John 11:4 tells us that Lazarus’s illness was not meant to end in death. Jesus says the sickness exists so that God’s glory is shown, and that the Son of God will be honored through what happens. The words are spoken by Jesus after word reaches him from Mary and Martha that their brother is ill, and he speaks them to the disciples standing with him.
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.”
John 11:4 (WEB)
What John 11:4 Means
The phrase “This sickness is not to death” does not say Lazarus would never die. The story makes plain that he does die. Jesus is describing the purpose of the illness, not promising that the man will recover. The sickness is not the final word on Lazarus’s life or on the story Jesus is living out.
The phrase “but for the glory of God” tells you what the illness is for. Glory here means the visible weight and worth of God being seen and recognized. Jesus is saying that God’s character will be displayed through these events, and that the people involved will come to know more about who God is.
The final clause, “that God’s Son may be glorified by it,” names Jesus himself as the one who will be honored. The verse does not promise you that hard times will always end quickly or without loss. It tells you that God is able to bring his purposes into view even within suffering and delay.
The Context of John 11:4
John’s Gospel was written to show who Jesus is, with the stated aim that readers would believe he is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31). The raising of Lazarus is one of the Gospel’s largest signs, and it comes near the end of the public ministry, just before the events of the cross and resurrection. The original readers were likely Christians who needed to see Jesus clearly as the one who has authority over life and death.
The verses just before and after explain the setting. Mary and Martha send word that the one Jesus loves is sick, yet Jesus waits two more days before going to Bethany (John 11:6). Lazarus dies in the meantime. Read alongside this delay, the words of verse 4 show that Jesus was not caught off guard. The sickness and the waiting were both part of a plan meant to reveal God’s power in a way that could not have happened otherwise.
Key Phrases in John 11:4
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
(WEB)
Jesus says he is the resurrection and the life, which explains why the raising of Lazarus reveals God’s glory. This verse shows that the Son’s glory is tied to his power over death itself.
Romans 8:28
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
(WEB)
Paul writes that God works all things together for good for those who love him. This verse sits well with John 11:4, since both hold that God can bring meaningful purposes out of situations that look like loss or setback.
A Short Prayer From John 11:4
Lord, you knew what Lazarus’s sickness would lead to, and you knew what your Son would reveal through it. I bring you the illnesses and delays I cannot make sense of right now. Help me trust that you are not absent from them, and that your glory can be shown even in what feels like an ending. Let my waiting be shaped by faith in your character, and let your Son be honored in the way I live through this season. Amen.
