Annotations Upon the New Testament, John · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Vers. 1. WAS sick] The Greek word foreign is used of one that is very sick, Matth. 10.8 Luke. 4.46.
The towne of Mary and her sister Martha] Those Sisters were the Commanders of that Towne and Castle,Polyc. Lyser. Vide Grotium. as Iohn. 1.44.
Vers. 2. That Mary which annointed the Lord] There were many Maries, therefore for difference sake he addes those words, Which annointed] The time past which the Evangelist useth, annointed, ought not to be referred to the time of the thing done, of which he now speakes, but to the time in which he wrote, as if he should say,Calvin. this is the Mary which afterward powred out the ointment, upon which occasion the Disciples murmured.
Vers. 3. Lord behold, he whom thou lovest, is sick] We may tell God what he knowes; Christs beloved is subject to outward miseries.
Vers. 4. That the Son of God might be glorified thereby] By raising of him;Distulit sonare ut posset resuscitare. Aug. which he deferres for his glory and our good.
Vers. 5. Now Iesus loved Martha, and her Sister, and Lazarus] He loved those who were used to intertaine him, as Elias, 1 Kings 17.9. Elisha, 2 Kings 4.8. Kindnesses shewed to the Saints are not lost, Matth. 10.41.
Vers. 9. Are there not twelve houres in the day] Christ comforts them from Gods providence, God made the day twelve houres, who can make it shorter?An artificiall day. Simplex sensus est, loquitur Christus parabolicè & vult dicere. Quemadmodum Coelestis meus pater cuilibet diei in principio creationis duodecim attribuit horat, uni longiores alteri breviores, & quicunque in ejusmodi die ambulat, dum Sol adhuc lucet, non offendit, quia videt quo ambulet & ubi versetur: Sic idem Coelestis meus Pater cuivis homini suum diem vitae, & in eo 12. horas sive breves sive longas assignavit, & dum ille dìes durat, non metuat quod quicquam adversi ipsi citra Dei voluntatem accidere possit. Sed elapsis illis horis, & quando nox ingruit, tum non amplius mundo fidendum, quia pericula simul …ncidere possunt. Polyc. Lyser. for who can shorten mans life, Matth. 10.30. Psal. 139.16. Iob. 14.3. As when we walke in the day we need not stumble, so in Gods wayes, vocatio Dei instar lucis divinae est. Calvin.
Vers. 11. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth] Death parts not friend-ship.
But I go that I may awake him out of sleepe] As if he should say, I will not ascend into Judaea, that I may provoke the Jews with disputations or Sermons, but that I may visite Lazarus our common friend and raise him from sleep. Christs modestie appeares in this, that when he had said he slept, he immediately added that he would raise him, when he saith he is dead, he addes no such thing.
Vers. 12. Lord if he sleepe he shall doe well] They meant a naturall sleepe, for sleepe in greater diseases is a signe of health returning.
Vers. 15. To the intent yee may beleeve] That is, that their faith may increase and bee confirmed. It was increased first, by that which they heard Christ to relate to them what happened about Lazarus, none telling them, and by that great Miracle of raising one dead foure dayes; which if he had been present, he had either driven away the disease, or raised him newly dead. Polyc. Lyser.
Vox desperationis est. Calv.Vers. 16. Let us also go that we may die with him] With Lazarus. Beda takes it to bee his godly desire, Polanus his infirmity, we shall be killed, as v. 8.
Vers. 18. Bethanie was nigh unto Ierusalem about fifteene furlongs off] Stadium a Furlong containes 600. foote,The same of his death might easily come to Jerusalem. that is a 125. paces. Calv.
The holy Evangelists St. Luke ch. 24.13. and Iohn here, reckon the way by Furlongs. See the Travels of the Patriarkes. p. 1. and 2.
Vers. 21. If thou hadst been here] We sent thee word, a kind of reproving.
Vers. 23. Thy brother shall rise againe] He tels not when. Polanus. Needes no prayers to raise him.
