Bible Strands
John 11:3
So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The sisters send a message to Jesus stating that Lazarus is sick. This occurs after Lazarus falls ill and his sister Mary is noted for her past act of devotion.
The words — ἀπέστειλαν (apesteilan) translates to "sent," and κύριε (kurie) means "Lord." These terms frame the sisters' urgent communication as a respectful address to Jesus' authority.
The thread — The intersection of divine love and human suffering appears in John 11:5, which confirms Jesus’ love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and in Hebrews 12:6, which states that the Lord disciplines those He loves. Revelation 3:19 further connects love with corrective discipline.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to recognize that reported suffering occurs within the context of divine love rather than abandonment. It demands waiting on Jesus' response before assuming a negative outcome.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Cross-references
- John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
- Revelation 3:19 Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
- Hebrews 12:6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.”
- Psalms 16:3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides.
- John 13:23 One of His disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at His side.
- Genesis 22:2 “Take your son,” God said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
- John 11:11 After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”
- John 11:36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
- Philippians 2:26 For he has been longing for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.
- 2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.