JOHN 11:1–16, “LET US ALSO GO TO DIE WITH HIM”
THOMAS THE APOSTLE: COURAGEOUS DISCIPLE, FAITHFUL MISSIONARY, AND MARTYR FOR CHRIST
Feast: Dukhrana of St. Thomas the Apostle – July 3
Introduction
The Dukhrana of St. Thomas the Apostle celebrates the faith, missionary courage, and martyrdom of the apostle traditionally associated with the evangelization of India. The Syriac word Dukhrana means “remembrance” or “memorial.” For the St. Thomas Christians, it is a grateful remembrance of the apostle who brought them the Gospel and sealed his witness with his blood.
St. Thomas is often remembered primarily as the disciple who initially doubted the Resurrection. However, the Gospel of John presents a fuller picture. Thomas was sincere, courageous, loyal, inquisitive, and capable of profound faith. When Jesus decided to return to Judea, where hostile leaders had attempted to stone him, Thomas understood the danger. Nevertheless, he said to the other disciples, “Let us also go to die with him” (Jn 11:16).
Thomas did not yet understand that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead. He expected the journey to end in suffering and death. Even so, he chose to accompany his Master. His words reveal the heart of discipleship: remaining with Jesus not only when the road leads to miracles and glory but also when it leads toward sacrifice.
According to the ancient tradition of the Church in India, Thomas later fulfilled his declaration literally. He traveled far from his homeland, preached the Gospel in India, established Christian communities, and eventually died as a martyr. His journey from “Let us also go to die with him” to “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28) presents him as a model of courageous and mature faith.
Bible Passage (Jn 11:1–16)
A man named Lazarus of Bethany became seriously ill. He was the brother of Martha and Mary, the woman who anointed Jesus and dried his feet with her hair. The sisters sent word to Jesus that the one he loved was sick.
Jesus explained that the illness would not end in death but would serve the glory of God so that the Son of God might be glorified through it. Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he remained where he was for two more days.
Afterward, Jesus told his disciples that they should return to Judea. The disciples reminded him that the people there had recently attempted to stone him. Jesus responded with an image of walking during the twelve hours of daylight. One who walks in the light does not stumble, but one who walks at night stumbles because the light is absent.
Jesus then told them that Lazarus, their friend, had fallen asleep and that he was going to awaken him. The disciples understood Jesus literally and assumed that sleep indicated recovery. Jesus therefore told them plainly that Lazarus had died.
Jesus said that, for the disciples’ sake, he was glad that he had not been there, because what was about to happen would help them believe. He then invited them to go to Lazarus.
Thomas, called Didymus, responded to the other disciples: “Let us also go to die with him.”
Background
The raising of Lazarus is the seventh and greatest sign recorded in the first part of John’s Gospel. The previous signs reveal different dimensions of Jesus’ identity and mission. The raising of Lazarus reveals him as the Resurrection and the Life and points toward his own death and Resurrection.
Bethany was located near Jerusalem. Returning to that region placed Jesus in serious danger because opponents had recently attempted to stone him (Jn 10:31–39). The disciples understood that the journey could lead to arrest and death.
The sisters did not directly command Jesus to come. They simply informed him, “Master, the one you love is ill” (Jn 11:3). Their message expressed both urgency and trust. They believed that Jesus’ love for Lazarus would move him to act.
Jesus’ delay appears puzzling. He loved the family, yet he remained where he was for two additional days. Divine love does not always act according to human expectations. Jesus had a greater purpose: not merely to prevent death but to reveal God’s glory by overcoming death.
Thomas entered the narrative when Jesus invited the disciples to return to Judea. While the others emphasized the danger, Thomas accepted it. He did not yet foresee the miracle, but he chose solidarity with Jesus. His words show that courage is not the absence of fear; it is fidelity in the presence of danger.
Opening Life Connection
People find it easy to follow a leader when success appears certain. It is much harder to remain faithful when the future involves danger, rejection, sacrifice, or uncertainty.
Many Christians gladly follow Jesus when prayer brings consolation, family life is peaceful, health is secure, and their faith is socially accepted. Discipleship becomes more demanding when prayers seem unanswered, suffering continues, moral teaching becomes unpopular, or fidelity requires personal sacrifice.
