A) 1-6: Introduction:
Jesus receives the message from Martha and Mary
B) 7-16: Jesus and
the Disciples talk about Lazarus and death ["Lazarus is dead!"
- v.14]
C) 17-27: Jesus
and Martha dialogue about resurrection and life ["Lord, if you
had been here, my brother wouldn't have died" - v. 21]
**Martha: "Yes,
Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the son of
God, the one coming into the world." (v. 27)
C') 28-37: Jesus
and Mary and some Jews express sorrow and love ["Lord, if you
had been here, my brother wouldn't have died" - v. 32]
B') 38-44: Jesus
raises Lazarus from the dead ["Lazarus come out!" - v. 43]
A') 45-54:Conclusion:
The various reactions of the Jews
[Note: 11:55-57 more properly belong to ch. 12, serving as the introduction
to the next episode]
Detailed Structures:
A) 1-6: Introduction: Jesus receives the message from Martha and Mary
Narrator: someone was ill, Lazarus of
Bethany, the village of Martha & her sister Mary, who anointed
the Lord (cf. 12:1-11);
brother Lazarus was ill (vv. 1-2)
Sisters send message: "Lord, the
one you love is ill." (v. 3)
Jesus: "This illness is not for
death, but for God's glory, so the Son of God may be glorified"
(v. 4)
Narrator: Jesus loved Martha
and her sister and Lazarus; (v. 5)
Narrator: when he heard
that he was ill,
he remained where he was two more days." (v. 6)
B) 7-16: Jesus and the Disciples talk about Lazarus and Death
Jesus to the disciples: "Let's
go to Judea again." (v. 7)
Disciples: "Rabbi, just now the Jews
were trying to stone you, and you want to go there again?"
(v. 8)
Jesus figuratively: "Aren't there
12 hours each day? Those who walk in daylight don't stumble, for they
see this world's light;
but those who walk at night stumble, for the light isn't in
them (vv. 9-10)
Jesus: "Our friend Lazarus
is asleep; but I'm going to wake him (v. 11)
Disciples: "Lord, if he's
asleep, he'll be saved." (v. 12)
Narrator: Jesus was talking about
death, but they thought he meant ordinary sleep. (v.
13)
Jesus plainly: "Lazarus is dead.
I'm glad for you that I wasn't there, so you can believe" (vv.
14-15a)
Jesus: "But let's go to him."
(v. 15b)
Thomas Didymus to fellow disciples: "Let's
also go so we die with him." (v. 16)
C) 17-27: Jesus and Martha dialogue about resurrection and life
Narrator: Jesus arrives; Lazarus in tomb four
days; Bethany near Jerusalem; many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console
them; when Martha hears Jesus was coming, she goes to meet him; Mary stays
at home (vv. 17-20)
Martha: "Lord, if you had been
here, my brother wouldn't have died. But even now I know that
whatever you ask God, God will give you." (vv. 21-22)
Jesus: "Your brother will rise up." (v. 23)
Martha: "I know he will rise up, in the resurrection
on the last day." (v. 24)
Jesus: "I am the resurrection
and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and everyone living and believing in me will not die forever. Do
you believe this?" (vv. 25-26)
Martha: "Yes, Lord; I
have believed that you are the Christ, the son of God, the one coming
into the world." (v. 27)
C') 28-37: Jesus and Mary and some Jews express sorrow and love
Narrator: She goes back and calls Mary, saying
privately, "The teacher is here and is calling you"; Mary gets up
quickly and goes to him; Jesus was still outside the village, where Martha
met him; the Jews in the house follow Mary, thinking she's going to the tomb
(vv. 28-31)
Mary kneels and says: "Lord,
if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died." (v.
32)
Narrator: When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping,
he was disturbed and upset himself. (v. 33)
Jesus: "Where have you laid him?" (v. 34a); They:
"Sir, come and see." (v. 34b)
Narrator: "And Jesus wept." (v. 35); Jews:
"See how he loved him." (v. 36)
Some of them: "Couldn't he, who opened
the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man from dying?" (v. 37)
B') 38-44: Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead
Narrator: Jesus, disturbed again, came to the
tomb, a cave with a stone lying upon it. (v. 38)
Jesus: "Remove the stone" (v.
39a)
Martha: "Lord, it already smells, for it's the fourth
day [since his death]" (v. 39b)
Jesus: "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you'd
see God's glory?" (v. 40)
Narrator: So they removed the stone. (v.
41a)
Jesus, looking up: "Father, I
thank you, because you heard me. I know you always hear me,
but I said this for the sake of the surrounding crowd, so they believe
that you sent me." (vv. 41b-42)
Jesus cries aloud: "Lazarus, come
out!" (v. 43)
Narrator: The dead man came out,
with hands and feet bound, and face wrapped
in a cloth. (v. 44a)
Jesus: "Unbind him, and let him
go." (v. 44b)
A') 45-54: Conclusion: Various reactions of the Jews
Narrator: Many of the Jews who had come and
seen, believed in Jesus;
but some went to the Pharisees and told them. (vv. 45-46)
Chief Priests and Pharisees in Council: "What
shall we do? This man does many signs. If we let him continue, all will
believe in him, and the Romans will destroy our land and people"
(vv. 47-48)
Caiaphas, high priest that year: "You
know nothing! Don't you realize that it's better for us that
one person dies for the people, instead of the whole people being
destroyed?" (vv. 49-50)
Narrator: He said this not on his own but
as high priest, prophesying that Jesus would die for the people, and not
just the people, but to gather all the dispersed children of God into
one. From that day on, they planned to kill him. (vv. 51-53)
Narrator: So Jesus no longer walked openly
among the Jews,
but departed to a town, near the desert, called Ephraim; there he stayed with
his disciples. (v. 54)