, shall never die; death shall be so disarmed and transformed, that it shall hardly deserve the name; the better part of the believer being immediatelyconveyed to immortal life and glory, and the body only keeping awhile in the dust, till I come to awaken it to everlasting vigour and joy.” See ch. Joh 5:24 Joh 8:51. 2Ti 1:10. Heb 2:14; Heb 12:22-23. Eph 2:6.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 11:23-24 . Jesus understood her, and promises . ! He meant [81] to carry out the purpose stated in Joh 11:11 , but expressed Himself ambiguously no doubt intentionally in order to lead the faith of Martha away from her merely personal interest, and to raise it rather to the higher general domain of the one thing that is needful. His words might as easily denote a raising up to be accomplished at once, as the resurrection at the last day. Martha ventures to take it only as a consolatory word of promise relatively to Lazarus’ participation in this latter resurrection; she had previously dared to hope for so much, that she was not now able to interpret so indefinite a reply in her own favour. Accordingly, her response expresses the resignation of disappointment, which would now so naturally present itself to her mind; at the same time, it was an answer full of submission, and not one of “as it were further inquiry” (De Wette, compare Calvin).
[81] That is, He meant the raising of Lazarus , which actually afterwards took place, and which was the fulfilment of the ; , Nonnus. Quite in opposition to the progress and connection of the narrative, with its beautiful significance, is Hengstenberg’s remark: “Jesus means specially the resurrection at the last day , and along therewith, also, His transference to Paradise .” The soul of the deceased must already have been in Paradise, Luk 23:43 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Ver. 23. Thy brother shall rise again ] Let this consideration comfort us in the decease of our dearest friends, they are not lost, but laid up with Christ, who will bring them back with him at his coming, 1Th 4:14 . As the same divine hand that buried Moses, that locked up this treasure and kept the key of it, brought it forth afterwards glorious in the transfiguration. The body that was hidden in the valley of Moab appeared again in the hill of Tabor.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
23. ] I believe these words of our Lord to contain no allusion to the immediate restoration of Lazarus; but to be pdagogically used, to lead on to the requisite faith in her mind. I have to learn whether in this direct absolute sense could be used of his recall into human life .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 11:23 . . “Thy brother shall rise again.” “The whole history of the raising of Lazarus is a parable of life through death. Here, then, at the beginning the key-note is struck.” Westcott. Whether the words were meant or not to convey only the general truth of resurrection, and that death is not the final state, Martha did not find in them any assurance of the speedy restoration of Lazarus.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
rise again. Greek. anistemi. See App-178.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
23.] I believe these words of our Lord to contain no allusion to the immediate restoration of Lazarus; but to be pdagogically used, to lead on to the requisite faith in her mind. I have to learn whether in this direct absolute sense could be used of his recall into human life.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 11:23. , he shall rise again) Jesus does not immediately add the mention of the time, but exercises the faith of Martha.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 11:23
Joh 11:23
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.-Jesus promptly assured her that her thoughts should be realized.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Thy: Joh 11:43, Joh 11:44
Reciprocal: Dan 12:2 – many Joh 11:40 – Said
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
This statement was so indefinite that it did not satisfy the sorrowing sister. But Jesus took that plan of introducing the subject.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 11:23. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. The words are designedly ambiguous,spoken to try her faith. Like our Lords parables, they contain that of which faith may take hold and be raised into a higher region, but which unbelief or dulness of heart will miss. Will the hope that Marthas words have vaguely expressed now become clear and definite? At all events the answer of Jesus will make her conscious to herself of what her faith really was.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Here observe, 1. Christ’s meek answer to Martha’s passionate discourse. He takes no notice of the forementioned failings, but comforts her with a promise of her brother’s resurrection: Thy brother shall rise again.
Thence learn, That the knowledge and belief of the general resurrection, is, and ought to be, a sufficient support under the loss of our endeared friends, who die in the Lord.
Observe, 2. That the doctrine of the general resurrection was no new doctrine; Job believed it, Job 19:26. Daniel published it, Dan 12:1; the Pharisees had a notion of it; but Martha here makes it an article of faith, I know he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Observe, 3. How Christ particularly instructs Martha in the cause of her resurrection, acquainting her, that he himself is the author and efficient cause of it: I am the resurrection and the life: that is, I am the author, and principal efficient cause of the resurrection; and this with respect to both natures:
1. His divine nature is the efficient cause of the resurrection; he shall raise our bodies out of the dust, by the power of his godhead.