Thomas faced such a moment. He believed that returning to Judea might lead to death. He could have remained in safety or joined those who resisted the journey. Instead, he encouraged the others: “Let us also go to die with him.”
Thomas teaches that discipleship is not merely admiring Jesus from a safe distance. It means walking with him wherever he leads. The destination may be Bethany, Jerusalem, Calvary, India, or the ordinary sacrifices of family, parish, and daily life.
The Lord may not ask every disciple to shed blood as a martyr, but he asks everyone to die to selfishness, pride, resentment, sinful habits, and fear. Christian life becomes fruitful when we unite these daily deaths with Christ.
Verse-by-Verse / Phrase-by-Phrase Reflection
The Gospel introduces “a man named Lazarus” who was ill. The name Lazarus is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “God has helped.” His experience will reveal that God’s help is stronger even than death.
Lazarus lives in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Bethany was near Jerusalem and became a place of friendship and hospitality for Jesus. The home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary offered him welcome when others rejected him.
John identifies Mary as “the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair.” Although John narrates that anointing in the following chapter, he refers to it here because the Christian community already knew the story. Mary’s loving action anticipates the burial of Jesus.
The sisters send the message, “Master, the one you love is ill.” They appeal not to their worthiness but to Jesus’ love. They trust that Lazarus matters to him.
This brief prayer provides a model for Christians. We may bring the needs of the sick to Jesus simply and confidently: “Lord, the one you love is suffering.” Every person for whom we pray is already known and loved by Christ.
Jesus declares, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God.” Lazarus does die physically, but death will not have the final word. Jesus sees beyond the tomb to the manifestation of divine glory.
The statement does not mean that every illness will result in a physical miracle. It means that suffering and death cannot defeat God’s saving purpose. When united with Christ, even human weakness can become a place where divine grace is revealed.
John emphasizes, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” This affirmation is placed beside the surprising fact that Jesus delayed. His waiting was not indifference or absence of love.
When God does not answer immediately, believers may conclude that he has forgotten them. The story teaches that divine delay is not necessarily divine rejection. Jesus may be preparing a grace deeper than the one initially requested.
Jesus remains for “two days in the place where he was.” He acts according to the Father’s will rather than human pressure. His timing will ensure that the raising of Lazarus unmistakably reveals God’s power.
Jesus then tells the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” He knows the danger, but love for Lazarus and obedience to the Father move him forward. Jesus does not avoid suffering when his mission requires it.
The disciples protest, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?” Their concern is understandable. They remember the hostility and recognize the risk.
The term “the Jews” in such passages of John ordinarily refers to particular hostile authorities, not to the Jewish people as a whole. Jesus, his mother, the apostles, Lazarus, Martha, Mary, and the first believers were themselves Jewish.
Jesus answers, “Are there not twelve hours in a day?” In the ancient world, daylight was commonly divided into twelve hours. Jesus uses the image to describe the time appointed by the Father for his mission.
One who walks during the day can see the road. Jesus walks in the light of the Father’s will; therefore, threats cannot prevent him from completing his appointed mission. His enemies will not control the time of his death.
Jesus adds, “If one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” To walk apart from God’s will is to walk in darkness. Fear alone cannot guide the disciple. The believer must discern and follow the light given by Christ.
Jesus tells them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” By calling Lazarus “our friend,” Jesus includes the disciples within the circle of friendship. Christian community shares both friendship and responsibility.
Jesus describes death as sleep because he possesses the authority to awaken the dead. What appears final to human beings is temporary before the Lord of life.
The disciples answer, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” They interpret Jesus’ statement as ordinary sleep and suppose that rest indicates recovery.
John explains that Jesus was speaking about death. The misunderstanding allows Jesus to reveal a deeper meaning, a pattern frequently found in John’s Gospel. Human beings begin with an earthly interpretation, and Jesus leads them toward spiritual truth.
Jesus then says plainly, “Lazarus has died.” Christian faith does not deny the reality or pain of death. Jesus names it honestly and will later weep at his friend’s tomb.
Jesus adds, “I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe.” He is not glad that Lazarus suffered or that the family grieved. He rejoices because the sign will strengthen the disciples’ faith.
The miracle is not performed merely to prolong Lazarus’ earthly life. Lazarus will eventually die again. The sign reveals that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and prepares the disciples to believe in his Resurrection.
