“Lord, if he sleeps he will get well” (John 11:12) Part I

Introduction 

In our everyday interactions, misunderstandings often arise. We may misinterpret someone’s words simply because we do not know them well. In a similar way, it is possible for us to misunderstand the words of the Lord Jesus. One example of this is found in the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Throughout this passage, the Lord Jesus is repeatedly misunderstood—by His disciples, by Lazarus’s sisters, and by the Jews. These misunderstandings show how even those who are close to the Lord can fail to grasp His true meaning. 

At the beginning of the story, Jesus makes a clear statement: Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. Yet as the events unfold, His words continue to be misinterpreted. This encourages us to reflect more deeply on our own understanding of the Lord. In this article, we will consider two important questions: 

• What causes us to misunderstand the Lord Jesus? 

• How can we avoid misunderstanding Him? 

We will see that misunderstanding the Lord often comes from limited faith or knowledge. However, as we grow in our relationship with Him—through the guidance of His Spirit and His Word—we can begin to see life from the perspective of eternity. Through this, we will come to better understand His words and His will. 

“Lazarus’ sickness is not unto death” 

The family at the center of this story is that of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus—a household deeply loved by the Lord Jesus (John 11:1–4). Their faith and devotion to Jesus had previously been demonstrated (Luke 10:38-39), and when they later faced a crisis—Lazarus becoming gravely ill—they knew to turn to Him for help. 

In verse 4, Jesus makes a profound declaration regarding the purpose behind Lazarus’s sickness: 

“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”—John 11:4 (NKJV) 

This statement is central to understanding the entire passage. “Not unto death” does not mean that Lazarus will not die at all, but that death will not be the final outcome of this illness. “For the glory of God” reveals that Lazarus’s sickness—and even his death—are part of God’s sovereign will and will ultimately serve to demonstrate His power. “That the Son of God may be glorified” points to the deeper purpose of the event: that others may come to recognize who Jesus truly is. To glorify God is to glorify Jesus, for Jesus is God in the flesh. 

However, at this point in the story, it is not entirely clear whether Jesus is referring to physical death, spiritual death, or both. Nevertheless, what is certain is that the end result of this entire episode will be the glorification of God and the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God. 

Jesus stayed two more days because of His love 

The verses in John 11:5–6 present a clear cause-and-effect relationship, signaled by the Greek conjunction οὖν (oun), which is often translated as “so” or “therefore.”  

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”—John 11:5-6 (NKJV) 

The cause is stated in verse 5: Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. The effect, found in verse 6, is surprising: Therefore, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. In other words, because Jesus loved them, He deliberately delayed His arrival. 

This is counterintuitive from a human perspective. In our experience, love often expresses itself in urgent action and the desire to prevent suffering. For example, parents instinctively rush to help when they see their child in pain or danger. Love, to us, means stepping in right away. 

Yet here, Jesus’ love leads Him to wait. He allows Lazarus to become more ill, to die, and permits Mary and Martha to go through deep sorrow. This challenges our assumptions about love. It shows us that the Lord’s love does not always result in immediate intervention. Sometimes, His love allows suffering for a greater purpose—one that reveals God’s glory and deepens our understanding of who Jesus truly is. 

There are times in our lives when we pray persistently over a particular pain or worry, yet the burden remains. Our needs do not go away, and it begins to feel as though our prayers are not being heard. It may seem as if Jesus, like in the story of Lazarus, is waiting two more days before responding. In those moments, it is important to remember that His intentional delay is not a sign of indifference. Rather, it reflects a deeper purpose. Jesus desires to give us something far greater than what we are asking for. Even when answers do not come right away, our trust and hope in the Lord must remain steadfast. In time, we will see His salvation and His abundance, just as the psalmist did in Psalm 13:1–6. 

In the story of Lazarus, Jesus was intentionally absent so that Lazarus would die. He allowed this to happen so that those who witnessed the resurrection would come to believe.  

“Then Jesus said to them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.’”—John 11:14-15 (NKJV) 

While Jesus deeply cares about our sorrow and suffering, His greater goal is to lead us to true faith. His actions are motivated by eternal priorities—above all, the promise of eternal life—rather than immediate comfort or relief. His delay is not from neglect, but from love. 

“Walk in the day, and he will not stumble” 

In John 11:7–10, Jesus had just declared that Lazarus’s sickness would not end in death. Yet after waiting two days, He suddenly tells the disciples that He is going to return to Judea—a region where His life would be in danger. The disciples are understandably alarmed. The Jews had recently tried to stone Jesus for claiming to be one with the Father (John 10:24–27, 30–31), and returning to that area seemed both risky and irrational. 

However, Jesus responds by explaining that His actions are governed by the will and timing of God, not by fear or human reasoning. He uses the imagery of walking in the day versus walking in the night to illustrate this point. To walk in the day is to walk in alignment with God’s appointed time and purpose. To walk in the night is to act outside of God’s will, guided instead by human emotion or fear. 

This principle also applies to us. When we do the work of God, we must focus on His will and His timing. If we act in faith—according to His light—we will not stumble. But if we allow ourselves to be led by our own emotions, such as fear or doubt, we are far more likely to fall. As Jesus teaches in verses 9 and 10, it is only when we walk in the light of God's purpose that we can move forward with confidence and clarity. 

Misunderstanding the Lord Jesus 

In John 11:11–16, the disciples misunderstood Jesus. When He told them that Lazarus was “sleeping,” they took His words literally and responded, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.” They assumed that Jesus was speaking about natural rest, which often helps a sick person recover. However, Jesus was speaking figuratively—referring to Lazarus’s death as sleep—and saying that He would go to “wake him up” (v. 13). When the disciples failed to grasp His meaning, Jesus clarified His message in plain terms: “Lazarus is dead” (v. 14). 

This is one of several examples in the Gospels where the disciples misunderstood the Lord, despite spending so much time with Him. Another instance occurs in Mark 8:14–21, when the disciples wrongly assumed that Jesus was upset with them for forgetting to bring bread.  

When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany (John 11:17–19), Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Many Jews had come to comfort Martha and Mary in their grief. In verses 20–22, we see a glimpse of Martha’s hope. She expressed faith that even now, Jesus could do something. Perhaps she had heard of His previous miracles, including the resurrection of the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7) and Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8). 

In verses 23–24, Jesus assures Martha that her brother will rise again. Yet here, we observe a kind of inner conflict in Martha. On the one hand, she believes in the resurrection and affirms her faith in Jesus’ power (v. 22). On the other hand, she does not seem to realize that Jesus is about to raise Lazarus immediately. Instead, she interprets His words as a reference to the resurrection on the last day (v. 24). 

This moment is especially striking when compared to the earlier misunderstanding of the disciples. While the disciples took a figurative statement literally, Martha does the opposite—she interprets a literal statement figuratively. In both cases, we see how easy it is to misinterpret the Lord’s words when our perspective is limited.