Difficult passages:
1. 11:4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Not just the Father is glorified, but also due to the glorification of the Father, the Son may be glorified through it?? What does that mean? (NET) For Lazarus, the sickness did not end in his death, because he was restored to life. But for Jesus himself, the miraculous sign he performed led to his own death, because it confirmed the authorities in their plan to kill Jesus (11:47–53). In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ death is consistently portrayed as his ‘glorification’ through which he accomplishes his return to the Father.
2. 11:9 Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
What do “day and night” refer to? (PNTC) As an answer to the question of the disciples as to why Jesus is determined to go up to Judea (v. 8), these verses metaphorically insist that Jesus is safe as long as he performs his Father’s will. The daylight period of his ministry may be far advanced, but it is wrong to quit before the twelve hours have been filled up. The time will come soon enough when he will not be able to work. But because the disciples have been asked to accompany Jesus to Judea (v. 7), there is an obvious application to them as well. Jesus himself is the light of the world (8:12; cf. the last clause of v. 9) who is still with them. As long as they have him, for the full twelve hours of their ‘daylight’ they should perform the works assigned them. The time would come, all too soon, when the darkness of his departure would make such work impossible (cf. notes on 9:4).
Reflection: Jewish leaders had attempted to stone Jesus twice before chapter 11. What the disciples said was real. Jesus was also determined to go even though He knew that this miracle would directly link to his death. Do we quit too early sometimes? Are we like the disciples and afraid to face the possibility of danger? Jesus said it is not night time yet. It may be close to the night, but not yet. Do we think someone is not interested in the Gospel, why wasting time on him/her?
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