Jesus concludes, “Let us go to him.” He moves toward the tomb of Lazarus, but this journey will also move him toward his own death. The raising of Lazarus will intensify the opposition and contribute to the decision to kill Jesus (Jn 11:45–53).
Thomas, called Didymus, says, “Let us also go to die with him.” “Thomas” comes from a Semitic word meaning “twin,” while “Didymus” is the corresponding Greek term.
Thomas’ statement may contain sadness and a limited understanding of what Jesus intends to do. Yet it also expresses remarkable loyalty. He recognizes the danger but refuses to abandon Jesus.
Thomas does not say only, “I will go.” He says, “Let us also go.” His courage encourages the community. Genuine discipleship strengthens others to follow Christ.
His words point beyond the journey to Bethany. Years later, according to ancient Christian tradition, Thomas carried the Gospel to India and gave his life for Christ. What he declared near Bethany became the pattern of his apostolic life.
Jewish Historical and Religious Context
Jewish faith in the time of Jesus included developing beliefs about resurrection. The Pharisees expected a general resurrection of the righteous at the end of history, while the Sadducees denied the resurrection.
Martha will later express the common Pharisaic hope when she says that Lazarus will rise “in the resurrection on the last day” (Jn 11:24). Jesus does not reject this hope but reveals that resurrection is personally present in him: “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25).
Burial normally took place soon after death because of the warm climate. The body was washed, anointed with spices, wrapped in cloth, and placed in a tomb. Mourning involved relatives, neighbors, and sometimes professional mourners.
Jesus’ arrival after Lazarus had been in the tomb four days would remove any ordinary expectation of recovery. In some Jewish thought, three days carried significance in relation to death and decay. John’s reference to the fourth day emphasizes the apparent finality of Lazarus’ condition.
Going near Jerusalem exposed Jesus to the hostility of influential religious authorities. The disciples’ concern was therefore realistic. Thomas’ decision to accompany Jesus was not an exaggerated statement made in safety; it arose within an atmosphere of genuine danger.
The Gospel’s language must never be used to encourage hostility toward Jewish people. Jesus and his first disciples belonged to Israel. The conflict described by John arose within the Jewish setting of the first-century Church and concerned particular opponents of Jesus.
The Binding of Isaac (Gen 22:1–19)
Abraham was asked to travel to Moriah and offer his beloved son Isaac. Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice while Abraham trusted that God would provide.
The journey required faith in the face of death. Abraham could not see how God’s promise and God’s command would be reconciled, yet he continued in obedience.
Thomas also travels without understanding how Jesus’ return to Judea will end. He sees danger but chooses to accompany his Master.
Isaac was spared, and a ram was offered in his place. Jesus, however, is the beloved Son who freely offers himself. He carries the wood of the Cross and becomes the Lamb provided by God for the salvation of the world.
God’s Power over Death (2 Kgs 4:18–37)
The prophet Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman through prayer and God’s power. This miracle revealed the Lord’s compassion and authority over death.
Jesus’ raising of Lazarus surpasses the earlier prophetic signs. Jesus does not merely pray as a servant asking for power; he commands Lazarus to come forth. The miracle reveals his divine identity and anticipates his own Resurrection.
Lazarus returns to mortal life and will die again. Jesus rises to immortal and glorified life, never to die again. His Resurrection is not merely a return but the beginning of a new creation.
The Valley of Dry Bones (Ez 37:1–14)
Ezekiel saw a valley filled with dry bones representing Israel’s loss of hope. God commanded the prophet to speak, and the bones received flesh, breath, and life.
The vision promised the restoration of God’s people: “I will open your graves and have you rise from them” (Ez 37:12). The raising of Lazarus provides a sign that God’s life-giving promise is being fulfilled through Jesus.
The mission of Thomas would later bring this proclamation of new life to distant peoples. Through his preaching, those who had not known Christ heard the life-giving Gospel and became part of God’s renewed people.
Catholic Tradition and Teaching
The Church teaches that Jesus’ miracles are signs of the Kingdom of God. They reveal that the promised Messiah has come and that God’s saving reign is active in him (CCC 547–550).
