John 6:67

6:67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” ¹ 

John 18:8

18:8 Jesus replied, ²  “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for ³  me, let these men ⁴  go.” ⁵ 

John 11:44

11:44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, ⁶  and a cloth wrapped around his face. ⁷  Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him ⁸  and let him go.”

[6:67]  ¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “do you?”).

[18:8]  ² tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[18:8]  ³ tn Grk “if you are seeking.”

[18:8]  ⁴ tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more generic word like “people” because in context Jesus referred only to the eleven remaining disciples who were loyal to him and were present at his arrest.

[18:8]  ⁵ sn A second time Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he,” identifying himself as the one they are seeking. Jesus also added, “If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus successfully diverted attention from his disciples by getting the soldiers and officers of the chief priests to admit (twice) that it is only him they were after. Even in this hour Jesus still protected and cared for his own, giving himself up on their behalf. By handing himself over to his enemies, Jesus ensured that his disciples went free. From the perspective of the author, this is acting out beforehand what Jesus will actually do for his followers when he goes to the cross.

[11:44]  ³ sn Many have wondered how Lazarus got out of the tomb if his hands and feet were still tied up with strips of cloth. The author does not tell, and with a miracle of this magnitude, this is not an important fact to know. If Lazarus’ decomposing body was brought back to life by the power of God, then it could certainly have been moved out of the tomb by that same power. Others have suggested that the legs were bound separately, which would remove the difficulty, but the account gives no indication of this. What may be of more significance for the author is the comparison which this picture naturally evokes with the resurrection of Jesus, where the graveclothes stayed in the tomb neatly folded (20:6-7). Jesus, unlike Lazarus, would never need graveclothes again.

[11:44]  ⁴ tn Grk “and his face tied around with cloth.”

[11:44]  ⁵ tn Grk “Loose him.”