John 11:15

11:15 and I am glad ¹  for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. ²  But let us go to him.”

John 11:42

11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, ³  but I said this ⁴  for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

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¹ tn Grk “and I rejoice.”

² sn So that you may believe. Why does Jesus make this statement? It seems necessary to understand the disciples’ belief here in a developmental sense, because there are numerous references to the disciples’ faith previous to this in John’s Gospel, notably 2:11. Their concept of who Jesus really was is continually being expanded and challenged; they are undergoing spiritual growth; the climax is reached in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28.

³ tn Grk “that you always hear me.”

⁴ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.