The raising of Lazarus is a particularly powerful sign because it reveals Christ’s authority over death. Yet it is not identical with the Resurrection of Jesus. Lazarus returned to ordinary earthly life; Jesus rose in a glorified body and entered a new mode of existence.
The passage also illuminates Christian martyrdom. A martyr does not seek death or act recklessly. Martyrdom is the supreme witness to the truth of the faith. It means remaining faithful to Christ when denying him might preserve one’s earthly life (CCC 2473).
Thomas’ words reveal his readiness to share the fate of Jesus. His understanding was incomplete, but the direction of his heart was correct: he desired to remain with his Master regardless of the cost.
Christian discipleship involves participation in Christ’s death and Resurrection. Through Baptism, believers die with Christ and rise to new life (Rom 6:3–4). This dying continues through daily conversion, the rejection of sin, faithful service, and acceptance of sacrifice.
The apostle’s later confession, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28), is one of the clearest declarations of Christ’s divinity in the New Testament. Thomas’ journey teaches that honest questions can lead to deeper faith when brought to the risen Lord.
The Church does not present Thomas as the permanent model of unbelief. She honors him as an apostle, eyewitness of the Resurrection, missionary, and martyr whose faith helped build the universal Church.
St. Thomas the Apostle and the Church in India
Ancient and enduring Christian tradition holds that St. Thomas traveled eastward and brought the Gospel to India. The St. Thomas Christian tradition associates his arrival on the Malabar Coast with the year A.D. 52.
He preached Christ, baptized believers, formed Christian communities, and established the apostolic foundation of the Church in India. The ancient Christian communities of Kerala have preserved their identity as St. Thomas Christians through centuries of worship, witness, sacrifice, and communion with the universal Church.
Tradition holds that Thomas later traveled to the region of Mylapore, near present-day Chennai, where he suffered martyrdom. He is traditionally believed to have been killed with spears while witnessing to Christ. His tomb at Mylapore has remained an important place of Christian pilgrimage.
His mission demonstrates the universal nature of the Gospel. The risen Jesus commanded the apostles to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). Thomas crossed cultural, linguistic, and geographical boundaries to fulfill that command.
The ancient Christian presence in India reminds us that Christianity is not a recent Western arrival. The Church in India traces her heritage to the apostolic mission and venerates Thomas as the father in faith who brought the Gospel of Christ.
Dukhrana is therefore more than a commemoration of the past. It is a renewal of the apostolic faith and missionary responsibility received through St. Thomas.
Historical or Saintly Illustration
The life of St. Thomas develops through three memorable statements in John’s Gospel.
First, he says, “Let us also go to die with him” (Jn 11:16). This is the voice of courageous loyalty. Though he does not fully understand, he refuses to abandon Jesus.
Second, during the Last Supper, Thomas asks, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5). His sincere question gives Jesus the opportunity to reveal, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6).
Third, after encountering the risen Christ, Thomas declares, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28). His questioning faith becomes a personal and complete profession of faith.
Courage, inquiry, and confession shaped Thomas into a missionary. He followed Christ toward danger, sought the way honestly, encountered the risen Lord, and then carried that faith to the ends of the earth.
His martyrdom completed the promise contained in his first declaration. Thomas not only traveled with Jesus toward the possibility of death; he eventually died for the Gospel entrusted to him.
Application to Christian Life Today
The Dukhrana first calls us to personal faith in Jesus. It is not enough to inherit the name “St. Thomas Christian.” Each generation must personally confess, “My Lord and my God.”
Thomas challenges Christians to move beyond a comfortable faith. The apostle crossed lands and cultures to proclaim Christ. We may not be sent to distant countries, but we are sent into our homes, workplaces, parishes, schools, and communities.
Parents share the mission of Thomas when they teach their children to pray and participate in the Holy Qurbana. Catechists continue his mission when they explain the faith clearly. Young people imitate him when they live their Catholic identity courageously among friends.
Thomas also teaches us to face questions honestly. Doubts should not be hidden or celebrated; they should be brought to Christ through prayer, Scripture, Catholic teaching, and the guidance of the Church. Honest searching can lead to mature faith.
His words challenge us to die with Christ spiritually. We must die to selfishness, pride, greed, impurity, jealousy, resentment, and excessive attachment to comfort. Without this daily dying, discipleship remains superficial.
