John 12:10

My Notes

What Does John 12:10 Mean?

"But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death." The chief priests want to kill LAZARUS — the EVIDENCE of Jesus' power. Not just Jesus. Also the man Jesus raised. The murder-plot extends beyond the miracle-worker to the miracle's PROOF. The religious leaders can't undo the resurrection. So they plan to undo the RESURRECTED MAN. If the evidence walks around alive, the evidence must be eliminated.

The phrase "put Lazarus also to death" (hina kai ton Lazaron apokteinōsin — that they might also kill Lazarus) adds 'ALSO' (kai) — a devastating word: the plot to kill Jesus now INCLUDES his miracle. The chief priests are trying to kill a man who's ALREADY BEEN DEAD. The absurdity is the point: Lazarus already died ONCE. The chief priests want to make him die AGAIN. The man God raised, the religious leaders want to re-kill.

The motive (verse 11) — "because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus" — reveals WHY Lazarus must die: he's a WALKING TESTIMONY. His ALIVE BODY is the evidence. Every time Lazarus walks into a room, the miracle is ON DISPLAY. People see Lazarus and believe in Jesus. The evidence is too compelling. So the evidence must be destroyed.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What evidence of God's work in your life are people trying to eliminate?
• 2.What does trying to RE-KILL a resurrected man teach about the futility of opposing divine work?
• 3.How does Lazarus' alive body being the testimony describe the power of living proof?
• 4.What walking, breathing, alive evidence of God's power makes the opposition desperate?

Devotional

Kill Lazarus TOO. Not just Jesus. Also the man Jesus raised from the dead. The murder-plot extends from the miracle-worker to the miracle's PROOF. The evidence walks around alive. So the evidence must be eliminated. The chief priests want to RE-KILL a man who already died once.

The 'also' is the word that exposes the desperation: the plot against Jesus wasn't enough. Now Lazarus ALSO must die. The expansion of the murder-plot from one person to two reveals the PANIC: the chief priests can't undo the resurrection. They can't make Lazarus UN-raised. They can only try to make him DEAD AGAIN. The plan is to reverse God's miracle through murder. The desperation is the measure of the evidence's power.

The 'put Lazarus to death' is the most ABSURD religious plan in Scripture: kill a man who's already been dead. The man that God raised from the grave, the religious leaders plan to put back. The divine 'yes' to life is met by the human 'no' through murder. The futility is built into the plan: if God can raise Lazarus once, can't God raise him again? The plan to kill the resurrected only proves the inadequacy of the planners.

The motivation (verse 11) makes it worse: Lazarus must die because he's CONVINCING PEOPLE. His alive body is the testimony. His walking and talking and eating at dinner tables IS the evidence that's converting people. The chief priests don't want to kill Lazarus because he's done something wrong. They want to kill him because he's ALIVE — and his aliveness is destroying their case against Jesus.

What 'evidence' of God's work are people trying to eliminate — and is the elimination even possible?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture