John 11:17 Commentary and Bible Study

Well then, verse 17, Christ travels from where he was, probably up in the north-east of the country. It is the end of the Berean ministry, east of Jordan, and possible a day, two days’ journey to Bethany. ‘Then when Jesus came’, verse 17, ‘he found that Lazarus had lain in the grave four days already.’ He did not go into the village or the town. He remained outside at the place that appears to be well-known to Martha, who knew exactly where to find him. But speculation is probably very near to where the grave site was.‘Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off’, roughly two miles.Why did he wait? Why, after hearing about the sickness of Lazarus, did he remain where he was before he took the long journey to Bethany, and by the time he arrived, well, Lazarus had died, been buried, and lain in the grave four days? Well, you can see the answer to that in verse 19.