2. His human nature is the exemplary cause or pattern of the resurrection; for which reason Christ is called the first born from the dead. For though some were raised before him, yet was his resurrection the cause of their resurrection.
Hence St. Paul argues, from Christ’s resurrection, the certainty of the resurrection of his members; Christ and believers are one mystical body, therefore is not Christ perfectly risen till all his members are risen with him. Indeed Christ’s, personal resurrection was perfect when he arose, and all believers arose representatively in him; yet, has not received its utmost perfection: but there is somewhat behind of the resurrection of Christ. Most fitly then might our Saviour assert, I am the resurrection and the life.
Observe, 4. That Christ not only asserts himself to be the resurrection, but also the life; I am the resurrection and the life: that is, I am the cause of life natural, spiritual, and eternal; And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die; that is, eternally: though his body shall die because of sin, yet his spirit shall live because of righteousness.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Joh 11:23-24. Jesus Beholding her distress with a compassionate concern; saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again Martha, in her complaint, looked back, reflecting with regret that Christ had not come before her brothers death, and thinking, if he had, her brother would have been now alive. And we are very apt, in such cases, like her, to add to our trouble, by fancying what might have been, if we had taken other measures or used other means, had employed certain physicians, or administered some particular medicines. But, alas! what use is there in such reflections, when Gods will is done, and our duty is to submit to it? Christ directs Martha, and us in her, to look forward, and to think what shall be, for that yields sure comfort: Thy brother shall rise again. Here observe, 1st, This was true of Lazarus in a sense peculiar to him; he was now immediately to be raised. Christ, however, does not say this in express words, much less that he himself should effect his resurrection, (for humility was a distinguishing trait in his character,) but, for the further trial of her faith and patience, he speaks ambiguously, and leaves her in uncertainty whether he should be raised presently, or not till the last day. 2d, It is applicable to all the saints, and the future resurrection. And it is surely matter of comfort to us, when we have buried our godly friends and relations, to believe and consider that they shall rise again; and that, as the soul at death is not lost, but gone before, so the body is not lost, but laid up. Let us think we hear Christ saying, Thy father, thy mother, thy wife, thy husband, thy child, shall rise again; these dry bones shall live! Martha Not daring to understand him in a sense that favoured her wishes, namely, that he should be raised immediately; said, I know that he shall rise again at the last day
Though the doctrine of a general resurrection was to have its full proof from Christs resurrection, yet, as it had been revealed in the Old Testament, she firmly believed it, as the pious Jews in general did, Act 24:15; yet she seems to think this doctrine not so important, or calculated to comfort mourners on the death of their relatives, as it really was. For her words seem to imply, Though I know he shall rise again at the last day, yet that affords us but little support now, in the distressing bereavement that we have experienced: as if the blessing of a resurrection to eternal life were not of much greater importance, and much more replete with comfort to a truly pious person, than any recovery from sickness, or restoration to temporal health or life, in this present world of trial and trouble. Alas! that we should be so weak and foolish, as to suffer present, sensible things, to make a deeper impression upon us, both of grief and joy, than those spiritual and eternal things which are the great objects of faith and hope! I know that he shall rise again at the last day And is not that sufficient? She seems not to think it is. Thus, by our discontent under our present trials, we greatly undervalue our future expectations, and put a slight upon them, as if they were not worth regarding.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall {e} rise again.
(e) That is, will recover life again.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jesus’ response was also typical of Him. His words had an obvious literal meaning, but they were truer than anyone present realized at the moment. Jesus offered Martha comfort based on the Old Testament assurance that God would resurrect believers (Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2; cf. Joh 5:28-29). Martha, as the Pharisees, believed this Old Testament revelation, though the Sadducees did not (cf. Act 23:7-8). The "last day" refers to the end of the present age as the Jews viewed history, namely, just before Messiah would inaugurate the new kingdom age (cf. Joh 6:39-40; Joh 6:44; Joh 6:54; Joh 12:48).
"When we find ourselves confronted by disease, disappointment, delay, and even death, our only encouragement is the Word of God." [Note: Wiersbe, 1:334.]