ACC ~ John 12 v9 - 11

OVERVIEW:

Many Jews came not only to see Jesus but also to see Lazarus, from whom perhaps they expected to hear something extraordinary. He was considered to be dangerous by the Jewish leaders since the people might then be led to Christ (THEODORE). Lazarus’s popularity spurs the Jewish leaders to plot his murder too, which is indeed foolish since there was no reason to believe he could not be raised from the dead again (BEDE). But the leaders are envious (AMBROSE) and exasperated (CHRYSOSTOM), frantically believing they can erase not only Lazarus but also any memory of the miracle of his coming back to life (CYRIL).

12:9 | The Crowd Came to See Jesus and Lazarus

JEWISH LEADERS SEEK CONTAINMENT

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA The Jews discovered that Jesus was again in Bethany, staying with Lazarus and his sisters, and was in fact with them at that moment. Many came … perhaps expecting to hear something extraordinary from him, like somebody who comes back to civilization from a strange and remote land. For this reason the chief priests, when they saw that the crowd was also greatly attracted by the desire to see Lazarus, thought to kill Lazarus together with Christ. They obviously had the idea that the crowds would have not confined themselves to see Lazarus but by seeing him would have been led to faith in Christ—as if he who had raised [Lazarus] from the dead once could not bring him back to life again. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 5.12.9. [1]

[1] CSCO 4 3:237.

12:10 | Plotting of the Murder of Lazarus

THE FOOLISHNESS OF KILLING ONE ALREADY RAISED

BEDE Blind cunning of the blind, to wish to kill one who had been restored to life! As if [Jesus] could not restore to life one who had been killed when he had been able to restore to life one who had died! And, indeed, he taught that he was about do both, since he restored to life both Lazarus, who had died, and himself, who had been killed. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 2.4. [1]

[1] CS 111:40.

ENVY SEEKS TO KILL THOSE RAISED TO LIFE

AMBROSE In the presence of such grace given by the Lord, of such a miracle of divine bounty, when all ought to have rejoiced, the wicked were stirred up and gathered a council against Christ [1] and wished moreover to kill Lazarus also. Do you not recognize that you are the successors of those whose hardness you inherit? For you too are angry and gather a council against the church, because you see the dead come to life again in the church and raised again by receiving forgiveness of their sins. And thus, so far as you are concerned, you desire to slay again through envy those who are raised to life. CONCERNING REPENTANCE 2.7.59. [2]

[1] Jn 11:47.

[2] NPNF 2 10:353*.

12:11 | How Can Defections to Jesus Be Prevented?

LAZARUS EXASPERATES JEWISH LEADERS

CHRYSOSTOM No other miracle of Christ exasperated the Jewish leaders as much as this one. … It was so public, and so wonderful, to see a man walking and talking after he had been dead four days. And the fact was so undeniable. … In the case of some other miracles, they had charged him with breaking the sabbath [1] and so diverted people’s minds; but here there was nothing to find fault with, and therefore they vent their anger upon Lazarus. … They would have done the same to the blind man, had they not had the charge to make of breaking the sabbath. Then again the latter was a poor man, and they cast him out of the temple, but Lazarus was a man of rank, as is plain from the number who came to comfort his sisters. … It exasperated them to see all leaving the feast, which was now beginning, and going to Bethany. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 66.1. [2]

[1] E.g., Jn 5:16.

[2] NPNF 1 14:244-45**.

FRANTIC TO STOP CHRIST

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA See now how frantic the rulers seem to become, wildly rushing here and there under the influence of their envy and saying nothing coherently. They seriously meditate murder on murder, thinking they can remove the force of the miraculous deed at the same time as their victim in order to stop the people from running to believe Christ. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 8. [1]

[1] LF 48:140.