We should also become sources of courage for others. Thomas said, “Let us go,” not merely, “I will go.” Our faith should strengthen family members and fellow parishioners when they face illness, grief, persecution, or uncertainty.
The feast calls the St. Thomas Christians to protect their apostolic heritage through fidelity rather than pride. An apostolic heritage becomes fruitful when expressed through prayer, sacramental life, unity, charity, missionary zeal, and communion with the universal Church.
Eucharistic Connection
Thomas’ declaration, “Let us also go to die with him,” finds sacramental expression in the Holy Qurbana. The Eucharist makes present the one sacrifice of Christ and invites us to unite our lives with his self-offering.
At the altar, Jesus gives us the Body that was surrendered and the Blood that was poured out. We do not merely remember a past death. We participate sacramentally in the saving mystery of Christ’s death and Resurrection.
When we offer ourselves with Christ, our daily sacrifices become part of our Eucharistic discipleship. Caring for a sick relative, forgiving an offender, remaining faithful in suffering, serving the parish, and defending the faith can become offerings united with Jesus.
Holy Communion strengthens us to follow Christ when the path is difficult. Thomas could not depend upon human courage alone. Apostolic mission requires the grace that flows from union with Jesus.
The ancient Eucharistic tradition of the St. Thomas Christians is a living fruit of the apostle’s mission. Every celebration of the Holy Qurbana continues the faith he preached and unites the present community with the apostolic Church.
After receiving Christ, we are sent forth as missionaries. The Eucharistic Lord whom we adore at the altar must be proclaimed through our words, decisions, relationships, and service.
Messages / Call to Conversion
- Follow Jesus not only toward consolation and miracles but also toward sacrifice and the Cross.
- Make Thomas’ confession personal: “My Lord and my God” (Jn 20:28).
- Bring doubts and questions honestly to Christ and seek answers through Scripture and Catholic teaching.
- Die daily to selfishness, pride, resentment, impurity, greed, and fear.
- Remain close to those who suffer, as Thomas chose to remain with Jesus in danger.
- Encourage others through courageous faith: “Let us also go.”
- Preserve the St. Thomas Christian heritage through faithful participation in the Holy Qurbana, prayer, charity, and unity.
- Share the Gospel within the family by teaching children the faith and giving them a credible Christian example.
- Carry Christ beyond familiar boundaries through missionary generosity and compassionate service.
- Offer personal suffering in union with the death and Resurrection of Jesus.
- Pray for Christians who face persecution and remain faithful even at the risk of their lives.
- Renew the apostolic mission received through St. Thomas by becoming a witness to Christ wherever God has placed you.
Outline for Preachers
- Feast: Dukhrana as the remembrance of the apostle, missionary, and martyr
- Background: Lazarus’ illness, Jesus’ delay, danger in Judea, and the journey toward Bethany
- Life connection: following Christ when discipleship involves uncertainty, rejection, or sacrifice
- Key phrases: “The one you love is ill,” “This illness is not to end in death,” “Let us go back to Judea,” “Our friend Lazarus is asleep,” “that you may believe,” “Let us also go to die with him”
- Jesus’ delay: divine love does not always act according to human expectations
- Walking in daylight: fidelity to the Father’s will gives direction and courage
- Lazarus’ sleep: death is real, but it is not final before the Lord of life
- Thomas’ courage: realistic awareness of danger combined with loyalty to Jesus
- Jewish context: Bethany near Jerusalem, burial customs, resurrection hope, and the fourth day
- Biblical background: Isaac and sacrificial obedience, Elisha raising the child, and Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones
- Catholic teaching: miracles as signs, resurrection, Baptismal dying and rising, discipleship, and martyrdom
- Thomas’ three statements: “Let us also go,” “How can we know the way?” and “My Lord and my God!”
- Apostolic mission in India: the ancient tradition of Thomas’ arrival, evangelization, Christian communities, and martyrdom
- Application today: courageous discipleship, honest questioning, family catechesis, missionary responsibility, and daily dying to sin
- Eucharistic connection: participation in Christ’s sacrifice, strength for mission, and the apostolic heritage of the Holy Qurbana
- Key message: accompany Christ faithfully, confess him personally, and bear witness to him courageously, even at the cost of sacrifice
