JOHANNES 11

Die heerlikheid van God in Lasarus se opwekking

1 'n Sekere man met die naam Lasarus was siek. Hy was van Betanië, die tuisdorpie van Maria en haar suster Marta.

2 Dit was Maria wat die Here met aromatiese olie gesalf het en toe sy voete met haar hare afgedroog het. Dit is haar broer Lasarus wat siek was.

3 Die susters het toe iemand na Jesus toe gestuur om te sê: "Here, kyk, hy vir wie U lief is, is siek."

4 Jesus het die boodskap gehoor en gesê: "Hierdie siekte gaan nie op die dood uitloop nie, maar vind plaas om die heerlikheid van God sigbaar te maak sodat die Seun van God daardeur verheerlik word."
5 Jesus was lief vir Marta, haar suster en vir Lasarus.6 Toe Jesus gehoor het dat Lasarus siek is, het Hy nog twee dae oorgebly op die plek waar Hy was.

7 Eers hierna het Hy vir sy dissipels gesê: "Laat ons weer 'n keer Judea toe gaan."

8 Die dissipels sê toe vir Jesus: "Rabbi, laas wou die Jode daar U nog stenig, en U gaan wéér soontoe?"
9 Jesus het geantwoord: "Is daar nie twaalf werksure gedurende 'n dag nie? As iemand in die daglig rondloop, struikel hy nie omdat hy die lig van hierdie wêreld sien.

10 As iemand egter in die nag rondloop, struikel hy maklik omdat hy nie lig het nie."

11 Hierdie dinge het Jesus gesê, en daarna bygevoeg: "Ons vriend Lasarus slaap, maar Ek gaan om hom wakker te maak."
12 Die dissipels het vir Jesus gesê: "Meneer, as hy slaap, sal hy mos gesond word."

13 Jesus het Lasarus se dood bedoel, maar hulle het gedink Hy praat van die natuurlike slaap.
14 Toe sê Jesus reguit vir hulle: "Lasarus is dood,

15 maar ter wille van julle is Ek bly dat Ek nie daar was nie sodat julle kan glo. Laat ons dan na hom toe gaan."

16 Tomas, wat ook Didimus genoem is, het vir die ander dissipels gesê: "Laat ons ook gaan sodat ons saam met Jesus kan sterf."
17 Toe Jesus daar aankom, het Hy uitgevind dat Lasarus al vier dae in die graf was.18 Betanië was naby Jerusalem, ongeveer drie kilometer daarvandaan.19 Baie van die Jode het by Marta en Maria opgedaag om hulle meegevoel oor hulle broer te betuig.20 Toe Marta hoor dat Jesus op pad is, het sy Hom gaan ontmoet. Maria het egter in die huis bly sit.21 Marta het vir Jesus gesê: "Here, as U maar net hier was, sou my broer nie gesterf het nie.

22 Maar selfs nou nog weet ek dat God aan U sal gee wat U Hom ook al vra."

23 Jesus sê vir haar: "Jou broer sal weer opstaan."

24 Marta het dadelik reageer: "Ek weet dat hy weer sal opstaan met die opstanding op die laaste dag."
25 Jesus het vir haar gesê: "Ek is die opstanding en die lewe. Wie in My glo, sal lewe, al sterf hy ook.

26 Elkeen wat lewe en in My glo, sal in alle ewigheid nooit sterf nie. Glo jy dit, Marta?"
27 Sy sê vir Hom: "Ja, Here, ek is vas oortuig dat U die Messias is, die Seun van God, Hy wat na die wêreld toe sou kom."

28 Nadat sy dit gesê het, het sy teruggegaan en haar suster Maria gaan roep en stilletjies vir Maria gesê: "Die Leermeester is hier, en Hy roep jou."
29 Toe sy dit hoor, het Maria gou-gou opgestaan en na Jesus toe gegaan.30 Jesus het toe nog nie in die dorpie aangekom nie, maar was steeds op die plek waar Marta Hom ontmoet het.31 Die Jode wat saam met Maria in die huis was om met haar te simpatiseer, het gesien dat sy so vinnig opstaan en uitgaan. Hulle het haar gevolg omdat hulle gedink het sy is op pad graf toe om daar te gaan treur.

