Passage
These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
John 11:11 (ASV)
Nearby Context
John 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
John 11:10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.
John 11:11 These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
John 11:12 The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover.
John 11:13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spake of taking rest in sleep.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "things", "spake", "after", "saith", "friend", "lazarus", "fallen", and "asleep". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "things" and "spake", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 10's "But if a man walk in the..." into verse 12's "The disciples therefore said unto him Lord...", so "things" and "spake" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "things" and "spake" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.