The Death of Lazarus

11 ¹There was a man named Lazarus who was sick. He lived in the town of Bethany. This is the town where Mary and her sister Martha lived. ²(Mary is the same woman that later put perfume on the Lord (Jesus) and wiped his feet with her hair.) Mary's brother was Lazarus, the man that was now sick. ³So Mary and Martha sent a person to tell Jesus, "Lord, your dear friend Lazarus is sick." ⁴When Jesus heard this he said, "The end of this sickness will not be death. But this sickness is for the glory of God. This has happened to bring glory to the Son of God." ⁵(Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) ⁶When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. ⁷Then Jesus said to his followers, "We should go back to Judea." ⁸The followers answered, "But teacher, the Jews in Judea tried to kill you with stones. That was only a short time ago. Now you want to go back there?" ⁹Jesus answered, "There are twelve hours of light in the day. Right? If a person walks in the day, then he will not stumble and fall. Why? Because he can see with the light of this world. ¹⁰But when a person walks at night he stumbles. Why? Because there is no light to help him see." ¹¹After Jesus said these things, he said, "Our friend Lazarus is now sleeping. But I am going there to wake him." ¹²The followers answered, "But Lord, if he can sleep, he will be well." ¹³Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead. But Jesus' followers thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was really sleeping. ¹⁴So then Jesus said clearly, "Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵And I am glad that I was not there. I am happy for you, because now you will believe [in me]. We will go to him now." ¹⁶Then Thomas (the one called Didymus) said to the other followers, "We will go too. We will die with Jesus [in Judea]."

Jesus in Bethany

¹⁷Jesus arrived in Bethany. Jesus found that Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb* for four days. ¹⁸Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁹Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary. The Jews came to comfort Martha and Mary about their brother [Lazarus]. ²⁰Martha heard that Jesus was coming. She went out to greet Jesus. But Mary stayed at home. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask." ²³Jesus said, "Your brother will rise and be alive again." ²⁴Martha answered, "I know that he will rise to live again when people are resurrected (raised from death) on the last day." ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection.* I am life. The person that believes in me will have life [again] after he dies. ²⁶And the person that lives and believes in me will never really die. Martha, do you believe this?" ²⁷Martha answered, "Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Christ,* the Son of God. You are the One that was coming to the world."

tomb A grave dug in a wall of rock. resurrection Being raised from death to live again. Christ The "anointed one" (Messiah) or chosen one of God.