John 11:15 (DBY)

Passage

And I rejoice on your account that I was not there, in order that ye may believe. But let us go to him.

Nearby Context

John 11:13 But Jesus spoke of his death, but *they* thought that he spoke of the rest of sleep.

John 11:14 Jesus therefore then said to them plainly, Lazarus has died.

John 11:15 And I rejoice on your account that I was not there, in order that ye may believe. But let us go to him.

John 11:16 Thomas therefore, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let *us* also go, that we may die with him.

John 11:17 Jesus therefore [on] arriving found him to have been four days already in the tomb.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rejoice", "account", "order", and "believe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rejoice" and "account", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "Jesus therefore then said to them plainly..." into verse 16's "Thomas therefore called Didymus said to his...", so "rejoice" and "account" 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 "rejoice" and "account" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.