32 Toe Maria aankom waar Jesus nog was, en sy Hom sien, het sy by sy voete neergeval en vir Hom gesê: "Here, as U hier was, sou my broer nie gesterf het nie!"
33 Toe Jesus sien dat sy huil en dat die Jode wat saam met haar gekom het, ook huil, het Hy bewoë geraak en was diep ontsteld.

34 Hy sê toe: "Waar het julle hom neergelê?" Hulle antwoord: "Here, kom kyk."
35 Jesus begin toe huil.36 Die Jode sê toe: "Kyk net hoe lief was hy vir Lasarus!"

37 Sommige van die omstanders het gesê: "Was hierdie man wat die oë van die blinde oopgemaak het, dan nie ook in staat om te keer dat Lasarus sterf nie?"
38 Jesus het weer bewoë geword toe Hy by die graf kom. Die graf was 'n grot en 'n klip was voor die opening gerol.

39 Jesus sê toe: "Rol die klip weg." Maar Marta, Lasarus se suster, sê vir Jesus: "Meneer, hy ruik seker reeds, want dit is die vierde dag."

40 Jesus sê toe vir haar: "Het Ek nie vir jou gesê dat as jy glo, jy die heerlikheid van God sal sien nie?"
41 Daarop het hulle die klip weggerol. Jesus het sy oë hemelwaarts gerig en gesê: "Vader, Ek is dankbaar teenoor U dat U na My geluister het.42 Ek weet dat U altyd na My luister, tog het Ek dit gesê ter wille van die skare wat hier rondom ons staan, dat hulle kan glo dat U My gestuur het."

43 Nadat Hy dit gesê het, het Hy met 'n kragtige stem uitgeroep: "Lasarus, kom uit!"

44 Die dooie het uitgekom, sy voete en hande nog toegedraai in doeke en sy gesig nog verbind met 'n kopdoek. Jesus sê vir hulle: "Maak die doeke los en laat hom gaan."

'n Komplot word gesmee om Jesus te vermoor

45 Baie van die Jode wat na Maria toe gekom en gesien het wat Jesus gedoen het, het in Hom begin glo.46 Sommige van hulle het egter na die Fariseërs toe gegaan en by hulle gaan skinder oor wat Jesus gedoen het.47 Die priesterhoofde en die Fariseërs het toe die Sanhedrin bymekaargeroep en gesê: "Wat gaan ons doen? Hierdie man hou aan om baie wondertekens te doen.

48 As ons hom maar net so laat begaan, sal almal in hom glo en dan sal die Romeine kom en die tempel en ons nasie tot niet maak."
49 Een van hulle, Kajafas, wat hoofpriester was gedurende daardie jaar, het opgemerk: "Julle is baie kortsigtig.

50 Julle besef nie dat dit vir julle voordeliger is dat een mens vir die volk sterf en nie die hele volk tot niet gaan nie."
51 Dit het hy nie uit sy eie gesê nie, maar aangesien hy gedurende daardie jaar hoofpriester was, het hy geprofeteer dat Jesus ter wille van die nasie sou sterf.

52 En nie net ter wille van die nasie alleen nie, maar ook om die kinders van God wat oor die wêreld verspreid is, tot 'n eenheid bymekaar te bring.
53 Van daardie dag af het hulle planne gesmee om Hom dood te maak.

54 Gevolglik het Jesus nie meer openlik tussen die Jode rondbeweeg nie, maar van daar af vertrek na die gebied wat na aan die woestyn geleë was en Efraim genoem is. Daar het Hy saam met sy dissipels oorgebly.
55 Die Paasfees van die Jode was naby. Baie mense het van die platteland af na Jerusalem toe gegaan met die doel om hulleself voor die begin van die fees ritueel te gaan was.56 Hulle het toe vir Jesus daar rond gesoek en waar hulle in die tempel gestaan het, vir mekaar gesê: "Wat dink julle, Hy sal tog sekerlik nie Fees toe kom nie?"

