💫WEB · John 11:3
What does John 11:3 mean?
"The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”"
— John 11:3 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.
It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick.
The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.
Explanation
John 11:3 records a simple but touching message sent by Mary and Martha to Jesus, informing him that their brother Lazarus is gravely ill. The sisters do not make a direct request or command Jesus to come; instead, they simply state the fact of Lazarus's condition and appeal to the relationship of love between Jesus and Lazarus. Their approach reflects a quiet confidence that Jesus, upon hearing of his friend's need, will know what to do and will care enough to act.
This verse comes from the account in John 11, where Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany, falls seriously ill. John, writing his Gospel likely toward the end of the first century for a community of believers and potential converts, includes this story as one of the seven major "signs" demonstrating Jesus's divine identity and power over death. Bethany was a village near Jerusalem, and this family—Mary, Martha, and Lazarus—appears elsewhere in the Gospels as close friends of Jesus, people in whose home he found rest and fellowship. The sisters' message assumes an established relationship; they trust that Jesus's affection for Lazarus is well known and needs no elaborate explanation.
Theologically, this verse highlights the intimate, personal nature of Jesus's relationships with those he loves. The Greek word used for Jesus's feeling toward Lazarus conveys deep affection and friendship,
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