John 11:1 (DRB)

Passage

Now there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister.

Nearby Context

John 11:1 Now there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus, of Bethania, of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister.

John 11:2 (And Mary was she that anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair: whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

John 11:3 His sisters therefore sent to him, saying: Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "certain", "sick", "named", "lazarus", "bethania", "town", "mary", and "martha". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "certain" and "sick", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "And Mary was she that anointed the...", so "certain" and "sick" should be read forward into that movement. 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 "certain" and "sick" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.