John 11:1 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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

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

John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "certain", "sick", "named", "lazarus", "bethany", "town", "mary", and "sister". 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 "It was that Mary which 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.