Thomas Aquinas, on John 11:5

Here the raising of the dead man is treated, and first the purpose of the one who is to be raised is set forth; secondly the order of the raising is added, where it says "Then Jesus therefore came," and so on. Concerning the first, he does three things. First the Lord gives place to death; secondly he foretells his purpose of going to the place where the dead man was, where it says "then after this he says," etc.; thirdly he foretells his purpose of raising him, where it says "he said these things, and after this he says to them," and so on. Now the Lord gives place to death by delaying beyond the Jordan; and therefore he says, "but when he heard that he was sick, he remained in the same place two days." From this it is noted that on the very day on which Christ received the sisters' message about Lazarus, Lazarus died; for when Christ came to the place where the dead man was, he had already been four days in the tomb; but Christ remained in the same place two days after he received the message, and on the day following those two days he went into Judea. He gave place to death for so many days for two reasons. First, lest by his presence the death of Lazarus should have been impeded; for where life is present, death has no place. Secondly, that the miracle might be rendered more credible, and no one could say that he raised one not yet dead, but rather one only stunned.

Accordingly, when it says "then after this he says to his disciples," the Lord makes manifest his purpose of going to the place, and first he foretells his purpose; secondly the fear of the disciples is added, where it says "the disciples say to him," etc.; thirdly the Lord drives away their fear, where it says "Jesus answered: are there not twelve hours in the day?" He says, then, as to the first, "then after this," namely, once the delay had been drawn out, "he said," namely Jesus, "to his disciples: let us go into Judea again." Here it is asked why here alone he foretold to the apostles that he would go into Judea again, since he did not do this on other occasions. But the reason for this is that the Jews had recently in Judea persecuted Christ, so that they had almost stoned him; wherefore he had also departed from there for this reason; on account of which it was to be believed that, Christ wishing to go there again, fear would invade the hearts of the disciples. And because foreseen darts strike less, and evils which are foreseen are more easily borne, as Gregory says, therefore the Lord, in order to take away their fear, makes manifest to them the purpose of his journey. Now by the fact that he returns again into Judea, it is given to be understood mystically that the Lord will return again at the end of the world to the Jews, who will be converted to Christ; Romans 11:25: "blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should enter in."

The fear of the disciples is set down when it is said, "the disciples say to him: Rabbi, now the Jews were seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" As if they should say: it seems that you go to death of your own will. But this fear is unreasonable, because the disciples had with them God as protector, with whom he who is, ought not to fear; Isaiah 50:8: "let us stand together: who is my adversary?" Psalm 26:1: "the Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?" The Lord drives away this fear, comforting them; wherefore he says, "Jesus answered," namely to the disciples, "are there not twelve hours in the day?" Here first he sets down the condition of the time; secondly he shows that the time is apt for walking; thirdly that it is not apt. The second where it says, "if anyone walk in the day, he does not stumble"; the third where it says, "but if he walk in the night, he stumbles." Now for the understanding of this text, it must be known that it is expounded in three ways.

In one way by Chrysostom, thus. "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" As if he should say: you hesitate to go up into Judea, because the Jews recently wished to stone me; but the day has twelve hours, and what happens in one does not happen in another. Wherefore although at that time they had wished to stone me, at another hour they would not wish this; Ecclesiastes 3:1: "all things have their time." And the same book, 8:6: "for every business there is a time and opportunity." But here a literal question arises: for he speaks either of the natural day, or of the artificial day. If indeed he speaks of the natural day, then what he says is false; since it does not have twelve, but twenty-four hours. Likewise if he speaks of the artificial day, what he says is false: because this is not true except at the equinox, since not all artificial days have twelve hours. But to this it must be said, that it is to be understood of the artificial day: because all artificial days have twelve hours. For the hours of days of this kind are distinguished in two ways. For some are equal, and some are unequal. Now the equal ones are distinguished according to the circle of the equinoctial; and according to this not all days have twelve hours, but some more, some fewer, except only at the equinox. But the unequal ones are distinguished according to the ascensions of the zodiac on account of its obliquity: because the zodiac does not ascend equally in all its parts; but the equinoctial ascends equally: and according to these unequal hours every artificial day has twelve hours; because on any given day six signs ascend by day, and six by night; but those which ascend in summer are of slower motion than those which ascend in winter; and the ascension of any sign makes two hours.

"If anyone walk in the day," that is, honestly, and without the consciousness of any evil, Romans 13:13: "let us walk honestly, as in the day," "he does not stumble," that is, he does not find what may harm him. And this is because "he sees the light of this world"; that is, the light of righteousness is in him; Psalm 96:11: "light is risen for the just, and joy for the upright of heart"; as if the Lord should say: we can go securely, since we walk in the day. "But if he walk in the night," namely of iniquities, he will easily find many dangers: concerning which night, 1 Thessalonians 5:7: "they that sleep, sleep in the night." And such a one "stumbles," that is, strikes against something, because "the light," namely of righteousness, "is not in him."

In another way a certain Greek, namely Theophylact, expounds it, from the passage "if anyone walk in the day," saying that the day is the presence of Christ in the world, but the night is the time after his Passion. So that the sense is: there is no need to fear the Jews, because as long as I am in the world, danger does not threaten you, but me. Wherefore when the Jews wished to seize him, below, chapter 18:8, the Lord said to the crowds: "if therefore you seek me, let these go their way. That the word which he said might be fulfilled: of those whom you gave me, I have not lost any." But "in the night," that is, in the time after the Passion, then you must fear to go into Judea, because you will suffer persecution from the Jews; Zechariah 13:7: "strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered."

In another way Augustine expounds it, so that by the day Christ is understood; above, chapter 9:4: "I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day: and as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." The twelve hours of this day, then, are the twelve apostles; above, 6:71: "have I not chosen you twelve?" But that which follows is greatly to be feared: "and one of you is a devil." Judas, then, was not an hour of this day, because he did not shine. But it must be said that the Lord said this, not with regard to Judas, but to his successor Matthias. The sense, then, is "are there not twelve hours in the day?" As if he should say: you are the hours, I am the day. As therefore the hours follow the day, so also you ought to follow me. Wherefore if I wish to go into Judea, you ought not to go before me, nor change my will; but you ought to follow me. He says a similar thing to Peter, Matthew 16:23: "get behind me, Satan," that is, do not go before me, but follow me, imitating my will. "If anyone walk in the day," as if he should say: you ought not to fear danger, because you go with me, who am the day. Wherefore as he who goes in the day does not strike against anything, that is, does not stumble; so neither do you who go with me; Romans 8:31: "if God is for us, who is against us?" And this is because "he sees the light of this world," in me. "But if he walk in the night," that is, in the darkness of ignorance and sin, then "he stumbles"; and this is because "the light," namely the spiritual light, "is not in him," not indeed from a defect of the light, but from their rebellion; Job 24:13: "they were rebellious to the light."