57 Die priesterhoofde en die Fariseërs het intussen reeds opdragte uitgevaardig dat as iemand weet waar Jesus Hom bevind, hy die inligting moes deurgee sodat hulle Hom kon arresteer.

JOHN 11

The Death of Lazarus

1-2  t A man by the name of Lazarus was sick in the village of Bethany. He had two sisters, Mary and Martha. This was the same Mary who later poured perfume on the Lord's head and wiped his feet with her hair.

3 The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick.

4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “His sickness won't end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son.”
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and brother. 6 But he stayed where he was for two more days.

7 Then he said to his disciples, “Now we will go back to Judea.”

8 “Teacher,” they said, “the people there want to stone you to death! Why do you want to go back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Aren't there twelve hours in each day? If you walk during the day, you will have light from the sun, and you won't stumble. 10 But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don't have any light.”

11 Then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to wake him up.”
12 They replied, “Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better.”

13 Jesus really meant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was talking only about sleep.
14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead!

15 I am glad I wasn't there, because now you will have a chance to put your faith in me. Let's go to him.”

16 Thomas, whose nickname was “Twin,” said to the other disciples, “Come on. Let's go, so we can die with him.”

Jesus Brings Lazarus to Life

19 and many people had come from the city to comfort Martha and Mary because their brother had died.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus had arrived, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 Yet even now I know that God will do anything you ask.”

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will live again!”

24  t Martha answered, “I know he will be raised to life on the last day, t when all the dead are raised.”
25 Jesus then said, “I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die.

26 And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord!” she replied. “I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world.”
28 After Martha said this, she went and privately said to her sister Mary, “The Teacher is here, and he wants to see you.” 29 As soon as Mary heard this, she got up and went out to Jesus. 30 He was still outside the village where Martha had gone to meet him.

31 Many people had come to comfort Mary, and when they saw her quickly leave the house, they thought she was going out to the tomb to cry. So they followed her.

32 Mary went to where Jesus was. Then as soon as she saw him, she knelt at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset

34 and asked, “Where have you put his body?”
They replied, “Lord, come and you will see.”
35 Jesus started crying,

36 and the people said, “See how much he loved Lazarus.”

37 Some of them said, “He gives sight to the blind. Why couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still terribly upset. So he went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone rolled against the entrance.

39 Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, “Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four days, and there will be a bad smell.”

40 Jesus replied, “Didn't I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?”
41 After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, “Father, I thank you for answering my prayer.

42 I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so the people here would believe you sent me.”
43 When Jesus had finished praying, he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth, and a cloth covered his face.
Jesus then told the people, “Untie him and let him go.”

The Plot To Kill Jesus

(Matthew 26.1-5; Mark 14.1,2; Luke 22.1,2)

48 If we don't stop him now, everyone will put their faith in him. Then the Romans will come and destroy our temple and our nation.”t
49 One of the council members was Caiaphas, who was also high priest that year. He spoke up and said, “You people don't have any sense at all! 50 Don't you know it is better for one person to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed?” 51 Caiaphas did not say this on his own. As high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation. 52 Yet Jesus would not die just for the Jewish nation. He would die to bring together all of God's scattered people.

53 From that day on, the council started making plans to put Jesus to death.

54 Because of this plot against him, Jesus stopped going around in public. He went to the town of Ephraim, which was near the desert, and he stayed there with his disciples.
55 It was almost time for Passover. Many of the Jewish people who lived out in the country had come to Jerusalem to get themselves readyt for the festival.

56 They looked around for Jesus. Then when they were in the temple, they asked each other, “You don't think he will come here for Passover, do you?”
57 The chief priests and the Pharisees told the people to let them know if any of them saw Jesus. This is how they hoped to arrest him.