Vers. 25. I am the resurrection and the life] The cause of the resurrection of all men as God,Ego sum resurrectio & vita, non formalis, sed causalis, quasi diceret, ego sum qui resuscito, ego qui vitam praebeo. Cornel. à Lap. Fundamentum realis consolationis. Polan. The wicked shall rise, yet not to life, but because he speakes of godly Lazarus he joyneth these two. of the Church as Mediator and head thereof, 1 Cor. 15.22. that is, I am the authour both of this life and the life to come. I quicken in this life by the life of grace, and give eternall life in the world to come.
Vers. 26. Beleevest thou this] That I am the resurrection and life.
Vers. 27. Lord I beleeve that thou art the Christ, the Son of God which should come into the world] A full and perfect description; she confesseth his person and office, that is, I can not doubt but those that cleave to thee shall have life eternall.
Vers. 28. Secretly] Because of the Jewes malice.
Vers. 29. She arose quickly and came unto him] Christ is accepted in trouble.
Solent lachrymae lachrymis excitari presertim apud animos misericordes. Grotius. Vide Dilher. Eclog. Sac. Dictum 9.Vers. 33. Groaned in the Spirit] The Greek word signifieth that commotion of mind which is in anger with a rage and horrour. Tremellius well renders the Syriacke, vehementer commotus est in Spiritu suo.
Impropriè vehemens illa commotio, qua animus Christi commotus fuit, nominatur perturbatio: quo nomine viz. excessus affectuum notatur: qui in Christo nullus fuit; Verè quidem affectibus humanis commotus fuit animus Christi, sed sine foreign, ut si aqua limpida in puro vitro inclusa agitetur ac moveatur. Piscat in loc.And was troubled] foreign, he troubled himselfe, his own judgement, spirit and heart stirred up his affections to be troubled, His affections were wrought on judiciously, right reason did alwayes direct and moderate them. These passions in Christ were not so much passions as propassions freely assumed, as Divines from Damascene teach.
Vers. 35. Iesus wept] The Text saith, he was glad, v. 15. so that hee wept onelyonly for his friends sake who were then a weeping, to shew us the necessity of mourning with those that mourne, say the Fathers on the place. He hath a sence of our infirmities, See Luke 19.41. Heb. 5.7. Christ was here thrice very much moved and wept, First, v. 33. When he saw Mary and the Jewes weeping.See Luke 19.41. and 22.44. Secondly, here. Thirdly, in v. 38. when he saw Lazarus his Sepulchre.
Vers. 44. And he that was dead came forth, &c.] Lazarus had no favour to be raised to dye againe, he dies once more than ordinary.
Vers. 45. Beleeved on him] By beleeving here nothing else ought to bee unstood but a docilitie to embrace the Doctrine of Christ.Calvin.
Vers. 47. Then gathered the chiefe Priests and the Pharisees a councill, and said, what doe we] Therefore not onelyonly the high Priest arrogated this power to himselfe, but ex concilio totius Synedrii, with whom was jurisdiction, he appointed an assembly, that even by that the pride of the Pope of Rome may be reproved,Gerh. Harm. who when he would seeme to resemble the Priest-hood of Aaron in other things, yet saith he onelyonly hath a power of calling a Councill from Peter.
Vers. 43. If we let him thus alone, all men will beleeve on him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation] After forty two yeares the Romans came and overthrew both place and nation, destroyed the City of Jerusalem and the Temple, and brought the Jews into miserable captivity.
Vers. 49. And one of them named Caiaphas] His name signifieth vomiting with his mouth,Nomen Caiphae fignificat vomentem ore vel vomentem statutum à Kaah vel Ko vomuit, & Peh os, sermo, & specialius statutum. Num. 14. v. 41. quae etymologia non malè huic Pontifici congruìt, quia fastu at ambitione ebrius crudam ac crudelem sententiam contra Christum evomuit. Isay. 8.7. which Etymologie well agrees to him who vomited out a cruell sentence against Christ.
Vers. 50. Nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should dye for the people, and the whole Nation perish not] Not that he had any intent to prophesie, but because the Lord used him as an instrument to publish his truth. Perkins. Vide Cameronem.