![]() 11:17 brings Jesus to the tomb where Lazarus has been buried for four days. Jesus says that Lazarus “has fallen asleep,” which indicates that Lazarus is at that time dead. 11:11 takes place after these two days (cf. 11:6 has Jesus responding to this messenger by staying put for two more days. But how do we get to this number? 11:3 has a messenger telling Jesus that Lazarus “is ill.” Meaning, whenever the messenger was sent out, Lazarus was not dead, but dying. In John 11, by verse 39 we know Lazarus has been buried for four days. #3 – How do we count to four? Sometimes John’s chronology is difficult to figure out. Because of the complicated nature of this issue and the uncertainty of the final answer, I thought it best to leave it to the discussion of the commentaries (and the blog!), not the sermon. In the end, it seems that Kostenberger’s reasoning should be favored, since it is difficult to argue how Jesus could have travelled 50+ miles in a single day if Bethany were located in the south-eastern part of Israel. He suggested Bethabara as an alternate spelling, and many scholars picked this up (e.g., Merrill Tenney, Gary M. Origen was probably the first to argue for this, after travelling to the location and noting that there was no town called Bethany in that region. The other option is a place called “Bethabara,” which is located about 20 miles away from Jerusalem on the east of the Jordan. Travelling at 20-30 miles/day, it would have taken about 4 days for Jesus and the disciples to reach their destination. If Carson/Kostenberger are correct, then Jesus had to travel almost 100 miles from Bethany/Batanea to Bethany near Jerusalem. 65 Galilee is up in the northern part of Israel). This would not be possible if John the Baptist’s Bethany was only 20 miles from Jerusalem (pg. ![]() Kostenberger, in his commentary on John, notes that this option is strengthened since 1:43 has Jesus leaving from Bethany to Galilee, which only takes a day. John chooses to use the different spelling “Bethany” for Batanea in order to highlight the fact that Jesus began and ended His ministry in Bethany. Carson argues that John was referring to Batanea (Bashan in the OT), an area in the north-east, ruled by Herod’s relative Philip. But there are some educated guesses! Many options have been suggested, but two tend to stand out among the opinions of scholars. But just where is this Bethany? The short answer is, we’re just not sure. Of course this leads us to ask, “Where was John baptizing at first?” Going back to John 1, we first see John baptizing “in Bethany across the Jordan” (1:28 later on John is found baptizing at Aenon near Salim – 3:23). John 10:40-42 sees Jesus fleeing from Jerusalem and going “across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first” (ESV). ![]() The unmentioned Bethany is the one that is the topic of this question. Mary, Martha and Lazarus live in Bethany that is about 2 miles from Jerusalem (11:18). #2 – Where is Jesus’ Bethany? There are two Bethany’s in John 11, though only one is mentioned by name. Had Jesus resurrected him on day two or three, it could have been cause for some to wonder whether it was merely a resuscitation of some sort instead of a true resurrection. But if it reflects the popular opinion or teaching of many Jews back then, it may give added significance to the emphasis on Lazarus being in the grave for four days. We must keep in mind that this is extra-biblical Jewish tradition. But once the body starts to decompose and the corpse changes color, the soul knows there is no going back and depart once and for all. In other words, the soul hovers around the body for three days after death, hoping for re-entrance. In the Talmud (a source of Jewish tradition), it says, “The whole strength of the mourning is not till the third day for three days long the soul returns to the grave, thinking that it will return (into the body) when however it sees that the color of its face has changed then it goes away and leaves it” ( Gen. Jewish tradition shortly after the time of Christ (which likely reflects beliefs during the time of Christ) teaches that the dead body is not truly and finally dead until the fourth day. But there may have been some added significance to the fourth day. She connects this with the odor that was likely to be associated with a corpse buried for that length of time. #1 – The significance of four days Martha makes a big deal of Lazarus being in the grave for four days (11:39 cf. Strangely enough, each area that caught my attention centered around the same topic: Lazarus being in the grave for four days. ![]() During my study of John 11 this week, there were a few tidbits and issues that came up that I knew I wouldn’t be able to fully work out in the sermon (especially one as long as this sermon!).
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